Unilever isn’t your average company.
On any given day, 2.5 billion people use Unilever products. For some perspective, that’s one-third of the Earth’s total population. But that’s just its reach.
Unilever employs more than 161,000 people. And when it comes to hiring, it does things entirely its own way.
The Unilever team threw out the old school resume and phone screen formula so that they could start finding modern talent in a modern way. They now use a digital process that’s fast, fun, and authentic.
Here’s how it works. You’ll start by applying online. Then you’ll play games that assess your skills, personality, and potential. After the games, you’ll complete a video interview. Finally, if you pass those rounds, you’ll go in-person to a Unilever Discovery Center to meet your peers and potential co-workers, and to see what life is like at Unilever. Shortly after that, you’ll (hopefully) get an offer!
Here are five tips from the recruiting experts at Unilever that will help you nail the interview process and land a job at one of the world’s top companies.
1. There Are Games—Have Fun With Them
When you apply to Unilever, you’ll be asked to build a digital profile. Part of that means playing 12 games to test your personality, skills, and hidden potential. This isn’t a hazy or hush-hush process, either. After every game, you’ll get direct feedback, and they’ll tell you what they think they found. There’s no right or wrong answer; they’re just looking to see how you play.
That’s why it’s so important to have fun with the games. Don’t stress about winning or doing things a certain way. Do it how you would do it—and have fun with it. Play calmly and confidently, without stressing about doing it “right.”
And above all remember this: It’s about who you are and how you play, and NOT about winning or losing.
2. Make Eye Contact With The Webcam
The digital interview is a real interview. Though you record your answers on your own time, treat it like there’s someone sitting in front of you.
Even though the questions are pre-recorded, there’s a real person on the other end who thought about those questions and wants to know your answers. So, sit up straight, look the camera in its metaphorical eye (the lens), and speak like you normally would to any interviewer. You can even re-record your answers a few times, so it’s potentially even less stressful than an in-person screening.
But that’s just how you’re speaking. The next three tips will help you make sure WHAT you’re saying is just as good as the presentation.
3. Know The Brands
Unilever is a megabrand. It has thousands of products under a ton of subsidiaries around the world. If you only do research on Unilever, you’ll be missing out on a ton of the important (and genuinely interesting) info about the company’s past, present, and future.
So, know your region’s brands (like Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, Axe, and Lipton). That way, you can speak with confidence about your experience with the products, your perception of them, and what you can contribute to the mission of the company that makes them. You’ve almost definitely used a Unilever product, so draw on that experience to bring insight to your interview. That will really help you get to the next round.
4. Know What You Want, But Be Open To New Experiences
So many of Unilever’s jobs and internship opportunities are in different locations around the country. They’re also spread out across departments and sectors you might never have imagined for yourself. So, even though it’s important to know what you want going into an interview, being flexible will make hiring you all the easier.
Plus, if you’re open to something you might not have expected, then you can discover your dream job! New experiences almost always teach you something valuable about yourself. Think flexibly, and you might find yourself with an amazing new job or internship!
5. Learn About Its Values, Especially Sustainability
It’s always important to learn about a company’s values beforehand and think about how the work that you want to do for them can engage with those principles.
One of Unilever’s most important values is promoting a healthy relationship to the environment with their Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. This ambitious project aims to double the company’s growth and halve their environmental impact by 2020. Think about why this matters to you and how you’ll act on and support the effort.
Pro-tip: It’s really important to use concrete examples when talking about something high-minded like values. Translation: Don’t forget the specifics.
For example, if diversity and inclusion are values of the company (like they are for Unilever), and you’re applying for a Supply Chain Management job, you could talk about how ensuring you work with diverse, high-quality suppliers would be a priority for you. Concrete examples like this show that you did more than just Google “Unilever company values.”
Now Go Get Your Dream Job
Now that you have the inside scoop on Unilever’s recruiting process, there’s nothing stopping you from getting your dream job at one of the world’s most successful companies.
If you want to join the mission of making people feel good, look good, and do good, check out internship and co-op opportunities from Unilever on WayUp right now!
