UNILEVER, one of the world’s leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies with leading brands such as Lipton, Dove, Clear, Sunsilk among many others, has been declared as the No.1 Employer of Choice for university students in Saudi Arabia in a recent survey conducted by TNS, an independent research company. The survey was conducted among senior students from different majors across leading Saudi universities.



Commenting on the success, Yasser Joharji, Managing Director, Unilever KSA, said: “This is a great achievement after all the comprehensive programs Unilever KSA engaged in, during 2013. Our efforts have been recognized and this will help in providing us a unique distinction as an employee-centric brand, and also in retaining top talent.” Unilever KSA has been one of the top five “Employer of Choice” companies for the past four years in the Kingdom.



He added “Unilever is the No.1 Employer across several other MENA countries, and we believe we have been able to achieve this due to our focus on people, culture, career growth, reputation, as well as work on sustainability and providing a diverse environment. Building a strong and robust employer brand goes a long way in helping the company recruit a strong pool of talent and ultimately achieve the company’s long-term vision of doubling its size.”



The survey, which was conducted at four of the top KSA universities, involved a detailed review and analysis of employer patterns. Unilever KSA topped the scores, beating several KSA-based companies to attain this status.



In 2013, Unilever KSA has strategically engaged with university students to achieve this position. Activities ranged from talks by Unilever’s senior leadership members, on-campus activations, career-fair participation and internship programs, to most prominently, the launch of the largest cross university, cross country competition – The Quest.



“Our promise of being an employer of choice goes beyond what we showcase to the students on campus. We continuously work on building a more diverse and enabled workforce, while providing an excellent work environment and the opportunity of international exposure to our employees,” said Ahmad Babatin, HR Director at Unilever KSA. 



Unilever puts a lot of emphasis on identifying and building business talent early. For example, the Unilever Future Leader’s Program (UFLP) provides an extensive cross-functional experience including rural and international exposure to young managerial recruits and prepares them for greater responsibilities very early in their careers. This program has proven to be successful as many of the company’s current leaders started their careers as management trainees. – SG