MBA Recruiter Interview: Land O’Lakes

If you live in the US and eat butter, you are probably familiar with Land O’Lakes. What you may not know, however, is that Land O’Lakes is more than just a butter company – it’s an agribusiness company with product lines spanning from seed and crop inputs to grocery-store products that include pet food and, yes, butter. In addition, the company is seeking to expand and plans to hire more MBAs to help in this respect. In this interview, Land O’Lakes' manager of talent acquisition, Nick Koewler, discusses what the company looks for when hiring MBAs.

Why do MBAs want to work for Land O’Lakes?  

MBAs who are attracted to us like the idea of getting the type of hands-on experience they can get at Land O’Lakes, Inc. to solve big business problems. In what is a growing company, they have the opportunity for cross-business rotations and gaining breadth of experience in their careers. We also hear from our MBA hires that they have an immediate impact on the business they work in; the associate marketing manager role, for example, is tied directly to the strategic direction of the group you work with. From day one, you are adding value.

In business school employment reports for 2015, Land O’Lakes is listed as one of the top hiring companies at several top business schools. Why is Land O’Lakes hiring so many MBAs? Do you think this level of MBA hiring will continue?

We plan to continue hiring MBAs; it’s becoming more and more of a standard for leadership roles and a requirement for our core areas, such as corporate strategy and marketing.

Which business schools do you hire from?

Among the schools from where we find MBA graduates are:

• Minnesota – Carlson School of Management
• Michigan – Ross School of Business
• Dartmouth – Tuck School of Business

Could you please provide a brief overview of Land O’Lakes’ MBA recruitment process?

MBA recruitment begins in the fall (autumn) prior to the summer of hire. We partner with the respective schools’ career centers to plan a recruiting strategy that provides students with access to information about our marketing and strategy opportunities. Those processes include info sessions, case studies, industry panels, office hours, networking receptions and, of course, on-campus interviews. 

Interviews for full-time hires are in the fall each year, and internship interviews are in the spring. Once interns and new graduates are hired, the individual groups (marketing and strategy) plan the summer schedule for the new hire and focus on their assignments, professional development activities, social activities and opportunities to network with people from across the company. The goal of the intern program is to prepare them to be potential full-time hires and fill the entry-level talent pipeline.

What are some common job roles for MBA graduates?

Common MBA job roles include: Financial planning and analysis; project leads; business development consultants; and marketing management. It (the MBA) is often a desired qualification for many other areas. An MBA gives some assurance that the applicants have a mindset and the discipline for better strategic thinking, business acumen and leadership.

What do you look for when evaluating a candidate's résumé and experience? 

It depends on the role, but relevant experience is always important if we are looking for a more experienced candidate. For many MBA candidates, we are looking to hire them right out of their programs, so we think about any of their prior work experiences and look at their ability to lead and work in teams as well as their ability to demonstrate collaboration and innovative thinking.

When recruiting MBAs do you look for candidates with specific academic or work backgrounds? 

We do and we don’t. We really try to target students who bring the leadership qualities that an MBA would need in order to be successful at Land O’Lakes. We look at whether they’ve led projects, cross-functional teams or other high-profile opportunities. We ask whether they’ve worked directly on projects that affect how the business goes to market. The roles MBA students will go into at Land O’Lakes drive the business forward, therefore demonstrated experiences with leadership and business strategy are very important. Where they get that experience - whether through a specific industry or company - is not as important as the fact that they have it.

What are some common misconceptions MBAs have about Land O’Lakes as well as the dairy and animal feed industries?

Many people still believe that we are only a butter company. We’re much more than that; our businesses span the food-product chain from seed and crop inputs to products people buy at the grocery store. Candidates may also be unaware of our aggressive growth plans and international growth opportunities. There’s also unfamiliarity with what it means to be a co-op (cooperative) and what it means to be an agribusiness company. 

What should MBAs do to make a good impression? Conversely, what are some mistakes MBAs should avoid when contacting recruiters?

First, get to know the company or companies that interest you. Graduate career centers do an amazing job in creating connections between companies and students. Take advantage of these opportunities, meet the representatives, get to know their businesses, understand their culture and put forth a good story about why you want to work at a company. Also, understand how your experience translates to the role you’re applying for. Many MBAs struggle to explain how their résumés align with a (prospective) future employer’s needs.

Is there anything else MBAs should know before applying for jobs at Land O’Lakes?

The ag (agribusiness) industry has become the next big growth market, and we have the MBA programs to kick off your postgraduate school career.