Abstract

Unilever’s Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), is the country’s largest fast moving consumer goods company. The company touches the lives of two out of three Indians. HLL is known for its ability to attract and develop good people. Several Unilever India managers have gone on to assume senior level responsibilities in Unilever’s worldwide system. In 2003, over 60 HLL managers held top positions in different Unilever companies or corporate functions. The case details the human resources (HR) practices at HLL, with special reference to the problems faced by HLL in the early 2000s. HLL realises it is becoming increasingly difficult to motivate and retain its star performers as new opportunities open up. At the same time, HLL finds itself with more people than necessary in some slots. This case can be used to understand the HR practices followed by HLL and the talent management problems the company is facing in early 2004.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

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Keywords

Unilever, Hindustan Lever Limited, HLL, India, Human resources, HR, Human resources manager, HRM, Procter & Gamble, P&G, Managing HR, HR practices, Human resources development, Organizational structure, Employee development, Corporate restructuring, Project millennium