What it does: Fast moving consumer goods
Staff stats: Mars employs 130,000+ Associates working in 80 countries around the globe. Approximately 2,200 of these Associates are located across Australia and New Zealand.
The good bits: Working for one of the world’s best employers, focus on development, free product!
The not so good bits: The pace can be frantic
Hiring grads with degrees in: At Mars, we don’t want to miss out on great talent by not considering certain degrees. In our Engineering and Research and Development programs, STEM degrees are highly regarded and are generally found more suitable due to the specific technical training involved, but if you have a passion for a specific function with a degree from another discipline – we still want to hear from you! Our Sales and Marketing program is open to all degrees and we value the diversity and perspective this will bring to our teams!
Mars is a family business that has been making products for food and pets for over 100 years.
Franklin Mars, who was born in 1882 in Minnesota, was taught the basics of chocolate making by his mother.. By age 19 he was selling molasses chips and he soon moved to Minneapolis to set up a confectionery company, Mar-O-Bar Co. His first big chocolate bar hit – the Milky Way – was the result of an idea from his son Forrest, who wanted to replicate a milkshake in the form of a lolly.
Franklin went onto to create the Snickers Bar before his son went on to develop Maltesers, M&Ms, Skittles, Snickers, Twix, and, of course, the Mars Bar. The company branched out, getting into pet food by launching what’s since grown in Pedigree Petfoods in 1957. In recent decades, the company has also snapped up other iconic food businesses, most notably Wrigley Company, the world’s largest chewing gum manufacturer.
The company has had a presence in Australia since 1915. In 1967, it both set up its first Australian factory and bought the Australian herb and spice business Masterfoods. It now has 8 factory and office locations across Australia and New Zealand.
Mars believes a diverse workforce inspires creativity and innovation. Globally, around 40 percent of its managerial positions are filled by women. The company has various initiatives in place to both recruit and develop more female staff.
Along with many other major corporations, Mars signed up to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion scheme in mid-2017. Among other initiatives, this means Mars is committed to:
As part of its commitment to putting ‘The Five Principles’ into action, Mars Australia strives to be a good corporate citizen. In recent times, it has slashed its manufacturing sites’ waste, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. It’s also implemented rainwater-recycling schemes and installed co-generation plants. Mars is a signatory to the Children’s Marketing Initiative. It has reduced the amount of saturated fat and salt in its products and uses Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa.
In Australia, the company sponsors a range of organisations and events. These include the Guide Dogs, Mars Petcare Paws in the Park event, the Prison Puppies program, World Animal Day, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, Earth Hour, Keep Australia Beautiful and Foodbank Australia. The company’s PEDIGREE® and ADVANCE® adoption drives have helped re-home 100,000 dogs over 50,000 cats.
Our Sustainable in a Generation Plan addresses key areas of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and features ambitious goals informed by science and rooted in The Five Principles. Our plan focuses on three key areas — Healthy Planet, Thriving People and Nourishing Wellbeing.
To read more about our commitment today, for a sustainable tomorrow, visit our website and watch our video here and delve into the work taking place around the globe.
Mars is big on what it calls the “The Five Principles of Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom”. These principles are the foundations of their culture and approach to business which unite Mars employees across geographies, languages, cultures and generation.
In practice, the Five Principles mean Mars staff are expected to take responsibility, produce quality work in an efficient manner and strive to create win-win solutions when dealing with colleagues, customers, suppliers and the broader community. Freedom means Mars staff, not needing to keep nervous shareholders happy, enjoy unusual levels of freedom when it comes to doing business in a free-thinking kind of way. If all that sounds appealing to you, you should find Mars a fulfilling place to work.
We’re a family business that’s been making products for people (and the pets that people love) for more than 100 years. When you think of Mars, chocolate probably comes to mind—and for good reason. Thanks to brands like M&M’s®, Snickers® and Twix®, chocolate is certainly a big part of who we are. But, we’re about more.
Mars is behind some of the world’s best-loved brands in the world including Pedigree®, Royal Canin®, Dolmio®, Whiskas®, Schmackos®, Skittles®, Extra® and Uncle Ben’s®. Globally, we’re 100,000 self-proclaimed Martians—we’re pet obsessed, confectionery lovers, foodies, dream chasers and community builders— working across 78 different countries.
We’re a diverse, extended family that wakes up every morning ready to make an impact—on our business and on the world. And, we do it by keeping The Five Principles at the heart of everything we do: Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, Mutuality and Freedom. These principles inform our decisions and unite us across geographies, languages, cultures and generations.
Here in Australia, we're a family of over 2,200 associates spread across 9 locations across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Our seven factories produce 44 well-loved brands. We're also proud to announce we've been recognised as the #1 Best Place to Work in Australia by Great Place to Work!
We're also proud to announce we've been recognised as the #5 Best Place to Work in Australia by Great Place to Work for 2019!
When you start your career at Mars, it is just the beginning. Joining our Mars Functional Leadership Experience will kick off 2 rewarding years packed with great experience, opportunities, and learning. The Mars Functional Experience is a two year graduate program that was created with the purpose of developing tomorrow’s leaders today. With streams in Engineering, Research and Development, and Sales, the program consists of two assignments which are aligned with your individual development needs and business opportunity. For our 2022 intake, we will open applications in July 2021, for a start in January 2022.
What makes us stand out from the rest? Our focus on your development and our flexibility for your next step to be right for you. We don’t have forced rotations into functions or to timelines that may not suit you – we move you into your second assignment at a time, and into a role, that is right for you. Supported by a team of Associates who care about your progression, you will also have regular connections as a graduate cohort, and access to graduate specific Skills Pathways and Learning and Development opportunities.
To us, every graduate is a potential leader. That’s why the moment the program starts you’ll be handed huge responsibilities. You’re also provided with the freedom to explore the new, and are fully supported while you gain knowledge and experience. At Mars, we’re all about our people. As an Associate here, you’ll not only play an integral role in our continued success but you’ll also be working with the industry’s top talent who are all keen to support you in your leadership journey as your line managers, mentors, and buddies."
When interviewing graduates to join our team, Mars looks for individuals who are collaborative, curious and who know how to get things done, through formal and informal channels. As a Mars Associate, you’ll also be expected to demonstrate accountability and delivery of consistent results, as well as provide evidence you learn from your mistakes and seek continuous improvement for self-development and growth.
Our application process is a four stage experience designed to ensure that we are learning all about you through each stage! You will be kept up to date and informed of next steps at each stage of the process.
Mars pays staff above the industry average wage for entry level role. There are a large array of benefits and fun initiatives which vary depending on which segment you are employed with, such as free product and dogs in the office! We offer all Mars Associates super co-contribution options, health checks, health and well being initiatives, Death and Disability Insurance, paid time off for volunteering, and in-depth development.
Mars calls all its staff members ‘Associates’. This reflects the business mindset that employees are much more than a resource. Every Associate is considered a stakeholder in the business, expected to contribute and take responsibility for results. The company has won just about every Best Place to Work award going. It is also renowned for being an excellent training ground for managers. Many former Mars middle-managers have gone on to be CEOs at other companies, to the extent Mars is sometimes referred to as the Ultimate Business School.
Through Mars University, as well as a comprehensive suite of award-winning learning programs and career development options, the company aims to help Associates build the skills they need to succeed today and grow their careers at Mars across a lifetime.