Human Resources Placement

Industrial Placement (IP) - UK & Ireland 

FUNCTION: Human Resources (HR) 

To apply to this placement, please fill in the application form here.

Your Future Employer -Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home, and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 3.4 billion consumers daily. Founded in Port Sunlight (Wirral)  in 1929 by Lord Lever, Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, TRESemmé,  Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze, Vaseline, Sure, Wall’s, Colman’s and Pot Noodle.   

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the desire for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’.

What do we look for? - Human Resources Placement

People skills are essential. The role of HR in Unilever, as a core strategic business area, means we look for people with an interest in business and the courage to offer creative insights and execute change.

We are looking to develop Future Career talents and Unilever's future leader’s pipeline. We need people who can drive performance by using data and insight to inform decision-making and continually think of new ways to simplify the way we work bringing creativity and an innovative approach to how we think and deliver impact for the business.  

With a strong performance culture, challenging goals, and continuous feedback, we will support you to achieve your potential in an inclusive environment. You will thrive by gaining exposure to real business challenges where your energy and fresh thinking will have an impact.

We also recognize that hands-on experience is the most effective way to learn and grow, which is why we encourage you to take on new challenges and gain valuable exposure to real-world situations. No specific subject degree is required. 

Students must have completed the penultimate year of their undergraduate degree by the time they start their placement and be returning to study after their placement.

Our Human Resources Management Industrial Placements are a chance to showcase your thinking and skills bringing new ideas and perspectives, with total support from a line manager and a buddy. 

Some of our positions you could be allocated to include:

• Global HR Business Partner – working in a local, regional, or global role across a business group, business unit, and/or global functions team to support leaders and help them achieve their business goals.
• Future Careers IP –working with the Future Careers team on initiatives that consist of inspirational programs, networks, and initiatives to help people discover their purpose and achieve their full potential.
• Global Talent Partner – working with specific HR leads to consider talent for senior positions. This includes assessing current roles, identifying future positions, developing leadership skills, and ensuring the right talent numbers.
• Global Learning IP – support initiatives within the Global Learning team to ensure that employees develop the skills they need to perform their jobs.

What could your day-to-day role include (depending on your role)?

• Working in either a local or global role with a broad range of cross-functional stakeholders.  
• Gain experience in driving culture change.
• Managing employee relations.
• Developing talented people and leaders.
• Improving team performance.
• Building skills and capabilities that each business area needs.
• Learning how to use business tools such as Excel, Power BI, and PowerPoint to a professional standard.

Every day at Unilever will aim to shape the organisation and its employees to be future fit and maximise business performance and growth.  In HR our vision is ‘To care for our People & Grow them’, in order to do this, we aim to unlock our full potential as a company to drive business growth by building a diverse and inclusive talent powerhouse that delivers consistent, high-level performance.

Skills required - Human Resources Placement

• Business acumen.
• Stakeholder management.
• Design thinking.
• Digital technology awareness.
• Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint).

Please note, that at Unilever, we have development programmes, the skills above are skills that would be good to have at the beginning however you will develop them over the course of the 12 months.

Our application process involves - Human Resources Placement

Step 1: Online Application

Click this link, complete the online application form and tell us about your motivation for choosing Unilever and your selected programme. It is a simple and easy process!

Step 2: Digital Interview

If your online application is successful, you will be invited to complete a digital interview.

Step 3: Virtual Discovery Centre

You will be invited to spend a virtual day in the life with us, immersing yourself in business challenges and an Interview.

What Can Unilever offer YOU? - Human Resources Placement 

• A competitive salary of £24,787.75
• End of placement bonus.
• Discounted staff shop.
• Opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment. 
• Paid time off holiday/sick pay.
• Clear diversity policy.
• 28 days (pro rata) of holiday inclusive of bank holidays. Once you have completed 12 worked weeks, under the Agency Workers Regulation your holiday entitlement will increase to 33 days inclusive of bank holidays, pro rata for the term of this placement.  

Diversity at Unilever is about championing inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. To celebrate this, we have internal networks and communities created to raise awareness for a cause, which work to create change within the business. These networks include Proud, Empower, Enable and Unity and our communities include Thriving Parents, Carers, and All Inclusion Club.  

We give full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

We are a key advocate of well-being and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes, and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.  

What support will you receive? - Human Resources Placement  

• A dedicated buddy to help you onboard and learn about the business.
• An experienced Line Manager to develop your knowledge and understanding across the year. 
• Connections with the Graduates (UFLPs) who can share helpful tips on how to be successful at Unilever. 

Do you require any adjustments in the application or assessment process?   

If you do need any adjustments, please inform the Talent Acquisition team who will contact you to discuss the accessibility options available. E.g., If required extending time spent in any ‘timebound’ assessments/interviews.  

We also provide accessibility options such as magnifying glass, decrease/increase the font size, change font & colour, screen ruler, and screen mask for everyone who would require them.

Please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]

Location:  

Hybrid working with a minimum of 2 days required weekly either at the Kingston, London Blackfriars, or Port Sunlight (Wirral) office – depending on where you are based.

Discovery Centres:

Our virtual Discovery Centres will be running from the week commencing the 2^nd of December 2024.

Closing date:  

We will be closing applications on the 11^th of November 2024, however, if we receive enough applications for the business area before this, applications will close accordingly.  We, therefore, advise you to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions about your application or if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to complete any part of the application process, please contact the Future Careers Team. If you would like to discuss any mitigating circumstances before making an application, please also contact the team using the following contact details:  

Phone: 020 3650 2304 or e-mail: [email protected].  

Recruitment Fraud  

Cybercriminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs. These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate.  

How is Unilever tackling this?  

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scans for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and acts to close them down.  

What can I do?  

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat.  

 Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!