British multinational corporation Unilever is known for its affiliation with some of the biggest brands globally such as Dove, Sunlight, Persil, Omo, Lifebuoy and Rexona just to name a few. The company has strategically positioned itself in producing food and refreshment, homecare, beauty and personal care products that are used in different markets such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa and Asia. Let us see is Unilever is a good company to work for or not in this article.
As of 2022, the company had an estimated 149000 employees working in different countries, performing different roles and with different modes of working.
Is Unilever a good company to work for?
To correctly answer this question, review aggregators such as Glassdoor, Indeed, ambition box and Comparably conduct surveys that are mostly answered by either current or former employees who rate the company, its benefits, salary satisfaction and corporate culture.
On Glassdoor Unilever has a 4.1 out of 5-star rating with 13764 reviews, 86% of anonymous reviews would recommend working at Unilever to a friend, and the CEO has received 89% approval. On Indeed Unilever salary satisfaction is at 70% based on 1875 reviews with an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars and overall reviews at 7846, work-life balance has been rated at 3.9, compensation and benefits at 4.0, job security and advancement at 3.7 management at 3.7 and company culture at 4.0 with company CEO approval at 88%
In short, Unilever is a good company to work for based on anonymous employee reviews and ratings that are based on people’s everyday interactions with the company
A breakdown of Unilever salaries and employee benefits
Salaries, leave benefits and mode of working
Companies don’t usually release their official salaries, you can get information about estimations on employment receive aggregators such as Glassdoor and Indeed.
On Indeed Unilever salaries are either quoted per hour or year and are as follows;
- Material handler $11.25 per hour.
- Forklift operator $13.41 per hour.
- Warehouse worker 17.47 per hour.
- Machine operator $19.80 per hour.
- Line technician $22.00 per hour.
- Machine specialist $23.00 per hour.
- The line leads are $24.10 per hour.
Some of the highest-paying positions at Unilever include;
- Account manager $122, 933 per year.
- Agency manager $161657 per year.
- Analytics manager $163134 per year.
Overtime at the company is paid out at 1.5 times the hourly rate, salary increments are done annually, and says are sure also reset each year.
Employees are offered 10-20 vacation days, 1-5 personal days and 10-20 paid time off. When asked about how easy it was to ask for each of these, 36% of respondents said it was easy.
Unilever currently has a standardized parental leave policy in all its countries of operation, all employees have a minimum of 12 weeks of paid maternity leave with an option to take an additional 4 weeks during the first year while fathers get 3 weeks of paid paternity leave.
The company currently has 86% positive reviews on Indeed about paid time off and parental leave.
Insurance, health and wellness benefits
All Unilever employees are offered;
- Health insurance that covers the employee, their spouse and dependents.
- Life insurance.
- Dental Insurance
- Vision insurance
- Disability insurance covers any short-term or long-term disabilities.
The insurance policies offered by Unilever in partnership with different providers received a 95% positive review rating.
Financial perks
These include;
- Base salary, reviewed against the local and regional salaries ensures that Unilever employees are paid at competitive rates and according to what peers in the same position in the market are getting. This also includes a yearly allowance that is dependent on your location, position and the the evcarecaresseses scheme aims to allow employees to invest in the company by becoming shareholders, this is achieved through the shares scheme or performance share plan. This can also be a legitimate way for employees to earn passive income.
- A pensions scheme protects employees and their families from having to borrow or lack a source of income in the event of the death of the employee or an illness that limits working it also acts as a savings scheme where funds are accessible after retirement
Pros and cons of working at Unilever
Pros
- Financial security
Unilever’s salary satisfaction rating is currently at 70% on Indeed. Anonymous reviewers have stated that their current salaries are fair and have also stated the annual salary increase, paid time off and vacation days as major financial perks.
- Perks and benefits
When working for multinational corporations and businesses such as Unilever employees do enjoy perks and benefits that have been standardized in all its countries of operation. Unilever employees enjoy 4-month maternity leave, flexible modes of working that also include work from home and hybrid modes on 8-12 hour shifts and finally perks such as accessing fitness health centres such as gyms.
- Better status in your CV
Because of Unilever’s reputable portfolio, you will get a meaningful addition to your curriculum vitae and work experience that will help you get into bigger companies.
- A larger pool of talent and networking
Unilever has operations in multiple countries which means you’ll not only interact with colleagues and learn from them but also form potential networks that help you navigate the world of corporate.
Cons
- Structure
Unilever runs its operations in multiple countries which means that there are strict rules that have been put in place when it comes to mandated working hours, overtime, filing leave and even more paperwork when looking for approvals.
- Less flexibility to negotiate with clients
Regardless of your role, you cannot implement your own rules or creatively go around the rules such as giving clients discounts without approvals
- Competitive among employees
The larger pool of employees can be a disadvantage in a time when companies are implementing mass firings leaving those that are left at the companies with more work and the same pay while those that are let go are simply given s notice before their termination.
Conclusion
Unilever is highly recommended and rated as a top employer although the company has its cons. They are a result of the multinational’s size making management and communication a bit more hectic compared to a small company.
