L’Oréal’s Michael Kienle, global vice president of talent acquisition, oversees hiring for one of the world’s most sought-after employers. L’Oréal, which dubs itself a “talent factory par excellence,” received more than 2 million applications in 2025 alone.  

Kienle is focused on work-based learning. Earlier this year, he was elected chair of the Global Apprenticeship Network, a Geneva-based organization that advocates for apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning. This summer he chaired the global finals of Brandstorm, L’Oréal’s innovation competition. The program attracted a record 380,000 registrations across more than 65 countries this year and has become an important entry point into the company’s talent pipeline. 

Kienle told HR Executive how candidate expectations are changing. 

No ‘static, five-year plan’

For Kienle, one of the most significant adjustments is the move away from fixed career paths, which is something he’s seen change since the start of his career. “The biggest shift is a demand for constant, dynamic experiences,” he says. “Younger talent is incredibly curious, and they don’t want a static, five-year plan.”

Kienle has found that early career workers are motivated by trying out different functions and learning by doing. 

He also says that the newest crop of professionals expects a different relationship with leadership. Rather than a traditional “boss” who tells them what to do from the top down, they prefer working with a leader who functions more like a coach who mentors them and focuses on their development. 

“Finally, they expect to bring their authentic selves to work and look at an organization and say, ‘I can fit in here exactly as I am.’ Creating an inclusive workplace where people feel they belong is therefore crucial.” 

That expectation is shaping how L’Oréal approaches career development and internal mobility. The company’s global campaign, “Life is too short for a boring career,” reflects an emphasis on movement rather than a single, linear progression. 

“When people look at L’Oréal, they often just think about how we attract and grow brilliant young talent,” Kienle says. “But that’s really just the starting point. What makes our culture so unique is the sheer freedom you have to reinvent your career over time, far away from any corporate monotony.” 

Read more: How Match Group’s CPO rebuilt talent growth after flattening the org 

‘Never put in a box’

He says that this framework allows people to situate in their core profession while applying what they know across different parts of the business. Kienle himself is an example of this. He started his career in marketing, but since moving into HR, found opportunities to work in different environments, areas the org identifies as Luxe, Consumer Products and Dermatological Beauty. “Each division brings a completely new experience, while still allowing you to grow,” he says. 

Kienle adds that employees can also change their crafts. He describes researchers who decided to pivot into communications and put their scientific background to work to bring brand stories to life. 

“That’s what the campaign is all about: You’re never put in a box. You’ve got the space, the support and the trust to explore, shake things up and shape your own dynamic journey.” 

Purpose must be lived

Kienle also sees a stronger connection between employees’ expectations around purpose and their willingness to challenge unsatisfactory management. “When people accuse younger generations of lacking resilience, what they are usually seeing is a refusal to accept poor leadership or a lack of purpose.”

He has found that employees want to see the “immediate impact of their work” and understand how their contribution connects to the big picture. “Employers must respond by ditching empty promises and embedding genuine values into the daily culture,” he says. 

At L’Oréal, purpose includes inclusion and psychological safety. When Kienle joined the company in 1999, he says he was “completely open about having a boyfriend, which was rare back then, and it was never an issue.”

Today, he’s married to his husband, and says employees wear rainbow lanyards with pride. “When purpose and inclusion are lived realities rather than corporate slogans, people don’t just join you; they stay with you.” 

Flexibility beyond hybrid work

Kienle says flexibility has also expanded beyond location and working hours to include career movement and leadership that responds to individual needs. “In a global organization like L’Oréal, flexibility means balancing autonomy with culture, ensuring the physical office remains a vibrant hub where people actually meet, collaborate and learn from one another.” 

He says that flexibility must also allow employees to pivot across divisions and functions and take on international projects. He describes flexible leadership, where managers act as facilitators who do more than enforce rigid, “one-size-fits-all” policies. That approach places new demand for managers to create the conditions for collaboration and trust despite different working styles and career ambitions. 

Hiring as ‘mutual discovery’

Kienle expects the employers that attract talent most successfully over the next five years will rethink recruitment processes and the way candidates encounter an organization. “The winners will be employers who move away from static, traditional hiring processes and treat recruitment as a two-way street of mutual discovery and human connection.” 

He predicts that successful employers will abandon the “obsession with flat, two-dimensional” resumes and “scattergun applications.” At L’Oréal, he says the interview is “sanctuarized” to ban AI-generated shortcuts in a setting where recruiters can focus entirely on human connection, assessing potential and critical thinking. These recruiters offer real growth and experiential “playgrounds” before candidates commit to accepting a role.  

“Ultimately, employers who succeed will be those that listen to individuals, reject generational stereotypes and provide an authentic culture where people can thrive as their true selves,” Kienle says. 

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