What advice would you give to a candidate wishing to join Mars?

Get to know the company and what it stands for by using the great resources on the website and other media channels as it really is like no other! The company while large in scale and size, has a real family feel to it and everyone is ultimately working towards the same thing! Reaching out to those who are working there is a great way to get to know the in's and out's of this company. I think what I have learned in my time is to just be yourself (as cliche as that sounds!). Mars want to invest in 'you' as much as you invest your time into Mars!

The best advice would be, be yourself! Be candid, natural & honest - Mars has a huge focus on culture & are as much looking at your culture fit as they are your functional skills. There are so many opportunities in Mars to develop & stretch yourself, as long as your values & principles match ours, then you will fit straight in!

Looking into the values of the company is really important as they sit at the core of every associate's working life. I think that showing why you would be a good fit for the company's culture is key to being a successful applicant. You can read a bit more about Mars' Five Principles here: https://www.mars.com/about/five-principles Ask the right questions. Learn about the role you are applying for and try to understand whether you are a good fit for that as well as the company. Using these questions to frame your own skills can help the interviewer to clearly see how you would succeed in the role. If you feel Mars is the right business for you, then don't give up. I didn't get the first job I applied to at Mars, but second time round, when the right job came up, I succeeded. If you think Mars fits with your values and the job is right, keep going!

Are the 5 principles used in all business decisions, and do all employees have this state of mind applied to them, when asking them to complete a task?

From my experience, the overriding answer is yes. As associates, when you first joined you notice the decisions are made with the 5 principles in mind and all employees recognise this as these 5 principles have helped shape and make this company great! Not ever principle is required at each decision and some require more thought than other depending if you are client facing, internal etc, but overall, the business moves forward with these principles in mind and this is lead not just from senior leaders but all the way through our production process!