"People": Key Factor to the Growth of World Kitchen

To drive a business enterprise on the path to future growth, several factors including capital and technology are needed. However "human resource" is the most crucial factor for the corporation to realize its ultimate goal. With this awareness in mind, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF), the leading agroindustrial and food processing company, in cooperation with various universities under CPF Future Career project, has actively recruited new staff members to cope with the company's rapid growth.

Mr. Parisotat Punnabhum, Senior Vice President of HR Management, CPF, said business in Thailand in every sector had been expanding, thus, forcing all the companies to compete with each other on the recruitment of new staff member. The expansion of CPF to the world market under the "World Kitchen" vision is another factor prompting the company to recruit new staff to cater to the business expansion. The training of new personnel generation and put them into the CPF melting pot will have to be done timely so that they will be ready for the work ontime.

"On the recruitment of new graduates, the company had launched the CPF Future Career project at the campus of national leading universities i.e. Khon Kaen University, Chiang Mai University, Prince of Songkla University. The activity under the project is not only the campus recruitment of potential fourth year students but also the providing of knowledge to prepare the students for the future working life. Company's high ranking executives are scheduled to lecture the students on the work, career path, staff benefits and development program as well as all the essential information for the students in making decision on joining the company or other labor market."

CPF Future Career project was launched for the first time in 2010. It is the twoday program—the first day is for the providing of knowledge and the second day for the job interview. The project is successful and expected to be carried on every year.

In addition, CPF has joined with various universities on the launch of workbased learning program and cooperative education to enhance the ability of students on work engagement. Under the programs, students will be exposed to the work and real working environment, enhancing them on the ability to adapt to the new environment and gaining new skill.

Mr.Bancha Phrapol, Assistant President for General Affairs, Khon Kaen University indicated that more than half of the approximately 8,000 students graduated from the university each year are secured on job with the campus recruitment by private sector.

Mr. Parisotat said he agreed with the idea of KKU as the ideal staff for CPF had to be smart on three frontswork, people and business. On the recruitment of potential staff, CPF will look at GPA on average, academic accomplishment as to meet the criteria on smart in work and the participation in extracurricular activity to meet the criteria on smart in people as the extracurricular activity will help the participated student to gain insight into different cultures and people management. In the future when these staff members are promoted into the higher position at executive level, the company will provide them with the development program to help them being smart on business.