Case

Introduction

Nestlé is today the world’s leading food company, with a 135-year history and operations in virtually every country in the world. Nestlé’s principal assets are not office buildings, factories, or even brands. Rather, it is the fact that they are a global organization comprised of many nationalities, religions, and ethnic backgrounds all working together in one single unifying corporate culture.

Culture at Nestlé and Human Resources Policy

Nestlé culture unifies people on all continents. The most important parts of Nestlé’s business strategy and culture are the development of human capacity in each country where they operate. Learning is an integral part of Nestlé’s culture. This is firmly stated in The Nestlé Human Resources Policy, a totally new policy that encompasses the guidelines that constitute a sound basis for efficient and effective human resource management. People development is the driving force of the policy, which includes clear principles on non-discrimination, the right of collective bargaining as well as the strict prohibition of any form of harassment. The policy deals with recruitment, remuneration and training and development and emphasizes individual responsibility, strong leadership and a commitment to life-long learning as required characteristics for Nestlé managers.

Training Programs at Nestlé

The willingness to learn is therefore an essential condition to be employed by Nestlé. First and foremost, training is done on-the-job. Guiding and coaching is part of the responsibility of each manager and is crucial to make each one progress in his/her position. Formal training programs are generally purpose-oriented and designed to improve relevant skills and competencies. Therefore they are proposed in the framework of individual development programs and not as a reward.

Literacy Training

Most of Nestlé’s people development programs assume a good basic education on the part of employees. However, in a number of countries, we...