Unilever investing in its people

Antoinette Irvine

Speaking at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Human Resources (HR) Forum, Unilever's vice-president for human resources, Antoinette Irvine, gave an audience of HR professionals an insight on some of the factors that contribute to making Unilever a sought-after company to work for.

"Our recruitment and retention practices at Unilever are selective and uncompromising. We hand pick and develop the world's finest talent and leaders to help deliver on the company's strategy to make sustainable living commonplace.

"What earns Unilever the reputation as one of the most attractive employers on the continent is the organisation's structure and culture, which creates an enabling environment for people with a winning mindset, a passion for consumers and an appetite to drive personal performance," said Irvine.

Number One awards

Unilever South Africa was awarded the Number One Employer in South Africa; Number One Employer in the FMCG sector; and Number One Employer in the Manufacturing sector for 2013 by the Top Employers Institute.

These awards resonate with the company's Sustainable Living Plan, which was launched in 2010. Through this plan, Unilever has set high ambitions of doubling the size of the business whilst halving the environmental impact by 2020.According to Irvine, this can only be achieved through the company's "Winning with People" formula, which incorporates diversity, leadership, talent and capability.

"Building the organisation through a diverse talent pipeline ready to match these growth ambitions is a key success factor. This will be further supported by driving a performance and winning culture in which every employee is encouraged to grow to his or her full potential," she said.

She echoed the sentiments of Doug Baillie, chief HR officer of Unilever, who said that "the people agenda is the most important part of our strategy if Unilever is to successfully deliver on its growth ambitions".

"As a multinational, Unilever prides itself in ensuring that its HR policies and practices are world class and are consistently implemented across the globe.

"This is the essence of creating a culture that is unique to Unilever and as the global environment changes; Unilever will always strive to remain relevant," said Irvine.

The company has also developed interventions that continually contribute to the success of the organisation.

They include: