The Coca Cola Company was founded by Asa Candler the year 1892. It is a public company, in fact, a multinational which has tremendously grown and expanded over the years. Today, it has a total of 1400,000 employees (August W. G., May 13, 2008). This has seen it expand the production of its beverage products.
Its revenue has also increased. For instance, in 2010, its total income was officially reported to have hit US $. 35.119 billion With a total assets valued at US $. 31.317 billion. This has made it become a blue chip company that has attracted a lot of investors in the prestigious New York Stock Exchange. As a matter of fact, this success has undoubtedly been attributed to its well thought human resource strategies.
Organization structure
Coca Cola is a multinational venture with active braches in over 200 countries. Just like other multinational corporations, it also have a very elaborate organizational structure composed of the management board, the senior, junior management and the support staff(August W. G., May 13, 2008).
The engagements in this organization are both temporary casually renewable contracts and permanent and pensionable terms. Therefore, at the helm of the structure is the company president based at Atlantz, the company headquarters. Then there are regional directors, country directors, their assistants and the support staff.
Besides, there are departmental heads in charge of specialties like production, marketing, purchasing, sales, finance, human resource and others. All these carry out their duties under a closer supervision of their respective heads.
Human resource strategies
For this company to expand like this amid the emerging completion, it must have adopted well and workable strategies to manage its employees (Conaty, Bill, and Ram C., 2011). Some of them include goal setting; employee motivation; employee training and coaching; performance measurement; performance evaluation and rewarding of the employees appropriately.
This incorporates a combination of corporate, business and human resource management strategies. However, in doing this, the HRM department should observe a satisfactory level of single, among and temporal employee consistencies. This will instill confidence in all of them regardless of their position in the firm making them to offer their quality services to the company.
Succession planning
The company is an entity whose existence should only cease at the termination or liquidation of business. This means that, while the employees come and go, the organization is there to stay. Hence, because of this perpetual transition, the top management should always be ready to ensure that it has the required employees throughout (Conaty, Bill, and Ram C., 2011).
In this regard, the Coca Cola Company usually conducts annual internships and graduate recruitments. The most experienced officers usually induct the newly absorbed workers in the firm. If any form of attrition is experienced, the firm will not undergo any human resource crisis, but instead fill the gap promptly. As a result of this, there will be stability in the supply of workers. Meaning that there will be no interruptions in the provision of the services provided.
Recruitment and selection practices
Coca Cola really, is a very reputable company. This has continuously been built as a result of the transparent and accountable ways in which it recruits its varied employees.
The only thing that helps this company to expand is the manner in which it employs people. If a vacancy occurs, it is publicly advertised in any form of the available media; internet, print and broadcast media. Time is then created for the interested potentials to submit their formal applications. A competent committee is then instituted to shortlist the best of them (August W. G., May 13, 2008).
Finally, they are invited for a very rigorous interview conducted by an ideal team of knowledgeable panel who then submit the best applicants to the board for appointments.
Meanwhile, time is created for any appeal. If any claim is reported, a commission is instituted to investigate and submit their findings. If any form of misconduct like canvassing is proven, the results are cancelled and disciplinary action is taken against the victims.
Eventually, the appointees are invited to attend a series of seminars and trainings before resuming their duties as new employees. However, usually, before rising to permanent levels, they are first put under probation. This definitely makes them be responsible in whatever duty they are given.
Compensations and benefits
One of the major policies of this company is employee satisfaction. A part from the notion that the company puts the interest of the client’s primary, the employees’ motivation is also prioritized.
For them to be retained here and feel part of the entire system, they are considered an important part of the decision making process (Merkle, J.A., 2006). Their opinion, mostly through their representatives, is sought before a major decision is enforced.
This makes it possible for their grievances to be heard. Hence, they are well motivated especially though good salaries, proper housing, provision of recreational facilities and a series of allowances. Besides, they are well covered under the various insurance schemes.
When a risk like fire, accident or a life is lost in the line of duty happens, one or one’s beneficiaries are heavily compensated. This program offers an admirable indemnity to the affected. This motivates all the employees to offer their services with uttermost confidence.
Training and development practices
All the people employed in this company must be trained in their respective fields. This makes them competent and productive. However, the company, after engagements, offers numerous seminars, workshops and in-service trainings to all their employees.
On the same note, the management for this firm also gives any interested employee an opportunity to further their studies. They can be offered payable study leafs or be given scholarships to assist them in the development of their professions.
This is instrumental in adding their productivity value and makes them adapt to the technological changes in life. At the same time, this can make them have a wider knowledge, not only in their expertise, but also in other areas.
Challenges facing the company
The Coca Cola Company has been facing a lot of challenges in its operations. This may be as a result of its interactions with other company’s world over.
In regard to the modern trends in globalization, it has faces a lot of problems that has seen it answer charges in the court of law in various parts of the world. For instance, in 2003, it was sued by the Indian based Centre for Science and Environment for deliberately violating the United Nations Environmental Program’s (UNEP) global environmental laws.
Lastly, in 2009, it was sued for supplying certain beverage brands with harmful packaging materials. It was therefore, obliged to answer to the law suits filed against it since it was perceived that it had gone against the standard legal pronouncements of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Work cited
August W. G. (May 13, 2008). Coca-Cola Company. The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Georgia Humanities Council.
Conaty, Bill, and Ram C. (2011). The Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People before Numbers. Crown Publishing Group.
Merkle, J.A. (2006) Management and Ideology. California: University of California Press.
