pladis - Innovation in Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice

Company: pladis (Turkey), Istanbul, Turkey
Company Description: pladis is one of the world’s leading snacking companies. We are the proud steward of over 300 years of family baking and confectionery experience, and home to the some of world’s most loved snacking brands, including McVitie’s, Ulker and GODIVA.
Nomination Category: Human Resources Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Award for Innovation in Human Resources Management, Planning & Practice - Other Service Industries

Nomination Title: The Commercial Talent Program

Overview:

Commercial Talent Projectis a sales recruitment and talent acquisition program created to bring talents who aim a career in sales and commercial marketing in particular topladis; its process of attracting talent and comprehensive development journey is designed to be fully integrated into the digital system.

While In 2020, the pandemic that affected the world, many companies including global ones suspended their internship and talent programs;pladis designed Commercial Talent Program within the scope of pladis high-performance culture aiming

-To acquire young talents aiming a career in sales and commercial marketing
-To increasing employer brand awareness and preferability among university students and newly-graduates
-To develop visionary, high potential, strong Commercial Leaders of pladis

Targeted People:
Recently graduated young talents who want to direct their career in the FMCG industry in sales or commercial marketing

Program Structure and Difference From Similar:
Unlike similar sales recruitment programs, the Commercial Talent Program is not only a selection process that will attract the most suitable talents to the company, but also offers an advanced post-recruitment development and rotation opportunity.

After a detailed selection and recruitment process, candidates who are entitled to work as Commercial Talents are subjected to the "Commercial Talent Program" for 18 months. This program includes trainings, coaching and mentoring studies, project studies, digital resources and rotation opportunities in different departments to train candidates as future sales leaders.

Commercial Talents are positioned as a strategic position within the organization from day one and take part in critical business projects. In this way, the commercial talent program is not only a recruitment project, but also provides benefits to the company in terms of business development and process improvement.

Program Steps:
A- Selection and Recruitment Process

After the applications are collected, the candidates are subjected to a multi-stage evaluation process.
-Criteria elimination
-Cognitive Assessment Test
-English Proficiency Test
-Group Case Studies
-Shortlisted candidates are determined after Personal Online Interviews.
-By applying a personality test to shortlisted candidates, candidates to recruit be offered a job.

B- Development Process
Commercial Talents recruited are subjected to a blended training with a development program and supportive development tools.
Many different development tools are used in the process.

Some of the highlights of the program are also mentioned below:

-The program starts with an orientation program with the participation of the company CEO, senior executives and leaders. In this orientation program, the company, its vision, strategy and business units are introduced in detail. Talents meet with the top managers.
-During the program, Commercial Talents also start to work as the staff of the departments found most suitable for them. In this way, they also find the opportunity to apply what they have learned to work.
-All talents work in 6 different departments for certain periods on a rotation basis during the 18-month program. (Horizon traditional sales channel, Pasifik modern sales channel, marketing, trade marketing, procurement and supply chain) In this way, they return to their departments by mastering the operation of all units that touch sales. They gain different points of view.
-Throughout the program, participants receive training on many different subjects, much more than diction, project management, finance management, and neuromarketing.
-Coaching, mentoring and buddy programs are run to support the development of talents throughout the program.
-Commercial talents are assigned to projects included in the corporate strategic priorities. In this way, they take an active role in developing business.

Results and Accomplishments:
Commercial Talent Program;
Made a measurable contribution to pladis,
-Bringing qualified human resources to the company at low cost
-Bringing external customer view and perspective to the processes in business areas
-Increasing cooperation between units and getting to know different units better
-Results that will positively affect business results in strategic company projects.