Leadership and Talent Management Analysis: The Unilever Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of Unilever's talent management strategies, examining their approach to leadership, recruitment, and employee development. The report begins with an introduction to Unilever, outlining its goals and objectives. It then delves into the company's talent management framework, focusing on people, place, and performance, as defined by their human resource vision. The report further explores Unilever's focus on mid and long-term market forecasts, human resource needs, and its efforts to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship among its employees. A key section outlines a criteria-based approach to identifying new talent, including planning, defining high-potential criteria, making them measurable, and the final selection process. The report also discusses the importance of leadership within Unilever, its strategic and effective approach, and its impact on attracting talented employees globally. The report concludes with a case study on recruiting talent in Egypt, offering guidelines for talent sourcing, job advertising, employer branding, networking, and the importance of considering fresh graduates and the differences in recruitment approaches. Finally, the report discusses the Unilever approach to talent management for smaller organizations.

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Student Name
Professor Name
Subject
Date
Talent Management
Introduction
Unilever is a consumer goods company located in London, United Kingdom and Rotterdam,
Netherlands and was founded in 1930 (Mirvis 20). It produces products like food, beverages,
cleaning agents and personal care products. In Europe, it's the seventh most valuable company,
and the world's largest producer of food spreads like margarine. The products of the company are
available in about 190 countries hence one of the oldest multinational companies in the world.
The company has three primary goals; improving health and well-being of the people, reducing
impacts on the environment and enhancing livelihoods. This task is going to describe the
Unilever talent management (Unilever p. 1).
Task 1
According to the compass strategy and sustainable living plan of Unilever company, there is a
three-fold challenge which the company uses to identify the best talent, to be the best place to
work and to ensure people perform to their best (Chandler and William 66). This is the people,
place and performance according to the Human Resource vision of the company.
People

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This represents how the company secures its talent. Examinations have been done on the kind of
people the company has, quality, quantity, gaps and how to close the gaps. The company is
focused on its future and how to double its revenue to 80 billion euros by identifying the skills,
talent and culture (Adams and OpenMind. 50). The Human Resource management plays a very
important role in ensuring the skills, talent and culture gaps are always covered. They do this to
ensure the future of the company is not harmed.
Place
This is aimed at making the company the best place to work. The Human Resource vision of the
Unilever company in this element is to ensure that there is a development in the company’s
employee value proposition. The company being a marketing focused business, it’s expected to
develop employee brand to ensure it is the best place to work. A new leadership programme that
will ensure that the talent under development is connected to the future strategy and the business
model of the company is in place. Since the company is operating in about 190 countries
globally, it requires a broad marketing strategy and talent (Grant 12). The company uses
analytics to check the information in the different marketplaces it operates as well as maintaining
the value proposition in its brand.
Performance
This is aimed at ensuring that people perform to their productive best. There is a lot of data
collected by the company which is used in evaluating the talent of the employees. They start by
examining the current skills and the expected skills in future, the skills of the Anthony with the
services he provides and what the company need to cover as a function. Both individually and
the entire function contains individual skill assessments and collective skill assessment covering

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the individual and collective gaps. This helps the company to know their current and future stand
in three years’ time (Wilshaw et al. 33). The valuing of the talent framework is viewed in three
ways; the outcome of the business in terms of its profit and cash, the establishment of the role of
talent inputs in the performance of the business and improvements in talent.
Task 2
Part 1
The Human resource management in the Unilever company do a focus on mid and long-term
market forecasts and human resource needs. The managers carry out the forecasts so as remain
and compete with their rivals in the market and this makes the company achieve its goals and
objectives (Farndale et al., 80). They are also able to invest in talent and leadership for the
company to achieve its objectives. The Human resource managers ensure that human rights are
followed to the latter and that compliance with the rights is done through its assurance process.
Hence it focuses on the human resource needs because the happiness of the employees leads to
the success and growth of the company. The focus is also done to understand the concerns of
employees in the whole world and introduce them to social activities.
Part 2
The Unilever company has developed a culture where employees are encouraged to work like
business owners and entrepreneurs. The company has employed about 161000 people and
equipped them with skills and leadership qualities. This has helped the company have the best
talent creating long-term value to the company. There is a foreseeable gap in the human capital
analysis because the growth of artificial capacity is affecting the work and there is more anxiety
at work with the changing composition of the employees (Gennaioli et al., 22). The capital

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analysis is that the managers of the company should be more fluid with the data and analytics
they use so as to be successful in the next ten years. By using the wealth data about the people in
the organization correctly, the company will be able to improve the productivity of the Human
resource operations. The big data volume helps the Unilever Company to improve their plan of
performance.
Part 3
By identifying the best talent in any company is important because it reduces the chances of
dropouts and, resources used and expenses incurred. The best approach I would prefer in
identifying new talent is a criteria-based approach (Ready,L 320). The approach is discussed
below;
Planning for the future
First I would understand the goals and objectives of the company and what it will require in
future. I would also identify the leadership roles and positions of the top senior leadership in the
company and its strategic needs. After identifying, purpose, priorities, needs and requirements
are evaluated for each role identified. Timeframes and talent tools of leaders either recruited
from outside or from within the company.
Defining high-potential criteria
I would then define high-potential criteria by looking at the necessary research, defining terms
like potential, performance, readiness and fit so as to enhance an understanding at the
organizational level. I would also specify the high-potential criteria for the company as a whole
and roles in particular.

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Making the high-potential criteria measurable
I would make the high-potential criteria I defined before measurable by using different
assessment procedures to identify high-potential employees. One is buddy approach where the
managers and senior leaders select high-potential employees. Another is manager appraisal
approach where only the managers decide the high-potential employees. Lastly, I would also use
a criteria-based approach where a criterion is developed which shows what the company is
looking for in high-potential employees.
Identifying high-potential employees
This is the last procedure I will carry out which after defining and measuring, the high-potential
employees are determined and selected (Roger and Smith 200). I would then nominate, screen
and assess the selected candidates based on the criteria and their performances.
The tools I would use to recruit the identified and selected candidates include; testing and
assessment, al & automation, applicant tracking systems, recruitment CRM, video interviewing
and human capital management software.
Task 3
Part 1
Leadership is the act of leading people in any organization, institution or group to achieve goals
and objectives. A leader sets a vision for the firm, guide and motivate the employees and builds
their morale (Percept Research Staff ). Leadership is vital for any firm, group, institution or
government because it shapes how we live, play and work. It’s important because it makes the
firm successful because it transforms potential into reality. Leadership brings about authority

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which enhances the high performance of the subordinates. The skill of leadership helps in
attaining the goals and objectives of the organization (Du 1).
In the case of Unilever Company, leadership is crucial because it helps the company achieve its
goals as well as keeping the employees and the business work well. The leadership in Unilever is
strategic and effective hence a choice for many people (Tideman et al., 6). The strategic
leadership help the company to enjoy the status of the best customer brand in the world. Because
of the effective leadership, employees in this company feel that they are essential hence the
success of the business. The hierarchical structure of administration in the Unilever company
help in the flow of information and open communication thus attracting more talented employees
globally (Sadeghi et al., 78).
Part 2
The company maintains the same storyline but adapt it to its different national markets by using
analytics. They do this so as to make the story to be relevant to where the company has
operations and also brings the power and scale of the company. The core of the brand is the same
but activated to different markets. By doing this, they are able to collect data from the
preferences of their employees and map these to the activities of high-potential recruits on the
website of the company’s rivals (Unilever,P.L.C 8). The company has also developed a talent-
branding machine that helps it to strategically position the employee value proposition in the
many users registered on LinkedIn. By branding, the company has become the fast-moving
consumer goods oriented business.
Part 3

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Egypt is a very popular country and being the 4th largest economy in the MENA region, it has 84
million populations. Around 13% of the inhabitants of Egypt are unemployed lacking both career
training and guidance (Darrag et al., 110). This has made the vocational education and skills
development in Egypt to have the highest priority. Where people can acquire employment in
Egypt is the trade, insurance, tourism and finance sectors. To recruit talents for the country, the
following guidelines are essential.
Narrowing of the talent sourcing
Many people in Egypt are unemployed, and hence they have to look for jobs where different
candidates with different aspects like age, location and field of interest are sorted.
Writing killer job ads
This is done by developing attractive job description which shows the duties and responsibilities
of the job.
Building employer brand
This is done by developing a proof which will set the company as the pace to work while giving
information on how it operates and how it's the best to work in. This creates interest to the
passive job seekers.
Setting up networking events
Most of the job seekers in Egypt put blames on the less access to networking opportunities in the
country. By setting networking events, professionals will be brought together from different
places.
Ensuring healthy salary and contract terms

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By providing a healthy pay and contract terms, the country is able to improve the job quality
hence retaining top talents that shape the business.
Focusing on real skills rather than the previous company
This is important because the job seeker focuses on the achievements and recognition of other
people (González-Bailón 40).
Considering fresh graduates
The challenge faced by job seekers in Egypt is how to enter the market with the little training.
Hiring fresh graduates is essential because they are used to them , and they will be able to adapt
to the new environment. The country is also ready to welcome fresh air and new perspectives.
This recruitment process does not work for the non-Arab nations because these nations are
divided, and they hire temporary with low payments unlike in Egypt where the employment is
permanent (Sadiki 62). They don't attract the talents the world offers to them. Their fear is that
after employing outsiders, they will destroy their culture.
Task 4
The Unilever is approach is essential for the smaller and less global organisations because the
supply and distribution network of the company involve such organisations. The company is
aimed at improving the livelihoods of the small organisations, their incomes and participation in
the company's value chain.
Talent management is the managing of employee lifecycle which starts with identifying the
needs of the business then the talents from selected candidates and the identification and

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selection of candidates (Khatri et al. 150). The talent management approach for a small Unilever
competitor is discussed below.
A website where information from the workers who need help in a job search is collected.
Networking events for workers in job areas which are at risk (Thunnissen 5).
Different webinars that make the employees familiar with other local organisations.
‘Office hours’ where the professionals offer advice on how to start a business.
Conclusion
This assignment has discussed the Unilever company which produces products like food,
beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. The task has explained how the vision of
people, place and performance of the company works. We have reviewed the importance of
leadership in the organization and how new talents are recruited and the tools involved in
recruitment. Lastly, we have discussed the talent management approach for a small competitor of
Unilever company.

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