The Coca Cola Company

Introduction

The Coca Cola Company is an American multinational company that deals in the production, sale, and distribution of non-alcoholic beverages. Coca Cola is the product that is famously associated with the company. The Company has Muhtar Kart as its current CEO and chairman. The total revenue raised by the company is US$35.119 in 2010 implying that the company sales levels are very high. This may be explained by the dedicated team of professionals who work day in day out to ensure the company succeeds. The Company has more than 139,000 workers. Each with a role to play to ensure the operation of the company does not come to a stop. The employees have all undergone a period of thorough training to get rightfully employed in the company. The process of undergoing interviews is therefore a part of the company’s policies.

Coca Cola operated through a franchised distribution system which dates back to 1889. The company owns its own anchor bottler company. This is located in North America. It is known as Coca Cola refreshments (Coffey, 2007). Over the years, the company has been able to open up branches in the various parts of the world and to bring the consumption of its beverages to be the most popular in the world. It has also acquired many other companies, for instance, Minute Maid in 1960 (Schuler, 2007).

Current Procedures

Hiring of staff in Coca Cola is the process that is paid a lot of attention to. Various stakeholders are concerned with the process of hiring. This makes the process very impartial and brings forward the best candidates to fill positions that are vacant.  The shareholders are very important people to the company. They must be informed whenever positions require to be interfered with. In fact, such crucial positions as those of the auditor are filled at the annual general meeting through voting.

The management: The role of the management of Coca Cola is very crucial here as it is the one that is concerned with hiring and firing. The management deserves the right of each and every operation within the company. It is also concerned about the future of the company. The management of Coca Cola is answerable to so many other individuals that it has to take its role very seriously. One of the roles, that the management has, is to see the company’s operations being continuous. It must as well ensure that all documents of accounts are kept and are up to date as these reflect the company’s progress over the years. As a part of this, therefore, the management is very concerned about the process of hiring employees. These are the people who are at the ground and who work for the common good of the company. These people determine the performance of the company not just at that point in time but even in the future. The management therefore sets funds apart for the recruitment process whenever a vacancy requires to be filled. Take an example of the very common positions of accountants that are usually filled regularly, the management ensures that this is communicated to all the relevant stakeholders since there has to be consultation before the process begins (Dash, 2007).

The department that is affected is also a major stakeholder. The selection process is required whenever there is a need a position to be filled. For instance, the filling of positions for accountants requires that the concerned department i.e. the accounting department communicates this to the management of the company. It is only this department that can make recommendations on whether it requires some additional accountants depending on the work load present and the number of accountants present at the time. If it feels that the work is overwhelming, it is extremely necessary that it communicates this to the management.

The human resource department is also a stakeholder in the process of recruitment at Coca Cola. This department does the actual advertisement with the instructions of the management. The department understands the requirements of the company since it has already communicated with the department on which the vacancy arises. This department, for instance, the accounting department in our case, will submit the set of rules that are required to be performed as well as other relevant competencies are required before a candidate is picked for the selection. 

The finance department is also consulted in the process of selection at Coca Cola. This department knows the financial requirements of the company. The department also formulates the budget for the company so that it does not veer off this line. This helps to curb cases of unnecessary expenditure. The department is usually consulted with to determine if funds are actually available to pay the hired individuals.

The department of IT is also consulted in the process of recruitment at Coca Cola. This department does the actual posting of positions available on the company’s websites so that suitable candidates can apply to fill the positions. They are very skilled in this bearing in mind that the experts in this field also underwent the same rigorous process before they were appointed to fill the positions. These experts ensure that the set of specifications provided to them by the human resource department for the job are actually posted on the website as they are. Any form of alterations would be disastrous, and as such they follow instructions to the latter.

The whole recruitment process at Coca Cola is the role of the human resource department. It is the first step to ensure that the company remains strong and with individuals whose beliefs and ideologies are required to take the company to greater heights. The process consumes a reasonable amount of resources for it to be complete and successful, as we shall see later. The process of recruitment starts with the identification of the vacancy. This is the role of the respective departments. These are the departments on ground and which therefore know the requirements, they need, at any point in time. The departments send requisitions to the human resource department which contains the following:

The posts that require filling. The department must communicate to the human resource department the exact positions that need to be filled. If the accounting department, for instance, realizes that it requires accountants, it must give this information to the human resource department through writing if filling of those vacancies is to be done in the near future.

The number of people required. The requisition must also contain the number of people. This is done to avoid the cases of being vague. The department concerned knows the number of people it needs for a certain position. It must t make sure that this number is known to the human resource department. This also makes the process of planning possible for all the stakeholders concerned to start with the management at the top.

The requisition must also contain the duties to be performed by the staff that will be hired. It is a must for the department to communicate the duties that are to be performed. This is because it is not possible to fill positions while the duties of these people are not specified. Hiring of accountants, for instance, which is very frequent at Coca Cola requires that the roles of these individuals be stipulated so that even when advertising is being done, everything should be clear. This protects against the applications of individuals who might not be able to competitively fill the positions.

The department concerned must also stipulate the qualifications required in the requisition. Qualifications are important for Coca Cola because they imply the quality of labor being hired. It is, for instance, a requirement that for a person to fill the position of an accountant at Coca Cola, he or she be a graduate in a business related field and with some years’ worth of experience. This is a part of qualifications. Now, age is also specified. Coca Cola will usually restrict itself to persons below the age of 40 for purposes of quality and continuity. The department also specifies the persons required in terms of their sex, for instance. If males and females are required, this must be specified, and if only members of one particular sex are required, the same must be indicated. The technical competence is a great part of this, too. For instance, positions for accountants require that all candidates, who apply, be computer literate since Coca Cola is the company that embraces technology in a very significant manner. The language of instructions is also specified here. It is, for example, compulsory that one be a fluent English speaker if they apply for a job in the company to go and work at such places as the United Kingdom.

After the requisition is dropped at the human resource department, the number and type of employees required are then located by the human resource department. The department does this through advertisement and the use of its official website. The process of advertising is a very open one. The positions that require filling are put on the newspapers and other print media so that individuals who meet the selection criteria can apply. The official website further makes the process more impartial, since it is always open and any individual can read on the webside. This is usually given as much time possible as enough so that prospective candidates can have time to look at the advertisement and to comply with it if there is a need. After this, the prospective candidates are allowed time to apply for the positions that are vacant. This usually is done through the website. The process cannot be done through physical writing of application letters addressed to the human resource department. This promotes accountability and impartiality in the whole process. The candidates usually are also warned against any form of canvassing as well as informed that Coca Cola deserves the right to select persons who fit for the specifications advertised.

After applying, the candidates are shortlisted. A panel is usually selected by the management for this role. This panel seeks to ensure the process is carried out in such a way as to yield the best results. This panel reads through the application email messages addressed to the human resource department in regard to the recruitment exercise. After reading through, they consider the qualifications specified by the candidates and compare them with the specifications they have already had. Now, the panel which comprises about ten people chaired by the human resource manager makes consultations. The importance of these consultations is to come up with the most competent set of candidates who will undergo the rigorous process of interviewing. The positions of accountants, for instance, also require that all copies of relevant academic testimonials and other attachments be made on the application form. Most of the time, this form is found online, and it is a questionnaire with a set of questions that are supposed to be answered in the most professional way possible.

After the short listing process is done, candidates, that have been shortlisted, are informed through their respective emails. The company also makes a point of contacting them through phone to invite them for the interviews. The date of the interview is usually communicated in the course of this courtesy call or through email. All requirements are usually stipulated so that candidates do not fail in this. The interviewee is usually required to report for the interview with his/her original copies of the academic testimonials. The company then takes it upon itself to prove their authenticity.

Interviews are usually arranged with the shortlisted candidates. This is the most rigorous process since it identifies the skills of the applicants as well as their fitness for hiring. An aptitude test is usually issued to all candidates. This test checks on the speed of the candidate and his/her ability to reason fast and logically. For instance, a set of questions in mathematics are issued for accountants. The candidates are given a minimum of 30 minutes to solve these questions. This test is later marked and the highest scorers increase their chances of the selection. There is also the psychometric test. This is the test on psychology and thinking which all candidates are subjected to prior to the selection. This test as we shall later see has a lot of benefits to the company, especially as it pertains to the quality of labor selected. The psychometric test also helps the interviewing panel to select the most qualified out of a set of different interviewees. The last test is usually an oral test. This test is whereby interviewees appear before the selection panel to answer questions. The given set of questions, which are asked, are expected to be answered in a manner that shows competence for the job vacancy requiring to be filled. The experts in the field of accountancy are present in the panel. These experts are well qualified and so are in a better position to assess if the candidates actually fit for the job description and if they can bring quality labor to the company. They must do this in person. This also has its advantages, which will be discussed later. 

Analysis of the Procedure

The selection process is very involving and thorough, and as such, Coca Cola has been able to soar to the highest heights due to its comparative advantage over other competing firms, even taking into account the process of selection among many others. The company is very certain about the requirements and the key competencies they are looking for. The selection process is very thorough. The process of training takes a significant amount of time to make sure the employees are equipped with the right skills that will help them fit for the job description. Training is done by the human resource department to equip the newly hired employees with the relevant skills that will see them work competitively for the best results. Training of the workers at Coca Cola also forms an integral part of motivation since such workers feel motivated to work for better results for the company. Coca Cola gives the equal opportunities to everyone and does not give any preferences over the other. As we have seen, the process of selection is procedural and not just straight forward one. 

Advantages of the Selection Procedure

The process gives way for the competent individuals to join the company. The Coca Cola Company makes the process of application open to all qualified individuals as long as they meet the selection criteria.th This gives a possibility for individuals to apply for and as such get a chance to attend the interview. After proving their competence to the interviewing panel, the individuals are given a chance to serve in the company in various capacities. In the case of accountants, that I researched, the company has managed to hire very qualified accountants. This explains the reason why the Coca Cola Company accounts books are always up to date. It is also explains why the management does not have to worry about the company going into debts or failing to be tax compliant.

The process is also fair. The selection process in Coca Cola does not give room for canvassing. It is very difficult to get a job as an accountant, for instance, if they are not qualified at it and probably because they have some political connections or blood relations with the administrators. This also gives a chance to the company to have individuals who are qualified and not just mere workers who are there by chance. Impartiality also encourages candidates to apply in future since the history of Coca Cola on employment has records of impartiality.

The process of selection also happens to be very distinct. It is different from the selection of other companies. These companies do internal advertisements only. Internal advertisements lock put so many individuals who would have otherwise had a chance to get rightfully employed because they are probably even more skilled.

The selection at Coca Cola is based on consultation. The management has to consult with the relevant departments on the selection process. The interviewing panel comprises of different individuals who consult on relevant issues regarding candidates who have applied to fill certain positions. The panel reports to the relevant department’s feedback that has high degree of accuracy since it is not a decision made by few individuals only.  Consultation also provides a forum for allowances to be made. This could be in regard to special cases. For example, there is a candidate with slurred speech in an interview but who has shown the best results during the other tasks, and this candidate does deserve to take this job. The panel advises the company accordingly on such matters. This only leaves room for quality labor and nothing short of this.

The selection panel comprises individuals who are highly trained. These are people with relevant skills on what the company is searching for. The panel for selecting accountants comprises of the finance manager together with other experts in finance. These people know where to get the fish in the lake. They therefore strike the nail on the head to extract information from the interviewee on very certain v pertinent issues.

The process of selection also is given enough time. Coca Cola does not do any form of selection while in a hurry because this may be very disastrous. The company gives a time allowance that is enough to carry out the whole procedure. This further provides the firm with a comparative advantage over other firms which rush to fill in positions only to end up with the wrong people for a certain task. This could result into a tussle and poor quality of labor.

The process of selection also boosts relations within the company. The management of the company has to consult with all relevant departmental heads that have to consult other employees in turn. This form of chain opens up communication between all these individuals.  Communication, on the other hand, boosts unity within the company since all individuals behind the selection process feel appreciated when they are consulted. This unity is translated further into the performance within the company and hence good results.

Disadvantages of the Selection Procedure

The selection process is time consuming. There are a lot of consultations in the hiring workers process of within the company. The company spends a significant proportion of time dwelling on the selection process at the expense of concentrating on improving the performance of the company.

The selection process consumes resources. The process is rigorous and it requires money. The finances are required for advertising, hiring the selection staff, communicating with the interviewees’ etcetera. This amount of money is provided by the company and is accounted for in the expenses bit under the trading profit and loss account. This reduces the profits which the company would have experienced if it had not spent that proportion on selection.

The process of selection may be subject to manipulation by the management and other senior persons in the company. This is because the entire power to hire the others is in their hands. It is easy for them to manipulate records or influence the decision of the recruitment panel regarding the appointments. Such form of manipulation leaves loopholes for the company getting into contracts with persons who are not even suitably qualified for the positions advertised. These compromise on the quality of labor which is available for the company and which is relied upon to ensure the performance.

The Information Technology Systems problems are observed in the selection process. At times, the website is usually inaccessible to persons who wish to apply for positions. This may be caused by congestion or poor infrastructure. It could also be a problem with the IT experts who maintain the site. This locks out qualified individuals from applying for. There are also those persons who do not have any access to the internet facility. They are also prevented from applying for such positions on grounds that they have not accessed the facility. This makes the process unfair to such parties.

Ethical Issues

Some of the ethical issues that can be seen from the recruitment process at Coca Cola are corruption. The senior management may use their powers badly. The process of selection may be subject to manipulation by the management and other senior persons in the company. It is they who have the power to hire workers. They can change records or influence the decision of the recruitment panel. All these things done can have a rather bad impact on the company.Another ethical issue is the failure by the company to give enough time to applicants to familiarize with adverts. Sometimes the time frame given does not allow the applicants to be fairly assessed on their suitability. This loophole may deny the company a chance to hire candidates who are more qualified for the tasks advertised. The interviewing process also exerts too much pressure on the interviewee. Such employees may fail to respond appropriately especially if they are the types who are not so confident. Such case tends to compromise on the quality of labor that is hired by the company.

Recommendations

I recommend that the company adopts more methods of advertising to reach a wider coverage of people. Coca Cola may take advantage of social networks such as Twitter and Face Book to advertise vacant positions. This will provide a chance for more people to apply for the positions, and the positions will be occupied by people who are competent enough. These people will prove more useful to the company, and in days to come, the profits of the company will increase significantly.

The company may also use teleconferencing for interviews. It also gives a chance for people from different places and countries to apply for the positions. This will be so much unlike the face to face type of interviews that is currently in use.

The company should conserve its resources through cheaper methods of advertising such as the use of social networks. This is because the major intention of Coca Cola is to maximize profits. As such, it is important that the company becomes economical in its spending on advertisements for people to apply for jobs. The company is likely to realize higher profit margins.

The website should be regularly checked to avoid inconveniences such as those caused by congestion. If possible, the site should be improved to allow many people to access it freely. This will make it a more reliable means of communication between the company and the candidates. The advantages of this are far extensive. They include more widespread marketing of the company through the website.

The selection process should be carried out by an outside consultancy firm. This may be done by the company providing details of what it wants to the consultancy firm that will then advertise and recruit on behalf of the company. This is not only a cheaper method but is also a method that will help to avoid the manipulation of the selection panel by the management and other senior staff of the company. This form of manipulation denies Coca Cola a chance to have very qualified individuals. These are people whose invaluable skills, expertise, and experience could bring very high profits into the Coca Cola company.

The management of the company should also ensure that there is enough research on the needs of the company due to changing times. Today, the effects of globalization are observed everywhere in the world. It is very significant that all companies which are aiming to recruit new workers would conduct extensive research prior to the process. This will ensure that the quality of labor gained in the selection process is worthwhile and will bring progress and profit to the company. The researches should be funded well, and qualified researchers must be engaged into.

The company should improve its facility for training. Workers should be given time to advance their studies. The company should also increase in-house training and workshops for its workers. The well trained workers do run company very efficiently. They also should be motivated to work for better results. 

The Job Description

The job description refers to the specifications that the employer usually searches for. The content must be delivered by the employee if selected. The Coca Cola Company has come up with very efficient methods of laying down the job description. I focused on recruitment for accountants and found out that for this to happen the following factors are considered:

Keen observation. The accounting department makes very keen observations regarding the requirements of the company as far as staffing is concerned. If a position arises, the first person to note this should be the head of the accounting department who then reports this to the human resource manager. Observation is a job description that comes in since it determines what needs to be done. If it is observed that there are problems with reconciliation of statements owing to understaffing, then a job description of an accountant, who is competent in reconciliation of financial statements, steps in. If by the observation, there is a problem in the valuation of assets, an accountant who is competent in verification and valuation of assets is sought. This is the job description ( Kline, 1998).

The company also comes up with the job description through dependence on experience. This is especially if the position is filled as gone vacant due to death or insanity of the person or because of a promotion or a resignation. The company relies on the previous job description to have a perfect replacement for such a person. It is expected that the candidates possess such competencies as their predecessor.

The requirements of the company also dictate the job description. If the company wants to spend less, it calls for people who are young and devoid of experience since they will be demand a less payment. The company may also require staff such as guards and necessitate that the job description includes the sex of the applicants. In the case of accountants, the needs of the company will determine what to include in the requirements section.

Trends in globalization have also affected the job description for Coca Cola. Such new trends, as computing, for instance, have ended up including the computer literacy in almost all its job descriptions.  The candidates cannot become employed as an accountant within the company if they are not computer literate (Dale, 2006).

The knowledge of operations of the company is included in the job description. An interviewee must prove to the interviewing panel that they know the Coca Cola Company well and have not a difficult time trying to adapt to the new system. It is therefore upon the employees to go and research on matters that are relevant and which pertain to the company for the best results; otherwise, they fail the interview. Academic qualifications are a part of the job description. Most of the positions in Coca Cola are only up for grabs by graduates and nothing short of that. This has helped to improve the quality of labor over the years.

The experience specifications are given much attention to. Management positions, as well as other senior positions, require persons with experience which varies. The company researches on the amount of experience required and makes this known to all potential candidates. Those who do not meet the minimum number of years mentioned are usually locked out. They are not fit for the job (Griffin, 2007).

The Use of Psychometrics

The Coca Cola Company also uses psychometrics in its recruitment exercise. The advantages of this are diverse since the company is able to achieve the best quality labor after the recruitment. The use of psychometrics is an emerging trend in most companies, not just Coca Cola. It has taken advantage of the modern rise to have the best quality work force. 

The Advantages of Using Psychometrics

The process helps in finding out who is the best. This is very crucial for the company since it wants to select the best qualified out of the many candidates who turn up for the recruitment exercise. The best candidate in this case implies that they are not only endowed with the academic qualifications and expertise but also have the ability to reason and think logically.

Psychometrics also helps in the assessment of personality. Personality refers to the character of an individual. Through psychometrics, it is possible to assess, for instance, if a character is honest. This is through the administration of a set of questions which help the interviewing panel to come with a conclusion regarding the character of these individuals. It is also possible to assess the self-confidence of an individual. Self-confidence determines a lot what an individual is capable of achieving in the work place. If an individual is not confident, he/she may not produce the results that are desired by the company (Rust, 1999).

Behavioral traits of an employee may also be assessed in the process of administering a psychometric test. Traits of behavior include such things as confidence and whether or not an employee is shy. Behavior determines how an individual will be able to interact with his/her workmates and as such, determines largely the future of the company.

 The test may also asses how fast the interviewee is in making decisions. Coca Cola is an international company which deals in beverages. It has the intention to maximize profits at heart any time decisions are made. It is important that decisions be made fast when it warrants so. Failure to do this may lead to problems in the corporate policies implementation. As such, the company may not be able to survive the stiff competition from competitors. Whenever selection done, the candidates must prove the interviewing panel that they are able to make decisions fast enough whenever it so necessitates. The psychometric test helps to separate the grain from the chuff. The candidates with exemplary skills in decision making are selected.

The psychometric test enables the company to get additional information. This is information that the company obtains form the interviewee without his/her knowledge. It is, for instance, easy to identify a candidate who is short-tempered. This kind of individual may not be able to work for Coca Cola in the capacity of an accountant since this job is very demanding. It requires individuals who are skilled enough in stress management. An employee with a higher temper is also likely to get into conflicts most of the time with his/her fellow employees. These results into time wastage as solutions for wrangles are sought (Dale, 2004).

The psychometric test is important since it defines relationships in the company. The selection panel is able to assess the skills of a candidate in diplomacy as well as his or her level of patience using the psychometric test. The fact that a candidate lacks these qualities sounds a warning prior to the company that the relationship between employees could be threatened if such an individual is hired. The selection panel can then take precaution by failing to hire such an individual. Instead, a different employee with relevant skills in the human relation procedures will be hired. He or she will bring unity to the company and as such, the company’s growth becomes a guarantee.

Comparison of behavior is also done in the process. This ensures that the better of two individuals is chosen. It also helps the company to avoid ending up with employees who will ruin the performance of the company. The process of comparing behavior between individuals increases the success rate of the interview. The company spends a significant amount of its resources doing advertisements to hire the best quality staff. It cannot be logical for the company to end up hiring individuals who do not bring progress to the company. This would be very unfortunate (Hill, 2002).

The psychometric test also gives confidence to the company in way of the quality of labor hired. The managers of Coca Cola are confident about the completion of the hiring process that those who have been hired are competent enough and have the skill to take the company to greater levels. This confidence translates into the better performance for the company. 

Psychometrics helps in the prediction of working habits. It is very possible for Coca Cola after every selection process to predict the working habits that will follow the process of selection. The company managers require this information to know what exactly to expect from the employees. This protects against the cases of expecting too much from the employees, yet they might not be in a position to deliver this (Miller, Vandome, & McBrewster, 2009). 

Conclusion

The Coca Cola Company engages in the very thorough selection process. For the department of Accounting which I have researched about, the process is given time to yield the best results. The candidates are taken through a rigorous process of interviewing before being selected. After being selected, the candidates are taken through a process in which they are trained. This equips them with the relevant skills to fit for Coca Cola in their various capacities.

The ability of Coca Cola to beat other companies relies heavily on its team of professionals. The management led by the CEO has tried over the years to protect the interests of all the stakeholders by ensuring that the process of recruitment is very transparent. This transparency brings a lot of impartiality to the whole process, and the employees can be entrusted with a variety of roles. Coca Cola is a multinational company with a going concern motive. It should be able to achieve a lot in the long run.