WL1 promotions are almost unheard of.. - Anonymous employee Unilever Employee Review

2.0
Apr 1, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For managers and above it's a great company to work. Agile working is common and on a Friday there are often less than 30 people in the building, normally there are over 1500 and people work in the canteen due to lack of space! The roof terrace is summer is great! Beautiful views of the Thames and City. The staff shop gives staff a huge discount on products.

Cons

Development for WL1s, the lowest level at Unilever is often not managed as promised and it's hard to get promoted as the levels above require extensive management experience, not given at WL1 level so the turnover at this level is very high also due to a strong focus on previous hierarchy. WL2 roles generally require up to 5 years management experience so this rules out WL1 applications. Turnover for PA's is extremely high. Salaries are bottom of the range for PA's, can be compared to government jobs 25K-32K Company is very hierarchal and focused on work levels. Very old school in this way. ie: training days and departmental inductions are very rarely applicable to lower work levels. Outsourcing of HR, IT creates months of red tape. My boss took months to get a staff pass! Poor guy had to wait at reception everyday and he was a very senior employee!

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Unilever Response
10y
Hi. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your current role with us. We appreciate the feedback - especially around our agile working practices and staff discounts. We'll ensure your comments around career progression and bringing functions in-house are passed on to the relevant teams. We wish you continued success and all the best throughout 2016.

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5.0
Jan 22, 2026
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Pros

Love the people, great mentors, wonderful team members. Very welcoming office and great relationships. I love coming to work!

Cons

Under resourced and underpaid for the skills I bring to the table, which contributes to retention issues

2.0
Jun 16, 2026
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Pros

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Cons

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