Development for human capital
Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola conduct regular training and development for their employees. Training and development programmes for employees in these organisations aim to instil knowledge, skills and attitudes required for the job and promoting organisational culture.
Given the ongoing changes in the labour market, it is recommended that Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola should constantly review their training and development programmes to match shifts in the labour market and industry changes. Moreover, competition among companies and growing business needs imply that employees require increased skills in business, technical aspects and leadership (The Coca-Cola Company 1).
The companies have adopted unique on-boarding processes to meet their new hires’ requirements. All companies’ on-boarding processes are planned, multifaceted approaches, formal orientation programmes are implemented and on-boarding plans are used to guide the process throughout the period. At Coca Cola, for instance, there is a well-structured plan for new hires for “daily self-study, on-the-job learning, peer coaching, reflection, and weekly manager assessments” (Fritz, Kaestner and Bergmann 15).
The plan is designed to facilitate learning for new hires. Conversely, Pepsi Cola has developed standards for on-boarding processes for new hires to reduce turnover, enhance new hires’ engagement and productivity. Overall, on-boarding processes for both companies involve coaching and evaluation to understand how training is translated into actual work performance.
Training and development topics for Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola include different topics. Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola training topics aim to equip employees with technical, management, risk management, finance, and leadership skills among others. In addition, both companies have global presence and on this note, Coca Cola focuses on “leadership; marketing; human rights; ethics and compliance; diversity; sustainability; finance; and other competencies” (The Coca-Cola Company 1).
Training is delivered to new hires based on their respective positions and roles. However, specific training on leadership targets senior level managers and top-level executives. Management training targets managers at various levels and business units, including sales, design, customer service and marketing among others.
Training methods include coaching, conferences, workshops, seminars, guided discussion, storytelling and on-the-job training among others (Mathis and Jackson 236). Both companies expect their employees to acquire leadership, business and technical skills through these training methods.
Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola measure transfer of learning to determine effectiveness of their training and development programmes on employees. The companies provide pre-tests and post-tests to determine changes in employees after training. Kirkpatrick’s model is also used to evaluate trainees’ reaction to training, learning outcomes, changes in job behaviours and performance and results of human resource development initiatives based on return on investment (ROI) and contributions among others (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick 56). They give their reactions to training methods, materials and contents. Learning evaluations involve reviewing how trainees have acquired information, techniques and concepts of training. Behaviour evaluations show behaviour changes and attitudes towards the job.
Training is relevance to needs of new hires and employees because they aim to provide skills, knowledge and attitudes required for jobs and to benefit the company, new hires and customers (Fritz et al. 15). In fact, both companies have scheduled their training programmes to cover for identified knowledge gaps.
Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola use internship and mentor programmes to nurture their employees. Senior executives and managers have been instrumental in these roles. Moreover, employees understand and are aware that promotions are based on merits and there is a clear ladder for promotions.
Works Cited
Fritz, Kelly, Mark Kaestner and Marshall Bergmann. “Coca-Cola Enterprises invests in on-boarding at the front lines to benefit the bottom line.” Global Business and Organizational Excellence 29.4 (2010): 15–22. Print.
Kirkpatrick, Donald L and James D. Kirkpatrick. Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006. Print.
Mathis, L. Robert and H. John Jackson. Human Resource Management. 13th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
The Coca-Cola Company. Associate Training. 2012. Web.