Insight Scheme - HR Review

A very engaging and interesting opportunity to meet and network with a variety of people within Unilever, specifically within the HR function that I applied for. The Q&A session with a senior manager was also very interesting and although he was not part of the business function I applied for, he provided a great insight into the company.

Very, very much so. It was clear from the moment we arrived at our hotel that Unilever had taken a great interest in each of us, and the two organisers were outstanding in ensuring that we were all having both an interesting and fun time. All activities and presentations were clearly designed with us in mind too which was great.

Simply due to the fact that it is a short insight scheme, there was limited guidance and support because there just was not time for it. That being said, all activities and events were detailed far in advance so we all had a good understanding of what to expect and all questions were answered quickly.

I think this is very much a case of "you get out what you put in". Having the opportunity to network with a combination of people currently on the industrial placement, current people on the graduate scheme and senior leaders, I was able to get a really good understanding not only of the function but also what I would be required to do to succeed in the role for future preparations.

As a whole it was very well structured. Each activity was detailed to us in advance and we were able to prepare questions in advance for a Q&A session with a senior manager. All information regarding dress codes and timing etc was also provided so no confusion was caused there.

Since there were only 20 of us on the Insight Scheme, the atmosphere was pretty good as most of us got to know each other pretty quickly. The evening networking meals were great and gave the opportunity to meet and network with other people on the same function applied for. Perhaps a sort of ice breaking activity would have been nice, but given how short the Insight Scheme was, it's not exactly a necessity.

Again bearing in mind that it was a short scheme, so to an extent this question does not really apply, however it did feel like Unilever were really interested and invested in us getting as much out of the scheme as possible.

While we got a very comprehensive overview of Unilever as a whole, we did not really get to see the day to day work that someone in our respective function would do. As mentioned previously though given the short length of time, I guess it would not be too viable to do that unless the scheme was made longer.

Absolutely yes. It became very clear throughout the day the type of company that Unilever are, the way they conduct themselves and also the extent they invest in their graduates/interns. The opportunity to talk to current graduates over dinner was also really helpful in understanding their culture.

Despite being part of the HR function, all functions were grouped together on one collective day of activities and presentations. Although everything we did was very engaging and insightful, it was generally not specific to my chosen function. However the opportunities to talk with graduates and one of the HR directors was really interesting and did convince me this was a path I wished to puruse.

The insight scheme is not paid, which is totally understandable given that it is only two nights. Not only was travel reimbursed, but we were also treated incredibly well being put up in a nice hotel with all food paid for by the company, including a three course networking meal with a senior leader of our function. This was definitely above and beyond what I expected given the length.

Absolutely (as mentioned a fair number of times previously). Pretty much the entire scheme was based around networking with as many people as possible and even between functions, and we got to have presentations and interactive sessions with a handful of others as well which was really useful.

This feels very similar to the question above, but to reiterate: The scheme was based around networking and social events, which were of course very useful and very insightful.

To an extent yes, but not too in depth. As mentioned before though it all depends what you want to talk about with the current graduates and senior leaders, and I only briefly mentioned out of work activities with them, so I didn't find out too much. Again though, that was simply because it was not the focus of my questions.

Absolutely. It was a very interesting and insightful experience into Unilever's culture and way of working. I feel a lot more confident going forward in assessment centres knowing more about the HR function, but also having been given general tips regarding the scheme. The food and hotel were absolutely amazing, too!