Practice of human resource management at Nestle Bangladesh and

Role of HR During COVID-19

Independent University, Bangladesh
Submitted by:
Name ID
Md.Sahinur Kabir 1830944
Sawrav Ghosh 1830003
Minas Sajarin 1810148
Course Code: HRM301
Course Title: Introduction to HRM
Sec:06
Date of Submission: 20th September, 2020
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Table of Contents
Methodology...................................................................................................................................2
Nestle’s........................................................................................................................................2
Mission:........................................................................................................................................2
Vision:..........................................................................................................................................2
HRM Practice at Nestle.................................................................................................................2
Corporate business strategies.......................................................................................................3
Recruitment:...................................................................................................................................5
Internal source:.............................................................................................................................5
External source:............................................................................................................................5
Recruitment process......................................................................................................................6
Interview process...........................................................................................................................6
Training and Developing Employee.............................................................................................7
Performance Appraisal.................................................................................................................8
Nestle employee benefits..............................................................................................................10
Role of HR during Covid-19.......................................................................................................11
Reference...................................................................................................................................14
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Methodology
The report has been prepared based on both primary and secondary data. Data collected
from the organization and other sources is assembled and used in different part of the report.
Based on the collected report is prepared. Data is collected from sources like reports, published
documents, internet and articles.

Nestlé Bangladesh’s

Mission:

Nestlé is the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. Our mission of "Good
Food, Good Life" is to provide consumers with the best tasting, most nutritious choices in a wide
range of food and beverage categories and eating occasions, from morning to night.

Vision:

To be a leading, competitive, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company delivering improved

shareholder value by being a preferred corporate citizen, preferred employer, preferred supplier
selling preferred products.

HR practices:

Not any exceptions Nestlé Bangladesh also maintain its HRM process by planning, organizing,
directing, managing, and controlling its functions of producing, developing, and motivating its
manpower forces. The total HR practice is divided into several processes controlled by specific
persons. Such as Planning and Requisition, Selection, Orientation, Training, Appraisal and
Evaluation, Compensations and benefits.
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Organogram of The Human Resource Department of NESTLÉ

BANGLADESH Limited:

The organogram of the Human Resources Department is illustrated below:

Syeda Durdana Kabir

Human Resources Director

Sakeef M Anam
Executive - Talent Shahnila Ahmed
Acquisition, Md. Sayemul Karim Md. Delwar Hossain
Manager –Learning & Sifat Tabinda Alam Manager – Sr. Manager -
HRBP - Supply Training, HRBP - Sales, NN, NP Administration Factory HR
Chain & Engagement & HRBP
Corporate Affairs

Alamgir Islam Mahbuba Alamgir

Toufique Habib Sr. Officer -
HR M anager - People
Manager- Rewards Administration
Development & NCE

Anika Mobin Ahmed

Faiyaz Khan Chowdhury Abrar Faiyaz -Ul haque
Sr. Officer – People Development &
Sr. HR Officer - MIS & Services HR Officer - Operations
NCE

Corporate Business Principles of Nestlé

Nestlé provides nutritionally sound products designed for children and helps to reduce risk of
malnutrition through micronutrient fortification. Nestlé reduces sugars, salts, saturated fats and
trans fats. It helps to increase consumption of whole grains and vegetables, including via
healthier home cooking. There are 10 corporate business principles of Nestlé, which comply with
all applicable legal requirements and international norms, ensure activities are environmentally
sustainable and create significant value for society. These 10 corporate business principles are as
follows:
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1. nutrition, health and wellness,

2. quality assurance and product safety,

3. consumer communication,

4. human rights in business activities (eliminate child labor),

5. leadership and personal responsibility,

6. safety and health at work,

7. supplier and customer relations,

8. agriculture and rural development,

9. environmental sustainability, and

10. improvement of water efficiency.

Strategy of Nestlé:

Four competitive advantages

a.  Unmatched product and brand portfolio: Focused and diverse product portfolio, with
75% of sales accounted for by around 30 brands and an understanding of local needs.
b.  Unmatched research and development capability: An impetus from R&D that supports
growth through consumer‐centric innovation and renovation.
c. Unmatched geographic presence: Company presence in many markets, including
emerging markets, which created close relationships between the Company and the
consumers.
d.  People, culture, values and attitude: Decentralized structure with devolved
responsibilities as well as cohesive strategic directions to encourage entrepreneurial
spirit.

Three growth drivers

a.  Nutrition, health and wellness: These are the main goals that the Company is aiming to
achieve through science-based nutritional expertise and all of its activities.
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b.  Emerging markets and popularly positioned products: Nestlé’s operations in

emerging markets are both well developed and rich with opportunity.
c.  Out‐of‐home consumption: Nestlé Professional is the largest branded manufacturer in
the out‐of‐home segment, and this segment has two divisions: Branded Beverages and
Customized Food Solutions.

Three operational pillars

a.  Innovation and renovation to ensure products are new or remain relevant to the
customers.
b. Operational efficiency to ensure the highest quality, the lowest cost and the best customer
service.
c. Whenever, wherever, however...to have the products always in an arm’s reached of the
consumers.

Recruitment:

Nestle has separate Training and Development Department that also plays a crucial role in the
selection process. The aim of the policy and procedures is to support the recruitment and
selection of employees having the necessary abilities, skills, qualification and competencies to
contribute effectively to Nestle they has huge number of employees all around the country.
Based on the nature of the jobs it selects different types of employees.

Internal:

a. Job posting programs

b. Succession planning

c. Rehiring former employees

External:

a. Recruiting via internet

b. Advertising

c. Walk ins and write ins

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Recruitment process:

Planning and determining date and type of examination. HR planning and forecasting to
estimates the number of personnel need to be recruited. Preparing advertisement & posting on
appropriate source. For the post of Sales Associates only interview is conducted. Based on job
requirements computer, practical and other necessary test are conducted for regular and other
stuffs. Contacting selected applicants for examination by email or telephone. Finding out the
requirements of invigilators and interview board members and contacting concerned programs.
Preparing instruction sheet for written test, interview and preservice training. Preparation
questions and answer scripts. Requisition is received from departments.

HR ensures potential employees with joining date by completing all the official requirements.
Below overall time is demonstrated:

a. Employee requisition
b. Viva
c. Final approval
d. Objective evaluation
e. Written test
f. Medical procedure
g. Advertisement
h. Initial screening
i. Joining

Interview process:
Interview Applying for a management job at Nestlé is exceptionally staggering. Applicants are
challenged with outrageous care in various steps, which results in improving one’s self-
awareness.

The overall management recruitment process from an applicant’s side is illustrated in below:
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Online Application: In the first phase, the applicant is to fill out the online application
form, where they are to provide information about themselves.
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Written Test: Once an applicant is shortlisted, in certain cases he is required to appear

for a written test where he is examined through a series of numerical, logical, analytical,
language and knowledge- based questions.

Assessment Center: If the applicant passes the written test (in case he faces written
examination) otherwise after being shortlisted from the initial applicant pool he is required to
appear for the assessment center test, where the candidate has to prove group performance,
leadership qualities and technical-know how

Competency Based Interview: After candidates prove their team leading attributes in the
assessment center test, they face the Competency Based Interview, where they are challenged on
their competencies based on the job description that are required for the job they applied for.

Final Interview: The candidates that pass through the Competency Based Interview are
shortlisted to face the Final Interview, where the Department Head along with the Human
Resources Head interview and judge them on the basis of the Nestlé cultures and value.

Training and development:

Local training: these trainings are carried out within the country by reputed training institution
from, Bangladesh slavery and labor training institute and consultant from foreign training
institutes are invited to conduct training. These trainings are usually take place at a different
venue other that the office.

In- house training: These trainings are basically held within the office premises and usually get
conducted by the senior managers who are specialist in different field.

Market survey Training: Company plays a vital role in the market survey by sending their staff
at market and operate a project by management to get the fluency and efficiency of the staffs.

Overseas training: Company provides need based training to the employee through the usage of
appropriate external training in state, which are very often conducted overseas. Most of the
functional trainings are provided by foreign training.
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Diversification training: it’s a process of training where staffs work at the different
level and post of the management and identify the efficiency and effectiveness of their work
ability.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

The systematic assessment of employees’ performance and comprehending the capabilities of a

person for further growth and development is what is known as Performance Appraisal.
Performance appraisal of Nesstle is mostly done in systematic methods which are as follows:

 The salary of employees is measured by the supervisor and then compared with targets
and plans of the company.
 The supervisor evaluates the factors which contribute to work performances of
employees.
 The employers are in position to guide the employees and motivate them for performing
better.

Some common objectives of Performance Appraisal are:

 Maintain records in order to determine compensation packages, wage structure,

increments, rise in salary etc.
 Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the employees and put the right people on the
right job according to their qualifications and abilities.
 Maintain and assess the potential of an employee for further progress and development.
 Provide feedback to employees about their performance and related status.
 Helps in influencing working habits of the employees.
 Review and retain the promotional and other training programmers.
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Advantages of Performance Appraisal: It is said that performance appraisal is an

investment for the company which can be justified by following advantages:

Promotion: Performance Appraisal helps the supervisors to make promotion programs

for efficient employees. At the same time, inefficient employees could be fired or
demoted.

Compensation: Performance Appraisal aids in writing out compensation packages for

employees. Performance appraisal helps in Merit rating as well. Performance Appraisal
tries to give value to performance. Compensation packages include bonus, high salary
rates, extra benefits, increments, allowances and pre-requisites. All these are determined
with the help of performance appraisal. The criteria should be merit rather than seniority.

Employees Development: The systematic procedure of performance appraisal helps the

supervisors to structure training policies and programs. Strengths and weaknesses of
employees are analyzed with its help so that new jobs can be designed for efficient
employees. It also helps in framing future development programs.

Selection Validation: The supervisors understand the importance of selection process

better with the help of Performance Appraisal. The supervisors come to know the validity
and thus the strengths and weaknesses of selection procedure. Future changes in selection
procedures can be made in this regard.

Communication: For an organization, effective communication between employees and

employers is essential for it to run smoothly. Through performance appraisal,
communication can be sought for in the following ways: Performance appraisal
encourages the employers to comprehend and accept skills of subordinates. The
subordinates can also understand and create a trust and confidence in superiors. Labor
management relationship is also better maintained with its help.

Motivation: Another advantage of Performance Appraisal is that it works as a

motivation instrument. Through Employees’ Performance Evaluation, a person’s
efficiency could be determined if the targets are achieved. This works as a motivation for
a person to do a better job and encourages him to perform better in the future.
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Employee Benefits:
Employee benefits are an essential embodiment of the work culture at Nestlé as a whole. Nestlé
Bangladesh Limited, being the second employer of choice in the local market, provides a variety
of advantages concerning the employee benefit plan for meeting the different needs of their
employees throughout the company. Along with a number of benefits plans the few essential and
frequently utilized employee benefits in the company are-

Medical Benefits: Via medical benefits the company aims to take participation in helping their
employees beyond work environment. Manager/Executive/Officer are entitled to such benefit
along with their spouse and two children aged 21 years old or less.

Executive Health Checkup: This benefit is viable only by the management employees. As
Nestlé wants its employees to have a healthy lifestyle, employees above 40 years old can avail an
a thorough medical checkup periodically once a year, and employees below the mentioned age
can avail it once in every two years.

Product Gift: All the employees of Nestlé Bangladesh are entitled to receive a product gift
hamper comprising of various products of Nestlé on a quarterly basis.

Marriage Gift Policy: All the management employees of Nestlé Bangladesh Limited is entitled
to receive a token of greetings for their first marriage.

Leave Fare Assistance: All the management employees of Nestlé Bangladesh Limited is
entitled to receive an annual leave fare assistance that covers relevant travelling expenses for the
employees. The fare assistance is directly proportional to a management employee’s each
month’s basic pay per annum.

Insurance Benefits: In order for the company to administer protection to its employees against
various types’ hazards the company contributes to the security of the employees in term of
insurance benefit.
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Pension and Retirement Scheme: It ensures a healthy standard of living for the
employees after their long run aged departure from the company. Example- personal saving,
security benefits etc.

Infant Scheme: Employees who have children below the age of 1-year-old, can take baby
nutrition products for free for two years by showing a valid prescription or doctor’s certificate.

Part 2: Role of HR during Covid-19

Most organizations have started focusing on scenarios for planning and taking necessary
operational responses to ensure business continuity post-COVID-19. Organizations need to focus
on building Communication, Trust & Transparency related to the coronavirus pandemic to
restore productivity and deliver on employee experience.

Organizations have to make a lot of adjustments to their business plans and the way of working
post-COVID-19. They need engaged employees more than ever to get through this challenging
period. The employees might struggle with feelings of uncertainty, isolation, not being in the
know, and more. Thus, the Role of Change Agents that is of the HR professionals becomes
crucial in this scenario. With social distancing being implemented and practiced, it is difficult to
have standard methods of process, policies & engagements leading to a new challenge for HR
professionals.

Considering all these challenges into account, the human resources are going to be the lifeline of
any organization and they need to handle this post-Covid situation with utmost care and
diligence. Above all, these challenges revolve mostly around People Aspect of this Global
Pandemic and we can see a transformational shift in HR role post-Covid.

Thus, the new role of HR can include the following few activities, though, it can go manifolds
looking at the impact of the Global Pandemic.
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Counseling and collaboration: To ensure communication efforts help engagement, HR

Managers must have a two-way dialogue with employees. Offering proper counseling
sessions with employees to help them offload their isolation anxiety, vent their fears, or just de-
stress.

Sense employees’ need for support: Employees don’t want to be viewed as faceless cogs in a
larger machine—they want to be recognized for the unique value each brings to the company.
This uniqueness is something employers are beginning to embrace too. HR professionals need to
recognize this aspect and provide the required support and communication. To enable regular
conversations between the Line managers and employees, HR should provide managers with the
necessary guidance on how best to approach sensitive subjects arising post-COVID-19
pandemic, including job security, alternative work models, impact to staffing, and prospects
tension in the workplace.

Reinforcing Organizational values: Work well-being has the greatest impact on feelings of
psychological safety — an unpleasant employee experience can negatively impact psychological
safety by up to 35%. To make matters worse, during periods of uncertainty, employee
misconduct increases by as much as 33%. Apart from modeling the right behaviors, HR
managers should encourage whistleblowers to call out unethical behaviors, remind staff of the
channels for reporting misconduct, and highlight punitive measures for non-compliance, post-
Covid.

Recognizing employee efforts: As COVID-19 generates significant disruption, and undercuts

employee engagement, HR managers need to redouble their recognition initiatives & efforts.
Effective recognition motivates the recipient and the same time serves as a strong signal to other
employees of behaviors they should emulate. Recognition can take many forms other than
monetary rewards such as public acknowledgment, tokens of appreciation, development
opportunities and low-cost perks. This reinforces the organization’s commitment to the long-
term success of the employee.

Educating and equipping the workforce: Educating and equipping the workforce with the
right information on COVID-19, safety tips, nutrition information and so on are crucial and jobs
for HR Professionals. The HR needs to communicate measures taken by the company during this
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situation. HR can create interesting posts about escalating events and topics around this
issue on the activity feed.

Focus on Employee Wellness: After understanding the anxiety and stress of the COVID-19
pandemic, HR will need to put more focus on the mental health and overall wellness of the
employees. Holistic benefits are a common way of introducing wellness to a company. These
benefits address all aspects of well-being, including mental health and financial security. While
these plans will differ in offerings, the idea is to provide employees with benefits that help
improve their well-being beyond standard health coverage.

Framing New Age Policies: Considering the business continuity plan to deal with such
exigencies, Post COVID-19, organizations need to have system, procedure and policy in place.
Organizations need to review policies on workplace flexibility, remote working & contractual
staffing and should review and clarify polices around pay and benefits if an office or factory is
closed or impacted.

Looking forward

While these initiatives have become the new roles of an HR Professional, all these might not
necessarily work for every company. However, in a post-COVID-19 environment, where
employees have had to adjust how they work, all the HR should shift towards a more human-
focused approach.

An HR professional, collectively, these initiatives can go a long way to reinforce employees’

trust for the organization and improve their impressions based on how the HR professionals react
or respond in the face of crisis and uncertainty.

HR Department Initiatives in Nestlé Bangladesh Limited

Nestlé has always been a part of the society from its inception in this country and today once
again, the entire team has come forward by being a contributor for helping the distressed in this
critical COVID-19 situation. In this unprecedented difficult time, Nestlé Bangladesh Limited
stands by the distressed people and donated nutritious Nestlé food products to Prime Minister’s
Relief & Welfare Fund, Sajida Foundation and around 1,000 distressed families in Sreepur in
response to COVID-19 pandemic as a part of its overall commitment of BDT 10 million.
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Key Initiatives Of HR

 Encouraging office-based employees to work from home whenever possible.

 Asking our employees not to travel internationally for business purposes.
 Offering generous sick leave arrangements for those who contract the virus.
 Providing cash loans or advances for those in financial distress.
 Paying all hourly and salaried staff affected by temporary stoppages in full for a
minimum of twelve weeks.
 For employees in factories and distribution centers, offering free meals and transport for
staff to help reduce the risk they fall ill.
 Requesting that any employees who may be experiencing symptoms inform their line
manager and self-quarantine for a 14-day period.

Reference:
https://www.nestle.com.bd/aboutus/nestle_in_bangladesh
https://www.nestle.com.bd/

http://dspace.bracu.ac.bd/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10361/5003/11304018.pdf?sequence