HRM Project: Unilever Case Study on Recruitment and Employee Relations

This project is a comprehensive analysis of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices at Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company. The project is divided into two parts. The first part provides an overview of Unilever's business, including its vision, mission, and core objectives. It th...Read More

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................3
Project 1......................................................................................................................................................3
1. Overview of Undertaken Business...................................................................................................3
2. Explanation of the purpose, roles and responsibilities of HR function............................................3
3. Critique of organisational approaches to Recruitments and Selection.............................................4
4. Critical Evaluation of HRM practices such as Workforce Planning, Training and development,
performance management and reward systems....................................................................................4
5. Critical Evaluation of Employee Relations and HRM practices and their influence on decision
Making................................................................................................................................................5
6. Evaluation of Key aspects of employee legislation applicable on organisation...............................6
Project 2......................................................................................................................................................6
1. Job specification..............................................................................................................................6
2. CV...................................................................................................................................................7
3. Interview Documentation................................................................................................................7
4. Critical Evaluation of undertaken Selection process........................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................9
References.................................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Human resource tends to be one of most crucial element in an organisation who
contributes significantly in achievement of organisational goals. The concept of human resource
management focuses on opting a strategic approach when it comes to dealing and managing
workforce working for an enterprise (Armstrong and Taylor, 2020). This project takes into
consideration the case study of Unilever. It is an British originated consumer good multinational
corporation which started their operations in 1929.This project is further categorised onto two
parts first section of the report focusing on reviewing a case study of the undertaken
organisation. Second part of this project relates to development of a job portfolio consisting of
job specification, CV and interview criteria and notes.
Project 1
1. Overview of Undertaken Business.
Unilever is one of the renowned manufacturer of consumer oriented products such as
nutritious foods, household items, Teas, shampoos etc. The brand portfolio of this enterprise
carries a diverse range of products and services. This business manages over 400 sub-brands
which are distributed more than 190 nations worldwide. The vision of this business is to
encourage sustainable living among its consumers whereas the mission statement focuses on
adding vitality to the life of its customers (Our vision, 2020). The core business objectives of this
business is to achieve a profitable growth at the same time fulfill all the responsibilities towards
its stakeholders.
2. Explanation of the purpose, roles and responsibilities of HR function.
The purpose of establishing a human resource department in an organisation is to make
sure that all the needs and expectations of the employees are met, keeping in mind the interest of
the organisation (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). All the efforts of this function are
directed to enhance the productivity and efficiency of the workforce. Below is the brief
description of the crucial roles and responsibilities fulfilled through functioning of Human
resource department in an organisation.
1. Acquisition: This is the primary role of HR department which focuses on recruiting
competent people for the vacant position in the organisation. This role may involve crucial
measuring, evaluating, decision making relating to selection of employees. Acquisition of right
talent for the organisation contributes positively in fulfilling crucial long and short term
objectives for an organisation.
2. Training and development: This responsibility of HR function focuses on updating or
enhancing the skills and capabilities of the workforce so that they are able to meet the standards
of contemporary business environment. It is essential for a Human resource manager to carry

appropriate knowledge regarding the work environment so that training and development
sessions are designed accordingly.
3. Motivation and Maintenance: This is another crucial responsibility which focuses on
motivating employees and at the same time resolving their grievances. Achievement of this role
requires lots of hard work and dedication by HR manager as they have to continuously involve
themselves with the employees and make sure that their productivity is high (Marchington and et
al., 2016). This positive statement of employees will assure that organisational goals are fulfilled.
3. Critique of organisational approaches to Recruitments and Selection
Recruitment and selection are referred to one of the crucial steps which focuses on
bringing fresh and creative talent to the organisation. At Unilever, Recruitment is basically done
through filling up of application form available on the careers section of the website. The major
strength of opting for this approach is that, it carries a worldwide reach and graduates are
provided with appropriate information relating to the company. The major weakness of using
website for recruitment is that it is mostly inclined for graduates and does not carry any
information for hiring experienced candidates.
The selection process for this business involves a digital interview involving scenario
based question and reason for opting for this organisation. This step is followed by a physical
interview which is more challenging and gives an opportunity to experience the business
environment at Unilever. The strength of opting for this selection approach is that it is helpful in
gathering essential information relating to candidate and supports ideal decision making.
Conducting interviews virtually and physically can be considered a time consuming process and
may not lead to identification of suitable candidate.
It is recommended for business to opt for a mix of approaches when it comes to recruiting
and selection so that chances of identifying a suitable candidate are high (Gupta and Shaw,
2014). For recruitment, they can further take use of social media websites and job portals. For
selection inclusion of aptitude test will be helpful in determining the suitability of candidate for a
particular profile.
4. Critical Evaluation of HRM practices such as Workforce Planning, Training and
development, performance management and reward systems.
Below is the critical evaluation of different HRM practices undertaken by an organisation
and their contribution in raising productivity and profit.
Workforce Planning: It is referred to be an approach which focuses on identifying
current and future requirements of the workforce and fulfilling the same (Kramar, 2014). The
major benefit of workforce for Unilever is that it helps in minimizes the delays and disruption in
the business which may be caused by scarcity of workforce. The benefit to employee that it
constantly improves upon the skills and capabilities of the employees which further assures that
organisational objectives are fulfilled.

Training and Development: These are referred to programs and initiatives undertaken
by Unilever to improve skills and capabilities of workforce. Benefit of this HRM practice to
employer is that there is an significant improvement in the productivity and efficiency of
employee. On the other hand, employees feel motivated and enhancement of skills and
capabilities adds to their personal growth as well. The development of the workforce can be
easily seen in the efficiency of the business resulting in higher profits.
Reward Systems: These are referred to crucial tool which are employed by an
organisation to motivate the employees to perform better for business. Benefit to employer is that
this HRM practice have been successful in retaining talent with the organisation and improving
their productivity as well. however employees feel encouraged and results in building a cordial
environment and through monetary rewards, their financial expectation are fulfilled. Motivated
and productive staff directly contributes to achievement of organisational goals.
Performance Management: It focuses on making sure that efforts of the employees are
contributing to the goals which are established by the company. The major benefit of this HR
practice is that employees are able to identify their strengths and weaknesses which motivates
them to perform better for the organisation (Albrecht and et al., 2015). The benefit to employee
is that it gives them an opportunity for self-development and understand their job
responsibilities which further improves productivity and profitability for the organisation.
5. Critical Evaluation of Employee Relations and HRM practices and their influence on
decision Making.
Employee relations are described as the efforts undertaken by the management to assure
that there are cordial relationship between employee and employer. it has become one of
important considerations for the management as profit and productivity of the business are
determined by the state of employee relations. The major areas which are covered under
employee relations are different HRM practices such as working environment, compensation,
other benefits, rewards etc (Jabbour and de Sousa Jabbour, 2016). All these areas needs to be
considered and evaluated by the senior management before taking any crucial decisions. It has
become absolutely necessary for an organisation to involve their staff in the decision making
process as it will drive employee engagement positively. The justification for same is that
engaging employee in the business decisions will drive up their motivation, job satisfaction and
role which will be reflected positively through productivity and profit generation capacity of the
organisation.
Although there are numerous challenges faced by the business through employee
engagement. for instance: employees may be driven by personal welfare rather than keeping in
mind the best interest of the organisation. A recent study conducted on the subject stated that
there is a very small relation between employee engagement and productivity. People who are
engaged in decision making process may not be actively working for the goals and objectives

established by the company. But considering the best interest of the organisation it is very
important to meet needs and expectation of the employees before taking any crucial decisions.
6. Evaluation of Key aspects of employee legislation applicable on organisation.
Employment Law is the division of law that governs and manages the relationships
between employee and employer working for an organisation. it is very important for an
organisation to conform with guidelines and regulations laid down by United Kingdom
government to ensure minimum disruptions in operations (Guest, 2017). Below is the brief
description of the key employment legislation.
Equality Act 2010: This legislation have been formed by the UK government to make
sure that men and women working for an organisation are treated fairly are paid equally for equal
work. the employer have to assure that there is no discrimination on the basis of gender and both
men and women are to be paid equal for similar work. if the business fails to follow this law then
it will be considered as unlawful there will be heavy penalties imposed on the business. Unilever
assures that all the members working for the company are treated in an equal and lawful manner.
This contributes to better working environment.
Health and safety at work: This is one of the crucial law that takes into consideration
the health and well-being of employees working for the company. This act was enacted in the
year 1974, and clearly laid down the duties of employers towards their employees on grounds of
working environment and occupational safety. Unilever have been known to provide ideal
working circumstances for their employees that further adds to their goodwill in the market.
Data Protection 2018: This law is replacement for the earlier data protection act which
was formed in the year 1998. This law takes into consideration the General Data Protection
Regulation which were ascertained in the year 2018. it is the responsibility of the company to
make sure that all the confidential information relating to employees or customers are to be kept
safe and used only in an ethical manner. if any organisation fails to do so, then they will be
imposed with heavy penalties and may results in cancellation of license.
Project 2
1. Job specification
Below is the job description designed for a vacant position of marketing intern in Unilever.
Job Title: Marketing Intern
Reports to: Sr. Marketing Manager
Job overview: At Unilever we are looking for a candidate who is well verse with the concepts of
marketing. The candidate must bring positive energy and creatively so that organisational goals
are fulfilled. This employment opportunity will be helpful in widening the horizon of knowledge

and gain some crucial employability skills.
Responsibilities and Duties:
 Conducting small scale marketing research
 Gathering feedbacks from clients
 Supporting marketing staff in their regular administrative tasks
 Supervising marketing events
 Preparing presentations relating to promotions of products and services
Qualification & Requirements:
 Master's degree in Marketing domain
 proficiency in Ms excel
 Excellent Interpersonal skills
 Good understanding of Marketing concepts
2. CV
Below presenting a CV of suitable candidate for the vacant position of marketing intern.
Jacob Brown
Phone: [phone]
Email address: [e-mail]
Profile: I'm a hardworking candidate who aspires to be one of the most capable marketing
executive in your organisation. Ever through my graduation i have been able to present strong
marketing knowledge and interpersonal tactics which have helped me in getting grade A in my
university. I am right choice for your marketing domain and will present with different
perspective of doing a task.
Educational qualification:
B.A. in marketing in May 2017 from London
M.A. in Marketing in 2019
Related Experience: Organized a promotional campaign as a part of the project and secured
maximum sponsorships.
Skills:
 Interpersonal Skills
 Proficient in social media marketing
 Content creation
 Innovative
 Perform well under pressure
3. Interview Documentation
Interview schedule: An interview schedule contains all the essential information relating
to physical interaction that is going to take place between an interviewer and interviewee (Al

Ariss, Cascio and Paauwe, 2014). It consist of what, where, how, by who of the interview
process.
Interview Schedule
Position: Marketing Intern
Applicant: Jacob Brown
Date and time: 29th March, 2020 at 7:00 AM
Location: Placement Cell, Unilever, London
Interviewer: Michael
Process: The approach to interview will be an unstructured interview involving personal
interaction with the candidate.
Items to bring: 2 passport size pictures, education portfolio
Estimated duration of interview: 15 minutes
Interview questions:
1. why do you want to be a part of Unilever?
2. How do you associate yourself with marketing?
3. How do you identify your target audience?
4. difference between social media marketing and SEO.
5. what is the most efficient method of conducting market research and why?
Selection criteria:
The undertaken process of selection aims to identify the relevant knowledge and skills
which are to be possessed by the candidate. Unstructured interviews are one of the best
approaches to identify whether a candidate is suitable for a particular profile or not (Salas and et
al., 2015). This approach facilitates personal interaction with the client which helps in gathering
essential information about client and identifying his/her suitability to the vacant position in the
organisation. Although this approach is costly and time consuming and a human resource
manager still not able to identify suitable candidate for the profile.
4. Critical Evaluation of undertaken Selection process
The undertaken selection process consisting an interview which will be carried out
between employer and applicant (Meyers and Van Woerkom, 2014). This selection process is
lengthy and involves numerous steps until the applicant is actually hired for an organisation.
Initially the human resource manager determines the applicant is actually suitable for the job
profile or not. Selection on the initial level will further involve decision making by the senior
human resource manager relating to the discussion on the working hours and compensation

packages. Agreement on all the terms and conditions will call for a final letter which will be
signed by the president of human resources working for Unilever.
Conclusion
It can be concluded from the above report that human resource is a crucial department in
an organisation which works for procurement and retention of employees. it is crucial for
business to take into consideration different approaches to selection and recruitment so that fresh
and creative talent could be availed. The business before making any crucial decision must take
into consideration expectation of employees so that their motivation and productivity is
unharmed. The different legislation relating to employment which are laid down by the UK
government needs to be adhered so that there is minimum disruption in business operations. The
completion of development portfolio was helpful in identifying major consideration during a
selection process.

References
Books and Journal
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2020. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
DeCenzo, D.A., Robbins, S.P. and Verhulst, S.L., 2016. Fundamentals of human resource
management. John Wiley & Sons.
Marchington, M. and et al., 2016. Human resource management at work. Kogan Page
Publishers.
Kramar, R., 2014. Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human resource
management the next approach?. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management, 25(8), pp.1069-1089.
Albrecht, S.L. and et al., 2015. Employee engagement, human resource management practices
and competitive advantage. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance.
Jabbour, C.J.C. and de Sousa Jabbour, A.B.L., 2016. Green human resource management and
green supply chain management: Linking two emerging agendas. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 112, pp.1824-1833.
Guest, D.E., 2017. Human resource management and employee well‐being: Towards a new
analytic framework. Human Resource Management Journal, 27(1), pp.22-38.
Al Ariss, A., Cascio, W.F. and Paauwe, J., 2014. Talent management: Current theories and future
research directions. Journal of World Business, 49(2), pp.173-179.
Salas, E., and et al., 2015. Understanding and improving teamwork in organizations: A
scientifically based practical guide. Human resource management, 54(4), pp.599-622.
Meyers, M.C. and Van Woerkom, M., 2014. The influence of underlying philosophies on talent
management: Theory, implications for practice, and research agenda. Journal of World
Business, 49(2), pp.192-203.
Gupta, N. and Shaw, J.D., 2014. Employee compensation: The neglected area of HRM
research. Human resource management review, 24(1), pp.1-4.
Online
Our vision, 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.unilever.com/about/who-we-are/our-vision/>.