Adapting to new trends and employee needs is key to the success of any modern organization. For many years, Coca-Cola HBC Croatia has been leading the market not only through product innovation, but also through advanced HR practices that continuously raise industry standards. At the head of the human resources department is Ida Hohnjec, a director whose team is responsible for numerous transformations in the approach to employee development and organizational culture. Under her leadership, the HR team continues to develop a system that fosters innovation and enables professional development and employee well-being.
Coca-Cola HBC Croatia has proudly held the Employer Partner certificate for nearly two decades, and has also earned the prestigious Above and Beyond and Equal Pay Champion certificates, thereby confirming its commitment to the highest HR standards and workplace equality.
In this interview, Ida Hohnjec reveals which HR practices were once standard but are no longer sustainable today, how the role of HR has changed over the past 20 years, and how certifications such as Employer Partner and Above and Beyond contribute to the strategic role of HR within the company. She will also share the secret behind her team’s success in managing change and maintaining high standards, despite the challenges of modern business.
What has changed in HR over the past 20 years?
Within Coca-Cola HBC, HR has been key from the very beginning in shaping organizational culture, developing talent, managing change, and ensuring employee engagement. Nevertheless, our role has undergone a profound transformation over these two decades, primarily due to the changes our organization itself has experienced. Twenty years ago, HR teams were much smaller, and complexity was lower, as at that time we did not operate as the Adria business unit.
Today, Coca-Cola HBC Adria encompasses three markets that are close geographically, but each has completely unique challenges when it comes to human resources management. The Slovenian labor market differs so significantly from that of Bosnia and Herzegovina that within our business unit it is simply not possible to use a one-size-fits-all approach. Over 20 years, in short, almost everything has changed—what has remained the same is our ambition to be among the best in what we do.
Which HR practices used to be standard but would no longer work today?
Before COVID, all our selection processes were carried out 100% in person. Our recruiters traveled every week to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia, to all locations, to test and interview candidates. As soon as COVID began, we had to adapt quickly and started with online testing. Fortunately, we probably have one of the best internal assessment platforms on the market. Currently, as with everything else, the situation is hybrid. We still use the assessment platform and first interviews are online, however, final interviews are mostly conducted in person.
In addition, our performance management has changed significantly. Until 2018/2019 we had very unstructured feedback and annual evaluations, whereas now we conduct 360-degree feedback twice a year for all employees and insist on monthly check-in meetings between all employees and their managers. We invest a great deal of time and effort in training managers and employees on how to set goals and priorities, and how to give concrete and useful feedback.
What role did the Employer Partner certificate play in strengthening the strategic role of HR in your company?
Above all, the certificate enabled us to objectively assess our HR practices against the highest market standards, giving us a clear picture of where we excel and where there is room for improvement. Employer Partner status also helped position the company as an employer of choice in the labor market, which further strengthened our role in attracting and retaining key talent. Ultimately, the certificate is not just a recognition, but also an incentive for continuous improvement and that is precisely where we see its greatest value.
Without the Employer Partner methodology, the labor market would be less transparent and would likely develop more slowly. Ambitious companies would certainly work on improving HR practices, but candidates would find it harder to recognize quality employers. Many people outside the HR profession certainly do not know what stands behind Employer Partner certification, but they do recognize that some companies hold these certificates and that these are usually the ones that excel and where they would like to work.
What is the secret of your HR team’s success in managing change and ensuring high HR standards?
Our success in maintaining high HR standards and managing change over the past 20 years is based on several key elements: a clearly defined strategy, a strong culture of collaboration, and continuous learning. Certifications such as Employer Partner, Above and Beyond, and Equal Pay Champion are not goals in themselves, but confirmation that we are on the right path and that we are building an organization where people truly are at the center. We are proud that Coca-Cola HBC has been and remains a synonym for excellence in this field.
The secret of our team lies in the ability to listen to our employees, the market, and business needs, and to quickly and agilely adapt processes based on that input. Of course, it is also crucial that throughout our entire Group there is a clear understanding of the added value that HR brings, which unfortunately is still not the case in all organizations.
Although the labor market is changing, what do you see as the constant value of the Employer Partner certificate?
The Employer Partner certificate represents not only recognition, but also a benchmark of excellence, a standard against which we can objectively evaluate our own practices and compare them with the best in the industry.
It provides a structured approach to evaluating HR processes, while also encouraging organizations to continuously improve. At a time when employee expectations, technologies, and business models are changing rapidly, Employer Partner remains a reliable compass that guides us toward sustainable excellence and a people-oriented organizational culture.
Coca-Cola HBC Croatia is undergoing our HR system evaluation for the twentieth consecutive year. Is there anything you would highlight from the certification process?
I joined the Employer Partner project right at the very beginning with the desire to calibrate my own work and the processes of the company where I was then leading the HR department, but also because I believed we needed standards for managing HR processes at the level of the business community. Above all, to enable our domestic professionals to have an HR management experience equal to that which they would have in corporations operating in an international environment. What I did not expect, and still greatly value today, is that through the project I met many colleagues who openly shared their experiences. Together with them, I learned about advancing HR in the Croatian market, and even after twenty years, I continue to nurture good relationships with them and exchange best practices.
Together with the Employer Partner certification team, we exchange views and strive to stay informed about the progress of certification and ensure that feedback is incorporated into future activities. It is extremely valuable for us that even after so many years of collaboration, we are reminded not to take our existing practices and processes for granted, and that we often (unfortunately) need someone external to tell us that the things we are doing are truly good. This is partly a byproduct of our culture of pushing boundaries toward excellence. In addition, we always receive useful information related to areas for development, as well as very concrete examples from other companies of areas we can improve. In cooperation with the certification team, we have also developed a relationship where we can turn to them for advice or information even outside the certification process, which is a sign of true partnership.
