Assistant HR Business Partner Review

by Unilever

Best Student Employer

Rating

3.3/5
  • The Role
    3.4
  • The Company
    3.3
  • The Culture
    3.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I have really enjoyed the internship overall. I like that there is a structure to the internship provided by the Early Careers team to ensure that you do feel like you are making progress but also through the relationship with your Line Manager there is an element of flexibility to ensure that you can personalise your experience and gain from it what you want.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • Dependant on the colleagues - I felt I was given a lot of opportunities to take on tasks with a wide variety of colleagues and demonstrate my capabilities - which was often well received but sometimes not, it varied. Also as Unilever is a global company, and I was placed in a global team, it is sometimes difficult to develop a close relationship with your colleagues as you interact mostly virtually and hardly ever face to face - only with those based in the same office as you which is a smaller proportion.

    3/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I had weekly catch ups with my Line Manager where I was able to update on the progress that I had been making with my assigned tasks and also share my thoughts and insights which was super helpful. Furthermore, whenever I asked for some specific feedback they would also make the time to ensure I received this and that we had a detailed discussion.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Certainly varied throughout the year - some periods would be quieter than others. But my Line Manager would always ensure that I had a project to be working on at all times. During the peak of my projects - I would find myself working longer hours but in all honestly all did feel this was my choice and was never something that was expected of me which I liked. Also during the quieter periods there are options to get involved in other projects outside of your day to day job.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given three projects at the start of the year which I would be working on, on an ongoing basis with support from my Line Manager and colleagues, I felt that these were given to me to own and I liked this and where necessary I could always approach others for help.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • Not necessarily the specific content of my degree as I don't study a business related course, but certainly some of the soft skills I have acquired will help - such as prioritisation, project management and organisation etc... And I feel that the insights that I have gained to the business world will support me in identifying what I want to do for work in the future and what sort of career I want to lead. As well as the experience helping me boost my CV and giving me topics to discuss in job interviews etc...

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • It did feel quite corporate at times - as it was a global office there was never really a set time when everybody/your team would go for lunch as everybody had calls with different time zones and busy calendars etc... meaning it was hard to find mutual availability. But certainly would always go to lunch with a team member or friend (other interns etc...). Hot desking meant that you sat next to someone different everyday which was quite nice at times to meet new people. And there were office events such as summer BBQs and Christmas parties when everybody would come together - but less regular in comparison to other work places I feel and some of the other Unilever offices.

    3/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • It was good - some of the messages that were communicated at the start did change, in regards to what the options where after the placement and how this would be structured in terms of decision making. But mid rotation reviews and end of rotation reviews were organised with your Line Manager which were helpful and I did feel that there was always somebody I could reach out to within the Early Careers team if I did require help.

    3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • My Line Manager and all other Line Managers seemed to be invested in placement studies investment - and opportunities to attend workshops to identify your purpose and career development options. I do feel there could have been some more options/workshops to acquire more knowledge and maybe some qualifications in your functional area whether its Marketing, Supply Chain or HR etc...

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Financial Bonus

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Above 25 days holiday

    Working from home

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • Good - a really strong graduate scheme but a bit of an unclear process around what options are available in terms of being fast tracked from the Industrial Placement. But I have been impressed by how my development has been supported and think it would be a good place to further develop a career in the future.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • During the summer yes - but the majority of events were organised by us ourselves. We had a 2 day onboarding event which developed a good atmosphere amongst the Industrial Placement students and we all met eachother and had opportunities to bond with the other interns within our function but after this nothing was organised by the company, people did make an effort to organise and plan events weekly/monthly.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • I lived at home but commuting to Central London was fairly expensive but the company did provide advice packs on where to live affordably and the salary was good. The canteen was subsidised and plenty of offers such as 2-4-1 in the bars around the office for after work drinks.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Central London - plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs to choose from, depending on what you wanted and they are always busy and full with a variety of people. Plenty of places to go to after work if you want to and lots of events taking place during the peak times whether it is Christmas or summer etc..

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Not a variety of social activities, or anything in the place of sports teams etc... in the office I was based in but I think this is dependant on where you are placed as I am aware of things like this in other offices. There were a variety of events organised to celebrate events such as 'World Mental Health Day' and company celebrations which were always fun to attend.

    3/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Human Resources

London

May 2020


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