A Focus On Purpose

In an exclusive interview with People Matters, Willy Saelan, Vice President – Human Resources, PT Unilever Indonesia, shares how Unilever is leveraging technology to support diversity and inclusion, the importance of self-learning, and his thoughts on the future of work.

- Yasmin Taj

Willy Saelan is the Vice President – Human Resources, PT Unilever Indonesia. In a career spanning over two decades, he has worked across multiple HR functions – from managing employee relations in a factory to a role in leadership development and organizational effectiveness. Willy joined Unilever Indonesia in 1995 and was appointed as a Director by the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in 2015, and has served as Director, Human Resources since that date. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Political Sciences from Padjadjaran University and a Master of Arts in Human Resources Management, University of Leeds, UK.

How do you think organizational learning has changed in the past decade?

There has been a significant change. In the past, learning was heavily focused on classroom-based learning and there was little emphasis on self learning. But employees today need to know their own learning needs. They need to work with the line manager; they can’t just expect to be sent to courses by the organization. They need to ask themselves ‘Where do I see myself in the next 5 years? What are the gaps that need to be bridged? And what development do I need?’

We really encourage the use of online learning platforms because everyone has a smartphone. With a good internet allowance, they can learn directly from YouTube, through which many courses are linked. Classroom is still relevant for leadership training and for specific skills which are difficult to master online. Also, a majority of learning is done on the job. So we need to have a clear understanding with the line manager as to the specific skills that he or she will develop on the job itself and the skills to develop outside of the core job.

What is the biggest challenge according to you in talent management?