Binzagr Unilever Limited, the Saudi Arabian arm of one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies, held its fourth annual Quest Competition 2016 from October with the participation of students from seven leading universities in the country.
In November, the 150 shortlisted talents from a total of more than 3,700 applicants engaged in a two-day Experience Unilever Activation to compete for prizes and internship opportunities with Unilever, while learning about how the brand operates.
The KSA championship is part of “The Quest”, a larger MENA-wide competition and the first cross-university, cross-country challenge that awards students for leadership and initiative while educating them on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP).
“The Quest is our way of inviting bright and talented young people to learn about Unilever and gain skills and credentials that will help them tremendously in kick-starting their careers. We’re looking for well-rounded ambitious students who are passionate about business, share our values and vision and display potential to be future leaders,” said Ahmed M. Babatin, HR director, Binzagr Unilever Limited.
Day 1 kicked off with an outreach activity where university contestants were accompanied by 1,000 elementary students from 10 schools to “Plant and Gift a Plant”.
KSA Quest contestants led their young charges in planting saplings in reusable pots – with each sapling dedicated to a sick hospitalized child with get-well cards.
Day 2 was Experience Unilever Day, designed to give shortlisted university students insight into how Unilever’s functions operate together to deliver business performance and maintain the company’s commitment to its USLP priorities.
Candidates were invited to spend two full days at Unilever facilities, where they engaged in experiential learning through factory visit and get introduced to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Global Goals challenge. Candidates also gained access to Unilever decision-makers and employees to explore what it means to be a part of the Unilever family.
The second day saw participants involved in the Unilever Pitch – where diverse student teams discussed and submitted proposed solutions to a case study.
The Unilever Challenge, aiming for a learning through experience approach, saw winning individuals move on to Unilever’s Country Talent Championships based on overall assessment of students throughout the competition.
“We were delighted with the response we achieved. Our aim was to not just highlight Unilever’s unique commitment to the environment but also instill a sense of responsibility toward the environment among young people. We believe that inculcating responsibility, kindness and empathy in young children holds us in excellent stead for long-term sustainability and development,” Babatin said.
The competition has drawn bright students from King Fahad University for Petroleum and Minerals, Dar Alhekma University, Effat University, Prince Sultan University, King Saud University, University of Business and Technology and King Abdulaziz University.
“We are delighted with the breadth of talent that we have seen in the KSA Quest Competition 2016. The quality of candidates improves each year, as does support from local university partners. We are very proud to have started a channel where young people are given an opportunity to develop effectively, and we’re pleased to see the response grow year on year,” Babatin concluded.