Ideas create leaders

Imagine being able to leave yourself a message at the very start of your career – a piece of advice that will remind you in the future of the expectations you had when you first stepped into the professional world. A reminder of why you love your job, what drives you, and what dreams you had back then. That is exactly what the interns of last year’s Coke Summership program did – they sent a message to their future selves, sealed in a Coca-Cola bottle with a QR code, with the idea of scanning it and listening to their own advice in 2031. And this is just one of the many campaigns that Coca-Cola HBC in Serbia has launched to build authenticity in its approach to future co-workers, while at the same time developing an employer branding strategy that leaves a concrete footprint. Although the bottle-opening ceremony for the 12th generation of “Coke Summership” interns is planned in just under seven years, Sonja Grčić, Employer Brand Manager, is already enthusiastic to welcome the new, 13th generation of participants, confident that they too will bring ideas that even more seasoned employees can learn from.

How do you see the role of the HR sector in empowering future leaders, and what does the synergy between strategic and operational goals look like?

In our company, the HR department is called the People & Culture team, and more and more often do I see this transformation in other companies as well. I believe this name much more broadly and clearly reflects what human resources are meant to represent in a modern organization. People and culture are the two pillars on which we build everything – from business goals to interpersonal relationships.

The People & Culture team plays a key role in shaping leadership, recognizing potential, and building an organizational culture that fosters development, trust, and a sense of belonging.

Through collaboration with co-workers, we have the opportunity to identify future leaders at a very early stage. Our role is to guide them, but also to learn from them. Leadership today is not hierarchical but participative, and it is reflected in everything we do.

We offer a diverse internal program of education and mentorship – not only during the internship period but also throughout the years of working within the company. And we also provide support in finding opportunities where everyone can leave their own legacy. A strong employer brand is not created by the HR or organizational culture team alone – it is built across the entire organization.

You can read more about the Coke Summership program, which has welcomed over 300 students to date, with 85 continuing their careers within the company, as well as the “Message in a Coke” campaign, which received widespread recognition and public acclaim, including the KAKTUS 2024 award for Best Internal Communication Campaign, in the interview published in Bizlife magazine.