SUSTAINABILITY

Unilever says being sustainable helps it attract better employees

By our News Team | 2021

Study by the FMCG company in 54 markets found that a commitment to sustainability was often the deciding factor in joining.

Unilever, the global FMCG giant with some of the world’s most successful brands in its stable, says its commitment to sustainability is helping it to attract top talent.

According to the company, its reputation for putting purpose before profit has been a deciding factor for recruiting employees in many of the markets in which it operates.

Speaking at a recent Future of Ecommerce conference organised by Econsultancy, the international e-marketing specialist, Unilever’s Claire Hennah said research among its staff in 54 markets showed that sustainability was the main reason people choose to join the business.

“We have an incredible workforce of people who are so passionate [about sustainability]. It’s one of the core reasons people are joining Unilever. They have the passion to really lead the agenda and have the difficult conversations with retailers, listen to consumers and work with partners,” she said.

Photo by Akil Mazumder from Pexels

Brand purpose grows brand power

“It’s quite straightforward for us; brand purpose grows brand power and brand power drives market share and hence growth.”

“We really firmly believe that companies with purpose last, brands with purpose grow and people with purpose thrive. Now, we know that sustainability matters more to people than ever, particularly to young people,” stated Hennah, who is Vice-President of Global Ecommerce.

She added that consumers have a desire to be more sustainable, but they expect brands to make it more affordable, understandable and transparent.

“People are very aware of greenwashing. They need to be able to decipher and understand the choices they’re making so we can also communicate with them better,” said Hennah. “Consumers don’t want to pay a premium for making sustainable choices.”

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