When brought up in a conversation, Hershey is often portrayed as a delicatessen of pure ecstasy. Who would be lucky enough to work in a company that creates bite-sized pieces of heaven to us to enjoy? Yet, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t want to be a worker of the corporation responsible for the creation in items such as the Hershey’s Kiss, Hershey bar, Recese’s pieces, and many other classics. Why? If I was so lucky enough as to work there, I would go through the different phases one must face when employed by their favorite food manufacture.
The ‘Honeymoon’ phase would consist of me loving anything and everything about the company. Such as the free samples the employees get of the latest products, the potentially incredible bragging rights, and everything else that comes with working at a new job at none-other than Hersheys! But unfortunately, this phase may only last around three to six months. After that, I would transition to the next phase.
That next phase is known as the ‘Commitment’ phase. As it’s name entails, my fervor for working at the company has passed. By this time I am having trouble waking up, going into work, and doing the same thing as the day before, and before that. The only reason why I am still there is because it took me that long to find that job. This phase is indefinite and could last as long as a couple years. We all know that one person who is has yet to moving past this stage.
If I am lucky enough to have passed the commitment phase, then I may be in luck. If at this point I am sitting in that corner office on the very top floor that everyone dreams of working out of but a few actually do, then I must have done something right to get there. Chances are that I have not, if that’s the case ill be moving on to the last and most depressing phase; The ‘Avoidance’ phase. By this time my employees already know that I loathe them, the company, and anything chocolate. When I go to a party, and most if I happen to be at this phase I’m easily irritated and the host tries to give me some “fancy foreign chocolate”, the chocolate would end up thrown on the ground, the room would be still, and I would have had a mental breakdown and most likely be huddled in a corner sobbing.
While these are not applicable to all employees that are employed by their favorite food companies, I strongly suggest that if you are dying to work with that company to stick to doing contract work. That way you never venture outside of the Honeymoon phase, and still have your sanity.
If you still insist on working in an environment where you are surrounded by that food that makes your mouth water and knees buckle,and that food happens to be that rich milk chocolate, then the following career path into Hershey’s corporate ladder.
As an entry level worker, many of your responsibilities would include building the chocolate displays at venues for events, malls, or any other public area. When selling those envious chocolates, you must stick to the Retail Execution Plan. While still an important part of the organization, these workers have little say in the functions of the company. Although suggestions are welcomed in Hershey.
If a promotion comes your way and you become a department manager, then your responsibilities are exponentially increased. Now you are in charge of the people who are doing the job that you started out doing. They would report to you on their actions, and you would relay those reports to the higher ups above yourself. There are many different departments that would have these type of positions, such as warehousing, financial, product development, and so on. These positions are crucial to a company to act as a funnel for all the lower workers. By doing this, the top-level managers are able to efficiently sort through all the data they receive and make decisions that would be beneficial to the company.
The corporate elite are in charge of all the top managerial tasks. Whether it’s deciding which product to ultimately release next, which ones to keep, or if the company is going on a downward financial trend. These positions are the ones that are also attacked if something goes wrong. They must know what is going on within their jurisdiction, and to act accordingly. In a large scale company such as Hershey, this can be a daunting task to do where any slip up could cost the job, or millions of dollars. While holding this position of power may seem like a task that not for the weak of heart, they are also essential to a companies success.
If the trend has not become apparent, all levels of the company are important for its success in today’s competitive market space. Each must work together like a finely tuned clock where each gear must fit for everything to go smoothly. They each have their benefits that the other lacks, but with those benefits comes a high risk of failure. The opportunities at Hershey’s allows for everyone to work to provide life-enriching chocolates for the consumers of all types to enjoy. Whether you reach all three phases or just stick around on the first one, the job will leave you with many stories to share at a social gathering. And if you don’t feel the need to work for them, at least enjoy a creamy chocolate bar and enjoy 100+ years of innovation, you’ll be happy you did.
