Lockdown Leader: H&M

A dark skinned model wearing a navy suit looking down and playing with the ends of the sleeves

How the high-street fashion brand is helping young people to try and get ahead in the post-lockdown job market...

We already know that young people are bearing the economic brunt of Covid. Figures released last month by the Office for National Statistics showed that under-25s make up two thirds of the 700,000 job losses since the start of the pandemic.

Getting a job has become a whole lot more competitive and only intensifies the pressure to perform well at the interview. We all know that first impressions count and that the interviewer will almost certainly form an opinion within a second of seeing somebody walk into a room.

We also know that not every young person that turns up for a job interview can afford a suit. So Meet The Leader tips its hat to H&M who have come up with a wonderful idea to help young people to get ahead in life.

The high street fashion brand has just launched the ONE/SECOND/SUIT, a free 24-hour rental service. “Job interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, but we believe nothing should hold you back, least of all what you wear. The ONE/SECOND/SUIT is ready-to-wear confidence. A signal to the world and a reminder to yourself that you’ve got what it takes,” says H&M head of marketing and communications Sara Spännar.

The launch has been accompanied by a 30-second video from Mark Romanek, best known for directing videos for Johnny Cash (Hurt), Taylor Swift (Shake It Off) and Beyonce (Sandcastles). Once you’ve smashed the job interview, all you have to do is send the suit back the following day in the pre-paid packaging. H&M will then sort out the cleaning and pressing before it graces another interview room.

ONE/SECOND/SUIT was launched in the UK last week and is also set to be rolled out in America in mid-May.

LOCKDOWN LEADERSLysanne CurrieNews, Lockdown Leader, H&M, Employment, Job interviews