
9 September 2026
Available for over a year
In the current global economic environment, youth unemployment is higher than the national average in many countries, as companies are reluctant to take on new staff. According to the United Nations, the global youth unemployment rate rose to 12.4 per cent last year, meaning around 67 million people under 24 can’t find jobs.
Now some companies are staging less conventional recruitment processes that are attracting job applicants and buzz.
We speak with journalist MaryLou Costa about L'Oreal’s Brandstorm competition, which turns recruitment into an X Factor-style competition, with jobs as the prize. The process starts with domestic competitions around the world and culminates in a grand final in Paris.
For the young people involved, is it exciting - or unfair? We hear from Allodya Arofa, a final-year university student who won the national competition in Indonesia, about her experience.
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams
Editor: Verity Wilde