Hershey

Milton S. Hershey and the Creation of Hershey

Milton S. Hershey had the brilliant idea to create a firm called Hershey in 1894 as a result of his love for creating delectable delights for people. His caramel business served as the catalyst for the development of the chocolate brand, which was introduced to the market in the late 1900s. Currently, it ranks among America's biggest manufacturers of chocolate and sweets. The company's main office is in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Over 60 nations around the world are where it offers its products. As part of Milton Hershey's legacy, the corporation has helped fund his school for underprivileged kids (Hoover's Handbook of American Business, 2007).

Hershey's Training Programs

The company offers training to all employees and contractors who deal with the public or act on behalf of the Hershey organization. These people range from salespersons, vendors, and other marketing agents from third parties. It also offers extra training on transportation, safety, and child labor laws to enhance corporate social responsibility. The trainings are carried out through the in-seat format by its partners namely Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board. The board is mandated to offer apprenticeship programs which help in upgrading skills in the existing workforce and in training newbies. The company has trained Hershey employees in: material handling, molding operation, chocolate operation, and packers. This is a customized training conducted according to Hershey's needs (Jex et al. 2008).

Hershey's Organizing and Conducting of Meetings

Hershey organizes and conducts meetings both online and in-seat. In relation to online meetings, the company has up-to-date pricey software systems that allow it to conduct virtual meetings when necessary. These modern equipments allow it to easily reach its employees no matter the location, hence expanding the chunk of ideas and gaining valuable input from all areas including remote team members. Due to its huge coverage worldwide, the company has ensured that it has the right web conferencing application such as WebEx Meeting Center, Ready Talk, and Team Viewer among others to allow efficient and effective communication worldwide. It has various designated meeting venues and it sends relevant material for meetings earlier prior to the meeting date to allow (Durai 2010).Like most of the companies elsewhere, Hershey also conducts in-seat meetings. The company uses these sessions for brainstorming, sharing ideas and information. The company communicates on the meeting's purpose and attendees through all internal communication channels such as website, email, and others. Here the meeting venue is also communicated. Relevant meeting materials are channeled to relevant personnel for personal knowledge enhancement prior to the set date of the meeting. Longer meetings usually have periodical breaks to reduce exhaustion and burnout. Usually, there are no channels of communication through phones or pagers in and out of the meeting except for emergency cases (Clark et al. 2014). The company's meetings observe the following:- Its policy disallows any form of electronic communication other than the one designated for the meeting.
- The company respects all opinions from all its members during its meetings.
- Its attendees have the right to evaluate the meeting through a round robin or open discussion formulae.
- The policy dictates rotation of facilitators when meetings have to be regularly scheduled.
- The company encourages collaborative problem solving which enhances team unity and spirit for the common good of the organization.
- Every member of the meeting team is given enough time to present views without interruption allowing input from every.

Hershey's Promotion Policy

According to Hoover's handbook of American business, Hershey's promotion policy evaluates:Policy statement
According to Hershey, its goal on promotion policy is ensuring that maximum opportunities within the company are consistent to the ability of the organization to achieve equal opportunity to all employees and applicable contractual agreements.An opportunity for promotion arises when filling an existing higher rank or position by a promotable employee from the lower ranks. Reclassification avails positions to be filled which comes up due to an employee performing duties that are far above his/her rank.The criteria the company has put in place when considering the company employees qualification for promotion must be fair and unbiased while ensuring that all employment policy requirements are met by the employees. The promotion should be fair putting aside age factor, sex, race, color, nationality, or disability.Intent of Promotion
Hershey has adopted a number of policies to encourage the advancement of all its employees. This policy allows an upward advancement of its employees and motivates new entrants to work harder to achieve greater personnel development.This policy is based on the recognition that during the course of achieving the organization's set goals, duties, and functions performed by an employee change, requiring more attributes and efforts.Eligibility
All members below the top management are reviewed periodically for eligibility for promotion. The promotions are based on performance rather than time-in-rank. Performance criteria for all the ranks are described according to each department of the organization. The performance evaluation is executed through a standardized format for reporting activities and accomplishments known as a dossier. The dossier reviews are conducted independently by departmental heads and administrators. The reviews take place annually with fixed deadlines, and then promotions have a fixed day of commencement.The promotions observe a number of factors: research and service, excellence in key areas based on a worker's effort allocation. As the rank rises, performance expectations also increase whereby a worker is expected to achieve a growing mastery and independence in one's field. Growing reputation and professional leadership including outside the Hershey Company.The company also takes into account accessibility needs of an employee with disability and also individual accommodation when conducting performance management, providing career development and advancement to employee and redeploying employees.

Hiring and Retirement Process

The company evaluates its operations to view whether there are vacant positions to be filled. Sometimes a person can be considered for up to two positions at any time. Most of these advertisements last for a duration ranging from seven days to a month. They ensure that every application must meet the set requirements or qualification. They age set must also be met. The company employs people above the age of 18 years (Tatar 2011).The company first notifies its employees and then the public about the availability of opportunities for application by both physically fit and those with disabilities. The suitable job applicants are notified when they have been individually selected to participate in a further assessment for the positions to be filled in relation to the material or processes to be used. In case there is a disabled applicant requesting for accommodation, the company will take into account the applicant's accessibility needs due to the disability factor (WetFeet 2008).The company has set up a defined benefit retirement plan for its employees where its retirees are provided with a predetermined monthly benefit upon reaching the normal retirement age. The company has also come up with a range of independent retirement living communities to benefit its retirees. This range from the Meadows to its Plaza Apartments (Tatar 2011).

Hershey's Use of Trending Technology

Any organization that doesn't keep up with the current trends is likely to close shop or face a lag in long-term stability and growth. The number of internet users is growing, and it is already booming. The internet shows aspects such as market trends, new machinery, and instruments to make its business successful at the same time efficient. Keeping up with the latest technologies improves the product and services offered to customers. The latest trends aid a business to add value to its services (WetFeet 2008).Hershey has done the following to keep up with trends of the inescapable technology:- The company has incorporated highly automated kits to enhance its rate of chocolate production on a large scale.
- It has incorporated new IT systems, which include highly automated real-time diagnostics systems.
- New high-speed production lines.
- The company has also invested greatly logistics, employee facilities.
- Adaptation of computer-controlled manufacturing processes.According to Clarke et al. (2014), the organization is also thinking of:- Modernizing and upgrading Hershey global supply chain and ensure a competitive cost structure.
- Developing a fictitious grocery chain known as Medley. Medley's goal is to get the organization's retail partners think about shopper trends, tech disruptions, and how the experimental store would look like in the future. This could shape the future of brick and mortar retailers.
- The organization has also put in place store-in-a-store displays to allow convenience effectiveness to consumers.
- The company has expanded its social programs globally to gain insights in relation to snacking and flavor insights. This enables the business the opportunity to learn about the key markets important to the business.
- The company has partnered with Smart Label to enable customers to scan product QR codes, which give them the ability to know all the information of the product and its authenticity.
- The company has partnered with AAK from Sweden to install some of the up-to-date technologies to enable it to develop chocolate and its products to lower trans-fat content.
- The company has also aided Hershey in developing a chocolate shaker which enables evacuation of air bubbles in the chocolate molding process. It has the ability to shake from both horizontal and vertical positions making it more special.
- The company's new firm has a state-of-the-art technology that ensures zero waste to landfill. The company has also immersed itself in virtual reality as it allows customers to immerse themselves in the experience of owning a product before they buy one. The company has allowed mobile payment to enhance easier paying for products by customers through mobile phones and other gadgets, making the process more seamless (Jex et al. 2008).

Hershey's Policies on Mobile and Computer Devices

The company has a known policy addressing security and usage of mobile and computer services. In relation to computers, every employer is given access to the IT systems which are controlled by the use of personal IDs, passwords, and tokens. Every user has a uniquely assigned passcode or password to his/her name. This makes every individual accountable for his actions (Durai 2010). Every employee must not:- Allow anyone else to use their ID. They are also not supposed to use any other user's ID.
- Leave their user accounts logged on in an unlocked computer.
- Transfer company data to any person outside the company without authority.On usage of the internet, every individual is accountable for their actions on the internet or the email systems. Employees are not allowed to use the internet for:- Harassment or abuse.
- Personal gains or in conducting personal business.
- Accessing information considered offensive either through download, sending, or receiving.In the book 'Human resource management,' Durai states that "The company strictly encourages its employees to secure personal or confidential business information. It also encourages their personnel to lock the screen with a password when unattended. They should ensure that they don't leave confidential material on photocopier or printer machines. Individuals are not encouraged to use voice for conducting private company business" (p.131).They are also not supposed to threaten anybody internally or externally. When one's contract has been terminated, they are obliged to return all company devices which include smartphones, telephones, and laptops. The company recognizes that cell phones have become an integral part of our everyday life. However, excessive or imprudent use can cause problems. The company does not allow mobile phones at its workplace, especially those who work in its plants. This is because the devices can:- Disturb colleagues.
- Get one distracted from the workplace.
- Cause accidents in areas where their use is prohibited.However, the company allows the cell phone use in set sites for a few minutes a day. It also allows company-issued cell phones for business purposes only, which should be preserved in perfect condition. No employee is allowed to play games using cell phones during working hours. There is no use of company cell phones while driving company vehicles (Jex et al. 2008).

Observation

The company's long legacy was started by Milton Hershey, whose aim was to support disadvantaged children. However, the company practices minimal promotions within its ranks. This observation resonates from their tendency to hire a very small number of outside and low qualities of training the current employees. Lately, the company has prioritized an increase in retained earnings over customers who should be considered king. The company has also done outsourcing of some of its activities, curbing employment levels.

Conclusion

The company should invest more in cost-cutting measures, and it should also shed off the red tape to allow innovation through greater training of employees. Customers should be its priority, at the same time maintaining the objectives of the founder.

Reference

Clark, J. L., & Clark, L. (2014). HOW 13: A handbook for office professionals.

Durai, P. (2010). Human resource management. Chennai: Pearson.

Hoover’s handbook of American business 2007. (2008). Austin, Tex: Hoovers, Inc.

Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2008). Organizational psychology: A scientist-practitioner approach. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Pg162.

Tatar, J. (2011). Safe 4 Retirement: The Four Keys to a Safe Retirement. Cork: BookBaby.

WetFeet. (2008). Careers in consumer products. San Francisco, CA: WetFeet.