Human Resource Strategic Perspective at Unilever Company - Case Study Example

Human resource at Uniliver Company al Affiliation) Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Executive summary 3 Introduction 3 Organizational management ad enterprise structure 4 Conclusion 8 Recommendation 9 References 10 Executive summary Human resource in Unilever Company has brought growth ambition demand such that the organization has got a structure and also a culture that makes the organization fit to win in the very fast changing environment. They have also had the impact to develop the talents in the world and brought about good and effective leadership. The organization has been concerned in engagement knowing that the engagement in the organization is the most effective one. The employees of the company have become passionate advocates for the brands and the products produced (Jones, 2005). Human resource in the company has played an important role in the making the company to attract more and also develop rights that create a culture in the performance in the company. The development and fostering of right talents are done in the respective values for diversity in the organization. Introduction Uniliver Company has been and was the first to transform and transition from generalists in human resource to specialist in the human resource. The company from the transition has ensure the right structures and culture where people and their capabilities are in the position to bring positive working relationship and make the objective of meeting the business needs. The expertise teams of the company have developed strategies, tools and also processes to allow each sector of the company to be able to attract and develop individual talents. This has connected the talents to world class experts and also kept the company with current best practices in the industry (Jones, 2005). The company through the improvements have been able to deliver and continuously improve through payrolls, pensions and benefits. There is also management of service performance. There have been many concepts in the Unilever Company including organizational management and enterprise structure, personnel administration, concurrent employment, time and leave management organizational management, payrolls and benefits. The main concept in the organization have been organizational management and enterprise structure. Organizational management ad enterprise structure The company has used management development as a tool that enables it to meet its long term and also the short term goals (Jones, 2005). There has been a drastic change in the company and organizational management has been the most important concept in the making awareness to the workers throughout the organization and also preparing the workers to deal with the changes. Join ownership and responsibility have been the key features that has been used in the change. There has been identification of talents at all levels and incorporation of the workers wishes. The interest of the company have taken the rule over the group wishes. Other factor that have been considered include performance development planning which have taken the major component of the program that is to be implemented (Varchetta, 2001). The management in the organization have been carried out with the managers whose main aims have been steering the company in meeting its objectives. They are able to achieve this through the processes of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts that the organization have. The management also have done much in the coordination of the available resources of the company and also making the workers to do their work aiming at the objectives they have set. The management have also maintained the control over the way the activities are carried out and also create inspiration on those that work below them. The stakeholders in Uniliver Company has elected the board of directors who represent them and also do the interests of the company (Jones, 2005). The managing director have met the objectives by doing the role of being overall responsible for the running of the company. There has been appointment of senior managers to run the company. The appointments of the managers have been based on several factors such as the regions and the functions that the managers are expected to undertake. Since the company operates in different regions, regional directors have been appointed to manage the activities in the different regions. The functions of the company also make it have operational managers due to the dealing with the many products and brands. The human resource functional managers have well done their work and this has led into the company meeting the objectives and those of their workers (Jones, 2005). Departmental managers have also been appointed in the Uniliver Company. The departmental managers have made the coordination of the activities within the different departments to focus on the objectives of the company. The company also have general managers who does the general management of the activities in the worldwide company. All the managers in the company have carried out several responsibilities enabling the company attain the goals. The responsibilities include the establishment of a framework that allows communication in the area of work and this enables the workers do best their work. The management also have motivated the employees hence enhancing the productivity of the organization. The Uniliver Company managers have also done much of administrative arrangements for their area of responsibility which much has enables the resetting of the objectives and the goals of the organization. The management have been responsible for several resources in the company. People, finance, materials, machinery and equipment, time, buildings and information have been the major resources that have been managed. The shareholders of the company that have the title in the sharing the profits have had the responsibility to appointing the managers at the board meetings (Jones, 2005). They appoint the executive directors who are the ones responsible in the making of decisions for the company and the non-executive directors that provide the regular advice to the company. The structure at Unilever constitute executive directors. The executive directors are the members of the Uniliver Executive which includes Paul Polman as the executive officer and Jean Marc Huet as the chief financial officer. There are also non- executive directors in the company who are the independent element in the governance of the company. The structure also includes Unilever Leadership Executive who are responsible for the management of the profits and losses of the company and also delivering the growth of the organization. Senior corporate officers are also in the structure where they are responsible for ensuring that the board has all the vital information that is needed by them. In the company, the main principle in the determination of the organizational structure is to induce the speed and also the making of decisions and also implementation with empowered management which cuts across the world wide operation. The board of directors of the company represent a directors and optimum mix of the professionalism in the organization. The board of directors constitute nine directors which also includes executive chairman, three non-executive independent directors. The management committee does the everyday management of the company with the management with the overall superintendence and control of the board. The management group of the company aims in the helping the company to become a learning network organization. They have developed a framework that is focusing on the delivery to achieve in the objectives of the company through the sharing, transferring and also creating knowledge. The company has done workshops aiming specifically in the location and capturing of more markets for their markets (Jones, 2005). This explores and model the factors which benefits the company. The Unilever Company has had improvements on the way the workers are handled and also the coordination of the resources to meet the objectives. The management have been recently been committed to human rights in their operations enabling them to be treated with respect and dignity. This has much improved the employee’s productivity hence an advantage to the company. The board of directors of Uniliver have been much responsible for making sure that the adherence are made. The senior management have also become responsible in the implementation of the principles of the company. They are also supposed to expect and encourage the employees to bring the gap in the different areas to the attention of the management so that they can be acted upon (‘Research at Unilever Ltd.: Dr. A. J. Kieran’, 1963). There have also been assessment on how the company can operate and also implement the United Nation Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The assessment led to the reviewing of the Code of Policies of the company (Jones, 2005). There was also appointment of Global Vice president for social impact with the aim of leading in the integration. The assessments have led to the awareness that currently have raised in the company to support the objective of enhancing livelihood. Oxfam made a research for the company and have come up with several recommendations that can help in the more improvement. The comments were mainly aimed in the supporting of the livelihood of the workers, implementing of more ways and strategies the workers can use in the raising of the areas of concern and also working closer with the suppliers of the company. Going in line with the principles of the United Nations, the company has majorly based the human right commitment in the International Bill of Rights and also the principles that mainly deals with the fundamental rights of work. Through all this, the company has recognized that progress in the company can be through working together with the employees. The company has come up with a away that will make them work together with industries, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, governments and also business partners to bring the integration of human and labor rights into their businesses. Uniliver Company have managed the promotion of human rights in their management through upholding the values and standards in their operation. They have also done that in their relationship with those that supply the company and also with the business partners. The company have also worked through external initiatives (Mostert, 2007). Recruitments The recruitment process in the company is done through several processes. The first process in the recruitment entails application form where the detail of the individual is collected on the previous work and the leadership qualities that one might have had. After the application form, there is online test which is done in forty minutes. The tests are done immediately after the application form. Interview also forms the next process in the recruitment of the company where a Uniliver recruit interviews one on the leadership qualities that the person possess. The person is expected to show the areas where he has portrayed the leadership qualities. The last process is the assessment day where the company invites one to spend a day in the local office. The day will involve the use of case studies where one is expected to solve business problems. Conclusion Uniliver has attained most of the objectives in human resource and this have been mainly through the respect, dignity and fair treatment code which formed part of their framework the company is able and creates many opportunities for al the graduates around the world. This allows one to work with good brands and also fantastic people all over the world. The company also have offered a range of development opportunities bringing the ability of one being able to have personal drive for their activities be it in the national area and also internationally. Recommendation The management and structure of Uniliver Company have had commitments and the commitments are of no use when there is no active process in which they are monitored and reported. This calls upon the responsibility of the many managers of the company who operate worldwide. The management should also ensure that they are able to maintain an environment which will be favorable for the operation of all the workers. Proper management and the improvements in the structure has improved the productivity of the organization. References Jones, G. (2005). Renewing Unilever: Transformation and tradition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Mostert, N. (2007). Diversity of the mind as the key to successful creativity at Unilever. Hum Res Mgt Intl Digest, 15(5). doi:10.1108/hrmid.2007.04415ead.009 Research at Unilever Ltd.: Dr. A. J. Kieran. (1963). Nature, 199(4898), 1041-1041. doi:10.1038/1991041b0 Varchetta, G. (2001). Competences and Human Resources Empowerment in a Market-Driven Company. The Unilever Case. Symphonya. Emerging Issues In Management, (2). doi:10.4468/2001.2.05varchetta Read More