What it does: Manufactures, markets, and distributes snack foods and beverages.
Best known for: Known for popular beverage brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mirinda, 7UP soft drinks, ready-to-drink Lipton teas, Gatorade sports drink, and Aquafina hydration drinks.
Staff stats: Around 1,000 employees.
The good bits: Plenty of room for career advancement. Salary and benefits are reportedly above-average in the industry.
The not-so-good bits: Long work hours especially during national holidays.
In 2017, leading Japanese-based brewing and distilling company Suntory Beverage & Food Limited forged an alliance with food and beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. to form Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Company Limited (SPBT). The partnership combines the resources of both global corporations with the aim to attain the top spot in Thailand’s 50-billion baht carbonated soft drink (CSD) market, where it ranks third behind multinational rival Coca-Cola and local company Est Cola.
With funds close to 20 billion baht, SPBT operates two manufacturing facilities in the country. One is the 16-hectare plant in Amata City Industrial Estate in the Rayong province whilst the other is the 17-hectare plant in Nong Khae Industrial Estate in the Saraburi province. The alliance continues to distribute its wide range of products through global logistics firm and warehousing partner DHL. It also collaborates with 24 local distribution partners with a reach of almost 500,000 wholesalers, retailers, and grocery stores across the country.
The quickest way for graduates to apply is by submitting their profile online. Successful candidates can expect to be contacted within two months.
After the assessment, the organisation offers candidates three types of interview during the hiring period. Depending on the position and location, the company invites candidates for a telephone interview, Webcam interview, or in-person interview. They can expect at least two interviews, which could be a panel or a one-on-one.
During the interview, among the important questions that the interviewer asks are the details of the candidates’ academic and professional accomplishments related to leadership skills. They should expect questions such as:
It’s also important for the candidates to familiarise themselves with the company’s products, competitors, the business landscape in which it operates, and the challenges it faces.
A week after the interview, the company informs candidates through telephone or an in-person interview about whether they are selected or not. Once they accept an offer at the company, the successful applicants receive additional details about the position.
For graduates, the positions available and the reported monthly salaries are (in baht): management trainee 16,500-22,000; office clerk 17,000-22,000; accounting assistant 20,000-26,000; administrative assistant 21,000-28,000; business analyst 30,000-34,000; human resources specialist 24,000-32,000; sales coordinator 22,000-36,000; customer service representative 19,000-25,000 .
The company is reported to prioritise work-life quality as it offers their employees broad remuneration benefits including comprehensive insurances, paid vacation leaves, training, and pension plans.
SPBT offers the Suntory PepsiCo Management Trainee Programme, which provides talented employees long-term career progression into the management team. They undergo three phases of intensive training and development through the Core Management Trainee, Individual Development, and Leadership Development programmes. The training lasts for three years and at the end of the programme, management trainees will be able to take managerial positions in HR, marketing, finance, sales, and operations.
The programme is open to all graduates with any bachelor degree. From the start, employees get to decide their career path in management. The company provides participants with functional, soft-skill, and on-the-job training sessions to sharpen their general business knowledge in preparation for managerial positions.
The company said that the Management Trainee Program is designed to provide training opportunities to develop the employees’ functional skills and leadership skills through on-the-job training (70%), coaching (20%), and formal training (10%).
The work environment is described by employees as dynamic and fast-paced. The organisation is said to have a diverse workforce and a culture in which employees are encouraged to express their opinion about work conditions and management style. Despite the work challenges, employees tend to be friendly and cooperate with each other to achieve their department’s daily tasks and goals.
In 2019, SPBT collaborated with Raks Thai Foundation to carry out water education projects for school children and watershed conservation. This partnership was seen to help rehabilitate and preserve Thailand’s forest, educate faculty members on water conservation, and raise awareness among students on the importance of water resources.
SPBT is a productivity-driven organisation which results in a competitive work environment. New employees who want to make their mark can find this challenging since there are new things to learn and problems to solve. The high volume of work may translate to fatigue and low morale in the long run.