Used to be great, now is incredibly frustrating - Associate Supply Chain Manager Unilever Employee Review

3.0
1 May 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

People are generally nice to work with Great 401k match Modern and welcoming office Discounted products Great name on resumes at a top-ranked supply chain

Cons

Unilever was a dream company when I joined, and they walked the walk early on. However, since the Kraft Heinz bid, the things that made Unilever great to work for slowly eroded away. Over the last couple of years, that erosion accelerated. In supply chain, leadership's objective is clear: outsource and automate away as many jobs as possible to save cost on the bottom line. However, employees are left to speculate when their job is next, as leadership gives no information until they announce that a function is getting outsourced to third party providers (customer service/order management, master data management, parts of logistics/transportation). This leads to constant anxiety and frustration, as employees are afraid to make any mistake because it will just be fodder for the "transformation" and "integrated operations" teams to work faster to find the next external solution at the expense of your job. The people are generally fun to work with, and direct middle management (in my experiences) are great at recognizing the humanity of the operation and doing everything they can to keep people happy, as they see the frustration from lower level employees and truly want to help. However their hands are tied, because this disappears at director level and above. There is the top-down expectation of robot-like efficiency, which is very difficult to achieve since Unilever has started the practice of not hiring backfills for many open roles, and it feels like half of the year every year is a hiring freeze. The idea of a trade off does not exist, and everything is demanded at the same time, even when decisions that benefit one metric come at the direct expense of another. Constant finger pointing between functions leads to stalled decision making processes as everybody is forced to look out for themselves, and the company finds itself having the same issues every quarter. To get promoted and be successful in supply chain, you'll either need to play the corporate political game very well, or put in unsustainable and mentally draining levels of hours a week. It is scary to see people online and sending emails at 9pm and Saturday/Sunday. If you are unwilling to do either of those, you'll likely get stuck at the Associate Manager level, where competitors can easily outbid Unilever on salary since pay rates aren't great compared to similar companies in the area.

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5.0
3 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The People , Clean Workspace, Benefits Are Good

Cons

Not Always Knowing Whats Going On Within Plant

5.0
9 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at Unilever in Raeford offers strong overall benefits, including good pay for the area, solid health insurance, retirement options, and additional perks like tuition assistance and employee discounts. The company provides a stable work environment as a large global organization, with opportunities for career growth and skill development in a modern, well-maintained facility. Employees often highlight the team-oriented culture, supportive coworkers, and clean, safety-focused workplace. Overall, it’s considered a reliable employer with good work-life balance and long-term career potential.

Cons

Working there can involve long hours and rotating shifts, including nights and weekends, which can make work-life balance harder depending on your role. The job can also be physically demanding, especially in production or warehouse positions, requiring standing for long periods and repetitive tasks. Because it’s a large corporation, there can be strict policies, less flexibility, and slower decision-making. Additionally, while growth opportunities exist, advancement can sometimes feel competitive or slow without the right connections or timing.

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