I've got a telephone interview for the business and technology management programme in a couple of days. Does anyone have any examples of the competency questions they might ask? Thanks.
im also applying to the china programme. submitted my app way back in oct 2010. did the telephone interview in early Jan. and only heard back today that i got rejected. and apparently it will take another month to get feedback on the telephone interview.
@showgirl, im not sue if they will ask the same question. but it was pretty standard. if i remember correctly, there were questions on teamwork, go extra mile to achieve results, a time you exceed customer service. also research the company, why FMCG and the why the area you want to work at. read the info on the first page. they were really helpful when I was preparing for my interview. and good luck!
I really like this grad scheme and this particular function so I thoroughly researched the company and prepared examples beforehand so my interview went quite well. How did your interview go?
They emailed me yesterday to tell me I passed the interview stage however could not confirm a place on the A/C yet but told me that I am still being considered.
Any news on the assessment center? My interview went pretty well too.. the feedback was that I should receive an email in the second april week (next week) if I made it to the assessment center or not.....
Anyone already got a response? If yes, positive or negative? + What further did they mention in the email (Dates, etc.. )
I am going to apply Unilever china program next year, did not catch this year's one. is it possible you keep an record what questions / case u have been asked during the assessment centre?
I am going to apply Unilever china program next year, did not catch this year's one. is it possible you keep an record what questions / case u have been asked during the assessment centre?
Hey guys, I just had my Telephone interview for the Financial Management Scheme today and there were 8 questions in total: 5 were competency based and 3 were about Unilever and the scheme.
1) Describe a time when you had a particularly challenging task 2) Describe a time when you showed innovation 3) Describe a time when you showed leadership qualities 4) Describe a time when you went out of your way to meet customer satisfaction 5) Cant remember :(
1) What do you know about Financial Management 2) What research have you done on Unilever 3) What qualities do you posses that would be suited for the role.
Hello guys, anyone applied for Unilver's Finance Graduate 2012 intake?, I sent my application today, does anyone know how long they take to invite us to the next stage, ie psychometric testing?
Anybody waiting to hear back from Unilever, beware they take a long time to get back to you. I got told I passed my telephone interview back in august and only got told the date for my assessment day today. After my assessment day I will post a recap of it regardless of the outcome. The information given on this thread has been a big help :)
So... I had my assessment day about a week ago which did not go very well and unfortunately I did not get an offer, but I hope the following information is helpful for those of you who have the AC coming up.
Basically, the day runs from 8am to 5:30pm and you are assessed on 5 different tasks.
The night before the event, Unilever put you up in a hotel about 30mins away from the Leatherhead office where you will have a dinner with the other candidates and a current graduate on the Unilever scheme. This dinner is good for building up a good relationship with the other candidates so that you don't feel uncomfortable in the group exercises the next day. Luckily the guys who I had the AC with were all pretty cool. Also this is a good chance to find out more information about the company but to be honest the graduate who was hosting our dinner just took the opportunity to get tipsy on free drinks lol.
ASSESSMENT DAY:
Before you do anything, make sure you have the Unilever 'Standards of Leadership' memorised and use them to tackle every task in the day as it is their marking criteria for you on the day. They want you to reflect leadership in the way they see it, so keep this in mind.
1st TASK: CASE STUDY (written exercise) This task is probably the easiest to mess up and even though it seemed pretty pointless to me, it's all about using your time efficiently and making sure you answer all the questions properly. You have about 60 mins to look through a load of information like emails and statements from managers etc. and then use this information to analytically tackle the questions. The key to making sure you do well here is to be really ANALYTICAL and not be too superficial with the answers you give (which can easily happen, due to being under tight time constrictions). There's not much else I can say to help you with this task except for don't underestimate it just because it's written because they will reject you on the smallest stuff, this grad scheme is really competitive.
2nd TASK: INTERVIEW The interview will be with a senior member of staff. The structure of the interview will be pretty similar to the telephone interview but they will expect you to have a lot more knowledge about the company and the FMCG industry, so make sure you do your revision. Other than that it's all competency based and about your previous experiences with leadership. You can use answers from your application and telephone interview, but they might pick up on this so try and come up with a few new answers. Try and structure your answers using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) technique. For information on the FMCG market use this website http://www.about-fmcg.com/home.
3rd TASK: GROUP EXERCISE 1 You'll have about 30 mins to read the information given to you (probably about the launch of a new hair product) and makes notes to bring in with you to the meeting. All of this preparation will be done individually so you will not confer with the other candidates before you meet in the board room for the group exercise. The key here is to try and lead (which everyone will be trying to do) but you have to push to get your voice heard and your points put forward but at the same time be understanding of everyone else's views and take them on board. Remember this whole scheme is about leadership so you have to come across with confidence (but don't be a controlling dick type, they won't like it).
4th TASK: PRESENTATION You will have about 45 mins to look over information and make notes on what the presentation will be about. The case study, group exercises and presentation all link and are going to be based on the same thing. After this preparation, you will meet one on one with a senior staff member and present your ideas to him/her for about 10 mins. Then they will grill you with questions for another 10 mins so make sure you know what you are talking about and try answer with confidence. Key here is similar to the case study, just be analytical and try to get into as much detail as you can.
5th TASK: GROUP EXERCISE 2 This group exercise is easier than the first. Similar to the first one you'll have around 30 mins to prepare and make notes individually, however you will each be given an issue which you need to bring forward. The point of this exercise is to try and push for your issue to be given the most importance, so you need to stress how the particular issue will affect the company and why it needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Like the first group exercise, you have to come across confident and show your natural leadership and when analysing the issues, keep the 'standards of leadership' in mind.
The day is quite intense but at the same time the hosts of the day do a good job of keeping you relaxed. You get a tour of the office, which is probably the nicest office I've ever seen in my life, definitely one of the biggest incentives to work for the company imo. Only thing else I can say, is even if you feel like you f**ked up any of the tasks just make the most of the day because it's really good experience and will be helpful even if you get rejected.
Hi guys, I have a very urgent question and I need your help--I applied for the China Programme and after the online test, I was sent an email--the last email I got from them---saying that " We will be in contact shortly with details on how to book your telephone interview with us." I thought the information on booking telephone interview would be sent via email so I did not check my online status at all...........lol But today I found that my application status was BLANK!!! I didn't know the telephone interview should be booked online because on one told me to!! is it expired now?? what should I do now??
I had a telephone interview with unilever last month for the Supply chain grad scheme and I thought Id post the questions up here so people could use it to help with their prep if anyone's at that stage. They were:
1) Describe a time you showed innovation 2) Describe a time when you showed leadership 3)Name a time when you had to make a difficult decision quickly 4) Why Unilever 5) Why FMCG 6) Who are our competitors 7) What edge do Unilever have over our biggest competitors 8) Why supply chain 9) What issues would they be facing now 10) Describe a time when you've been completely responsible for something
I've been accepted to join the Selection Board regarding Finance MT position in Unilever Turkey. I am very grateful for your Selection Event posts but have no idea about the case studies about finance position. For example, is "the branding of an entirely new product" case still common in finance position in the Selection Board?
Please inform me as soon as possible because the event is going to be in less than 5 days..
the selection board wass an awesome experience for me however, i wasn't qualified for the job but whatever.. I went through all of the above cases and presentations so the process was exactly the same, only there were no logical based tests. HR and other staff was so respectful and gentle and the most important thing was that they told us what should be done in order to eliminate our inabilities in addition to our posiitve abilities for a successful career.
Before the Selection Board, the interview was entirely based on competency based questions and how you behave in front of a professional person. You shouldn't be anxious and just be yourself! That's what its all about!
Thanks for your post berosh ! Could you give us a bit more information, please? Like, how long it takes to get the selection board invitation after your telephone interview ? what the presentation is about ? Thanks berosh~
I've just done the logical reasoning test and on my application form it now says 'You have now successfully completed your Logical Reasoning online test'. How long does it take for the maths test to appear? A couple of hours, days??
Hi everyone, is anyone else waiting for a update on their application at the moment? I applied a few days before New Year, got an email on 30/12 saying that they will get back to me "shortly" and nothing since then. I sent them one email during this time (2 or 3 weeks ago), I was told that I will get contacted once the decision is made... I am quite disappointed as I am very interested in their Russia programme.
Hi, anyone here have been to the assessment center for UFLP? I'm invited to go to the assessment center on 23/24th Feb, it will be great if you could share your experience with me. BTW, anyone get invited to the same ac too? Many thanks
Hi Berosh! I have a couple of questions to you, because I have been also selected to join selection board for MT in Turkey, and I couldnt find proper information about it.
On that day, 5 tasks that are told before above are followed, right? and could you please give me more detail about case studies and group works that you did? My other question is about the other candidates are also selected in the same position like me, for MT programme?
I hope you did great on your selection board, and got the job!
Im applying to HR, although all places have now been filled up so if i'm successful it will be deferred a year! what function are you applying for? Hopefully it will be good news, AC sounds pretty tough though!!
I'm applying for R&D. Did they say so when inviting you to the AC? I'm worried as I didn't hear about things like this or do you mean all the places for HR are filled up? Anyway, best luck with your AC!
i passed all of them and am invited to the selection board event ....plzzzanyone can give me wat happens that day ?? .....what shall i do ? ,,,how can i be prepared ???
OK, just did the selection day..didnt get through but never mind!
the whole day is based around the launch of a new product (probs a hair care brand, then within that diff products with diff focus's i.e. sustainability, quality at low price etc.)
Case study:
You have to write two reports. The first is the most difficult and time constrained. You are given a lot of information (similar to what you might receive in a normal etray) which you then have to identify the main issues of and suggest how you would tackle these issues for example. You also have to devise an action plan. You must keep an eye on the time as its easy to get carried away writing too much for the first couple sections and then forgetting about the action plan. The second report you write is basically a brief that someone might read before giving a presentation to a buyer about the product. you just have to highlight the key issues.
The interviews varied depending on which interviewer you get. Mine was fairly informal and we had a general chat.. not asking many comp questions. have questions prepared to ask as my interviewer almost used what I asked to direct the interview itself. Other people on my selection day had much more formal interviews though asking the comp questions directly.
Case study 1:
i cant actually remeber much about this one.. again its to do with product launch , looking at the main issues and devising an action plan I think. So it might bve worth thinking about what factors affect product launches right through from retailers to manufacturing and staff issues such as training etc.
Presentation:
This is how your function fits into the company and works alongside the other functions. It is within the context of a product launch,. Put in your own opinion ie strategies you would suggest to launch this product.
Case study 2:
You are all given a set (different) opinion which you have to introduce and advocate. The group then has to decide on the two most important to deal with immediately. Some of these will have immediate impact on brand reputation (ie need to recall faulty batch), others will be looking at long term strategies for development of the brand (ie restructuring company). I didnt get through because I didnt develop my own points enough, I only introduced them then let the rest of the group discuss so make sure you develop yours and others ideas.
Really sorry to hear that you didn;t make it through! Thanks for your massive information! That's extremely helpful! I have one question, were all these case study, presentation exercises based on the same scenario? And is it necessary to consider the information provided in last exercise say case study when doing group discussion or presentation?
Hey frinds, I can't find the document that you posted. please can u help me? could u give me another link? If i click on that link, I only can find a lot of html code.... but no documents... please help! It's very important!
A week ago I had an phone interview regarding Unilever Future Leaders Programme (Finance). I took about 45 min, lady who I talked with was quite nice however did not explain the purpose, meaning of the questions. I had few questions that were mentioned in previous posts and a few new, so these are the new ones:
1) Name a time when you were involved in a conflict. 2) Explain why you would become a very good manager. 3) Name a time when you were an leader or manager of project/task.
All advices mentioned in previous posts are extremely useful. In addition I would like to give my own advice (based on the feedback from Unilever):
- you should refer to those situations when you have an opportunity to be a leader or worked in a group - you should show your managerial competencies understand as a leader abilities and other soft skills, but remember show that you were the BOSS of a project - keep in mind Unilever 5 competencies and try to indicate them in your answers, all of them or at least few
They are looking for a future managers so prove them that you are the one.
In case if someone is curious - unfortunately I did not pass the phone interview stage, barbecue I did not show enough evidences of my managerial skills.
Thank you all for your advices and I hope that my will be also useful for others.
I have passed both the test and the interview and arrived to the selection board. Just waiting to their call.
One advice to pass the interview is that YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM THAT YOU ARE A REAL MANAGER. It's all about tell me about a time type of questions.
I remember these questions: 1- Tell me about a time when you took a difficult decision. 2- Tell me about a time when you showed creativity. 3- Tell me about a time when you leaded a team. What was the task, and what was your role and what was the outcome.
Also, few questions such as why Unilever and what are your weaknesses.
Wish me luck going through the selection board. I am excited for it.
Unilever finance future leaders program - Middle East
Hi guys, I am currently going through the online part of the application. I would like to do some practice tests before hand though. Does anyone know a website with tests typical of Unilever (logic and Numerical). I keep trying www.psl.co.uk/practice but it doesnt work!!! It redirects to another site. Anyone else have this problem?
If anyone knows a website with online practice tests (especially free ones!) then please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
Unilever's test is extremely tricky not difficult though. With working harder you can easily pass. The only test that resembles the one Unilever has is the GMAT and it is called numerical REASONING or Psychometric ( APTITUDE TESTS )
I cant post any links here but I will send you a message with few links to free tests you can practice.
Hi,
I sent in my application on the 8th of August, done the online tests and passed, so waiting for an available day for my phone interview. Was pretty quick. How about you?
Thanks. The online tests aren't too bad, but the practice ones on the grad site are a bit easier than the actual ones, in my opinion. You can do some practice on psl.com, coz that helps. You have to be really fast, too, but not so much that you get answers wrong. I couldn't finish any of the tests (had 1 left in the LRT and about 4 left in the NRT), but I guess I answered the ones I did correctly. Just try to practice 2 or 3 times, and you should be good. They'll get back to you in about 2 days, but if you're impatient, you can probably just check your profile on the grad site and find out for yourself by the next morning.
.gif)
very much time....be patient. I've been waiting for updates for the 7th week already. So rest, it takes time.
haha, ok. Assessment one -- Patient.
That's why they need invest more in Chinese Markets.
I've got a telephone interview for the business and technology management programme in a couple of days. Does anyone have any examples of the competency questions they might ask? Thanks.
im also applying to the china programme. submitted my app way back in oct 2010. did the telephone interview in early Jan. and only heard back today that i got rejected. and apparently it will take another month to get feedback on the telephone interview.
@showgirl, im not sue if they will ask the same question. but it was pretty standard. if i remember correctly, there were questions on teamwork, go extra mile to achieve results, a time you exceed customer service. also research the company, why FMCG and the why the area you want to work at. read the info on the first page. they were really helpful when I was preparing for my interview. and good luck!
thanks for your help abchahaha! i can't believe how long they have taken to reply back, good luck in your future applications!
I submitted my application 2 months back and still had not received anything!!!
By the way, I am applying for grad programme in UK.. They are taking a long time indeed than many firms do...
Hello shoegirl
I too applied for Business and Technology Management line.. Have not heard anything from them..
How was ur interview??
Hi Andreana,
I really like this grad scheme and this particular function so I thoroughly researched the company and prepared examples beforehand so my interview went quite well. How did your interview go?
They emailed me yesterday to tell me I passed the interview stage however could not confirm a place on the A/C yet but told me that I am still being considered.
Any news on the assessment center? My interview went pretty well too.. the feedback was that I should receive an email in the second april week (next week) if I made it to the assessment center or not.....
Anyone already got a response? If yes, positive or negative? + What further did they mention in the email (Dates, etc.. )
Unilever got back to me pretty quickly and invited me to the next assessment centre this coming Monday and Tuesday.
Has anyone got any advice or information concerning the presentation and case studies given within the Business and Technology Management function?
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Hi Dong,
I am going to apply Unilever china program next year, did not catch this year's one. is it possible you keep an record what questions / case u have been asked during the assessment centre?
Many thanks, Dawn
Hi Aidan,
I am going to apply Unilever china program next year, did not catch this year's one. is it possible you keep an record what questions / case u have been asked during the assessment centre?
Many thanks, Dawn
Hi everyone....
I am going to apply Unilever China program next year. Would love to meet people who have gone through the interviews!!
=.=
if anyone may kindly share any experience.....
Best, Dawn
Hey guys, I just had my Telephone interview for the Financial Management Scheme today and there were 8 questions in total: 5 were competency based and 3 were about Unilever and the scheme.
1) Describe a time when you had a particularly challenging task 2) Describe a time when you showed innovation 3) Describe a time when you showed leadership qualities 4) Describe a time when you went out of your way to meet customer satisfaction 5) Cant remember :(
1) What do you know about Financial Management 2) What research have you done on Unilever 3) What qualities do you posses that would be suited for the role.
Hope that helps.
Hello guys, anyone applied for Unilver's Finance Graduate 2012 intake?, I sent my application today, does anyone know how long they take to invite us to the next stage, ie psychometric testing?
cheers, abhi
Anybody waiting to hear back from Unilever, beware they take a long time to get back to you. I got told I passed my telephone interview back in august and only got told the date for my assessment day today. After my assessment day I will post a recap of it regardless of the outcome. The information given on this thread has been a big help :)
So... I had my assessment day about a week ago which did not go very well and unfortunately I did not get an offer, but I hope the following information is helpful for those of you who have the AC coming up.
Basically, the day runs from 8am to 5:30pm and you are assessed on 5 different tasks.
The night before the event, Unilever put you up in a hotel about 30mins away from the Leatherhead office where you will have a dinner with the other candidates and a current graduate on the Unilever scheme. This dinner is good for building up a good relationship with the other candidates so that you don't feel uncomfortable in the group exercises the next day. Luckily the guys who I had the AC with were all pretty cool. Also this is a good chance to find out more information about the company but to be honest the graduate who was hosting our dinner just took the opportunity to get tipsy on free drinks lol.
ASSESSMENT DAY:
Before you do anything, make sure you have the Unilever 'Standards of Leadership' memorised and use them to tackle every task in the day as it is their marking criteria for you on the day. They want you to reflect leadership in the way they see it, so keep this in mind.
1st TASK: CASE STUDY (written exercise) This task is probably the easiest to mess up and even though it seemed pretty pointless to me, it's all about using your time efficiently and making sure you answer all the questions properly. You have about 60 mins to look through a load of information like emails and statements from managers etc. and then use this information to analytically tackle the questions. The key to making sure you do well here is to be really ANALYTICAL and not be too superficial with the answers you give (which can easily happen, due to being under tight time constrictions). There's not much else I can say to help you with this task except for don't underestimate it just because it's written because they will reject you on the smallest stuff, this grad scheme is really competitive.
2nd TASK: INTERVIEW The interview will be with a senior member of staff. The structure of the interview will be pretty similar to the telephone interview but they will expect you to have a lot more knowledge about the company and the FMCG industry, so make sure you do your revision. Other than that it's all competency based and about your previous experiences with leadership. You can use answers from your application and telephone interview, but they might pick up on this so try and come up with a few new answers. Try and structure your answers using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) technique. For information on the FMCG market use this website http://www.about-fmcg.com/home.
3rd TASK: GROUP EXERCISE 1 You'll have about 30 mins to read the information given to you (probably about the launch of a new hair product) and makes notes to bring in with you to the meeting. All of this preparation will be done individually so you will not confer with the other candidates before you meet in the board room for the group exercise. The key here is to try and lead (which everyone will be trying to do) but you have to push to get your voice heard and your points put forward but at the same time be understanding of everyone else's views and take them on board. Remember this whole scheme is about leadership so you have to come across with confidence (but don't be a controlling dick type, they won't like it).
4th TASK: PRESENTATION You will have about 45 mins to look over information and make notes on what the presentation will be about. The case study, group exercises and presentation all link and are going to be based on the same thing. After this preparation, you will meet one on one with a senior staff member and present your ideas to him/her for about 10 mins. Then they will grill you with questions for another 10 mins so make sure you know what you are talking about and try answer with confidence. Key here is similar to the case study, just be analytical and try to get into as much detail as you can.
5th TASK: GROUP EXERCISE 2 This group exercise is easier than the first. Similar to the first one you'll have around 30 mins to prepare and make notes individually, however you will each be given an issue which you need to bring forward. The point of this exercise is to try and push for your issue to be given the most importance, so you need to stress how the particular issue will affect the company and why it needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Like the first group exercise, you have to come across confident and show your natural leadership and when analysing the issues, keep the 'standards of leadership' in mind.
The day is quite intense but at the same time the hosts of the day do a good job of keeping you relaxed. You get a tour of the office, which is probably the nicest office I've ever seen in my life, definitely one of the biggest incentives to work for the company imo. Only thing else I can say, is even if you feel like you f**ked up any of the tasks just make the most of the day because it's really good experience and will be helpful even if you get rejected.
Anyway, hope this helped :)
VK
Hi guys, I have a very urgent question and I need your help--I applied for the China Programme and after the online test, I was sent an email--the last email I got from them---saying that " We will be in contact shortly with details on how to book your telephone interview with us." I thought the information on booking telephone interview would be sent via email so I did not check my online status at all...........lol But today I found that my application status was BLANK!!! I didn't know the telephone interview should be booked online because on one told me to!! is it expired now?? what should I do now??
Thank you guys!!
Hi,
I had a telephone interview with unilever last month for the Supply chain grad scheme and I thought Id post the questions up here so people could use it to help with their prep if anyone's at that stage. They were:
1) Describe a time you showed innovation 2) Describe a time when you showed leadership 3)Name a time when you had to make a difficult decision quickly 4) Why Unilever 5) Why FMCG 6) Who are our competitors 7) What edge do Unilever have over our biggest competitors 8) Why supply chain 9) What issues would they be facing now 10) Describe a time when you've been completely responsible for something
Hope this helps.
Good luck.
Hi everyone,
I've been accepted to join the Selection Board regarding Finance MT position in Unilever Turkey. I am very grateful for your Selection Event posts but have no idea about the case studies about finance position. For example, is "the branding of an entirely new product" case still common in finance position in the Selection Board?
Please inform me as soon as possible because the event is going to be in less than 5 days..
Thanks for all your support!
Awesome. Thanks a lot for this. How did the interview go?
Hey, has anyone applied for the Unilever Customer Development Grad Prog?
Any tips for the last 3 competency based questions on gaining support from others, taking up an opportunity and seeking help from others?
Thanks a lot :)
the selection board wass an awesome experience for me however, i wasn't qualified for the job but whatever.. I went through all of the above cases and presentations so the process was exactly the same, only there were no logical based tests. HR and other staff was so respectful and gentle and the most important thing was that they told us what should be done in order to eliminate our inabilities in addition to our posiitve abilities for a successful career.
Before the Selection Board, the interview was entirely based on competency based questions and how you behave in front of a professional person. You shouldn't be anxious and just be yourself! That's what its all about!
Good luck!
Thanks for your post berosh ! Could you give us a bit more information, please? Like, how long it takes to get the selection board invitation after your telephone interview ? what the presentation is about ? Thanks berosh~
Hey,
I've just done the logical reasoning test and on my application form it now says 'You have now successfully completed your Logical Reasoning online test'. How long does it take for the maths test to appear? A couple of hours, days??
Thanks.
It should be pretty quick, if not instant. How well do you think you did?
Hi everyone, is anyone else waiting for a update on their application at the moment? I applied a few days before New Year, got an email on 30/12 saying that they will get back to me "shortly" and nothing since then. I sent them one email during this time (2 or 3 weeks ago), I was told that I will get contacted once the decision is made... I am quite disappointed as I am very interested in their Russia programme.
So is anyone else in similar situation?
Hi, anyone here have been to the assessment center for UFLP? I'm invited to go to the assessment center on 23/24th Feb, it will be great if you could share your experience with me. BTW, anyone get invited to the same ac too? Many thanks
Hi Berosh! I have a couple of questions to you, because I have been also selected to join selection board for MT in Turkey, and I couldnt find proper information about it.
On that day, 5 tasks that are told before above are followed, right? and could you please give me more detail about case studies and group works that you did? My other question is about the other candidates are also selected in the same position like me, for MT programme?
I hope you did great on your selection board, and got the job!
thank you in advance!
Hi, I;ve got one this week so will give you some info once i'm done :)
Would be useful if someone could share their experiences toooo
Thanks
Hi adp1989,
Which function are you applying for? I'm looking forward to your good news! Good luck this friday!
Im applying to HR, although all places have now been filled up so if i'm successful it will be deferred a year! what function are you applying for? Hopefully it will be good news, AC sounds pretty tough though!!
I'm applying for R&D. Did they say so when inviting you to the AC? I'm worried as I didn't hear about things like this or do you mean all the places for HR are filled up? Anyway, best luck with your AC!
must just be HR places, they rang me a few days ago to let me know, so they would have told you im sure if it was relevant to the other streams!
hi everyone , how are you all ?
i passed the three stages of Unilever future leader program (graduate program)b
1- Application
2-Assessment test
3- Competency based interview
i passed all of them and am invited to the selection board event ....plzzzanyone can give me wat happens that day ?? .....what shall i do ? ,,,how can i be prepared ???
plzzzz anyoneee ...THNXXXX XOXO
OK, just did the selection day..didnt get through but never mind!
the whole day is based around the launch of a new product (probs a hair care brand, then within that diff products with diff focus's i.e. sustainability, quality at low price etc.)
Case study:
You have to write two reports. The first is the most difficult and time constrained. You are given a lot of information (similar to what you might receive in a normal etray) which you then have to identify the main issues of and suggest how you would tackle these issues for example. You also have to devise an action plan. You must keep an eye on the time as its easy to get carried away writing too much for the first couple sections and then forgetting about the action plan. The second report you write is basically a brief that someone might read before giving a presentation to a buyer about the product. you just have to highlight the key issues.
interview
The interviews varied depending on which interviewer you get. Mine was fairly informal and we had a general chat.. not asking many comp questions. have questions prepared to ask as my interviewer almost used what I asked to direct the interview itself. Other people on my selection day had much more formal interviews though asking the comp questions directly.
Case study 1:
i cant actually remeber much about this one.. again its to do with product launch , looking at the main issues and devising an action plan I think. So it might bve worth thinking about what factors affect product launches right through from retailers to manufacturing and staff issues such as training etc.
Presentation:
This is how your function fits into the company and works alongside the other functions. It is within the context of a product launch,. Put in your own opinion ie strategies you would suggest to launch this product.
Case study 2:
You are all given a set (different) opinion which you have to introduce and advocate. The group then has to decide on the two most important to deal with immediately. Some of these will have immediate impact on brand reputation (ie need to recall faulty batch), others will be looking at long term strategies for development of the brand (ie restructuring company). I didnt get through because I didnt develop my own points enough, I only introduced them then let the rest of the group discuss so make sure you develop yours and others ideas.
Hope this helps! :)
Hi,
I have a phone interview scheduled over the next few days. Kind of nervous. I've prepared and done loads of research so fingers crossed it pays off!!
I'm applying for the Business Technology Management placement and everyone's contribution has really helped!!
Can anyone give me any advice on competency questions that may be asked?
Thank you!
Wish me luck!!
Hi Sandra,
Congrats on passing!! Could you shed some light on the questions asked during the phone interview please.
Thanks!
Hi adp1989!
Really sorry to hear that you didn;t make it through! Thanks for your massive information! That's extremely helpful! I have one question, were all these case study, presentation exercises based on the same scenario? And is it necessary to consider the information provided in last exercise say case study when doing group discussion or presentation?
Hi
I am in the process of applying for the 2012 HR grad scheme - can anybody shed some light around the AC?
Is the format the same for all functions?
Thanks! A
Hey frinds, I can't find the document that you posted. please can u help me? could u give me another link? If i click on that link, I only can find a lot of html code.... but no documents... please help! It's very important!
Dear All,
A week ago I had an phone interview regarding Unilever Future Leaders Programme (Finance). I took about 45 min, lady who I talked with was quite nice however did not explain the purpose, meaning of the questions. I had few questions that were mentioned in previous posts and a few new, so these are the new ones:
1) Name a time when you were involved in a conflict. 2) Explain why you would become a very good manager. 3) Name a time when you were an leader or manager of project/task.
All advices mentioned in previous posts are extremely useful. In addition I would like to give my own advice (based on the feedback from Unilever):
- you should refer to those situations when you have an opportunity to be a leader or worked in a group - you should show your managerial competencies understand as a leader abilities and other soft skills, but remember show that you were the BOSS of a project - keep in mind Unilever 5 competencies and try to indicate them in your answers, all of them or at least few
They are looking for a future managers so prove them that you are the one.
In case if someone is curious - unfortunately I did not pass the phone interview stage, barbecue I did not show enough evidences of my managerial skills.
Thank you all for your advices and I hope that my will be also useful for others.
Take care, Patrick
Hello Guys
I have passed both the test and the interview and arrived to the selection board. Just waiting to their call.
One advice to pass the interview is that YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM THAT YOU ARE A REAL MANAGER. It's all about tell me about a time type of questions.
I remember these questions: 1- Tell me about a time when you took a difficult decision. 2- Tell me about a time when you showed creativity. 3- Tell me about a time when you leaded a team. What was the task, and what was your role and what was the outcome.
Also, few questions such as why Unilever and what are your weaknesses.
Wish me luck going through the selection board. I am excited for it.
Unilever finance future leaders program - Middle East
Thank and hope this helps :)
Hi there
What type of document you mean??
Hi guys, I am currently going through the online part of the application. I would like to do some practice tests before hand though. Does anyone know a website with tests typical of Unilever (logic and Numerical). I keep trying www.psl.co.uk/practice but it doesnt work!!! It redirects to another site. Anyone else have this problem?
If anyone knows a website with online practice tests (especially free ones!) then please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)
Hi camis767
Unilever's test is extremely tricky not difficult though. With working harder you can easily pass. The only test that resembles the one Unilever has is the GMAT and it is called numerical REASONING or Psychometric ( APTITUDE TESTS )
I cant post any links here but I will send you a message with few links to free tests you can practice.
Good luck and update us with good news ..
Ali
Hi,
Anyone applying to future leaders grad have heard back? thanks
Hi,
I sent in my application on the 8th of August, done the online tests and passed, so waiting for an available day for my phone interview. Was pretty quick. How about you?
hi ModupeM,
any tips for the onilne tests? will do them tomorrow....
thanks and good luck with the phone interview
Hi LisaFuchs,
Thanks. The online tests aren't too bad, but the practice ones on the grad site are a bit easier than the actual ones, in my opinion. You can do some practice on psl.com, coz that helps. You have to be really fast, too, but not so much that you get answers wrong. I couldn't finish any of the tests (had 1 left in the LRT and about 4 left in the NRT), but I guess I answered the ones I did correctly. Just try to practice 2 or 3 times, and you should be good. They'll get back to you in about 2 days, but if you're impatient, you can probably just check your profile on the grad site and find out for yourself by the next morning.
Good luck!
Pages