FMCG Companies in the Philippines

[meimei]

hi sisses! i want to hear from those who have actually worked in an FMCG company. what can you say about the culture? the stress level? the benefits? etc.

we all know the big multinational FMCG companies: P&G, Unilever, and Nestle. the first two, in my opinion, are really cut-throat. i'm a very competitive person and i'm an achiever, but even i was not able to stay here because i can't imagine myself retiring in these companies due to the unhealthy stress level.

then there are also: Kraft, Hershey, Colgate Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi. how is it working in these companies? anybody want to share?

i also want to hear about the lesser-recognized FMCG companies in the Philippines: Kimberly Clark and General Mills.

how about the Filipino-owned FMCG companies such as Universal Robina Corp, Monde Nissin and Del Monte?

i thought about posting this new topic because i'm currently looking for an FMCG company where i would love to stay in and retire. we know that sometimes we join an FMCG company, then leave and join another. but in deciding which company you would want to retire in, you don't only consider the benefits, but mainly the company culture. i hope many Gtalkers would be able to share their experiences.


P.S. if you want to add on to the list above, please do so, because i also want to know what other FMCG companies there are in the Philippines.

[stormy_princess]

i'm working in one of the company you mentioned above. I've been employed for 5.5yrs now. I am happy  with my job despite the low salary kasi masaya sa office and i developed deep camaraderie with my colleagues. Maluwag sa oras kahit na cut throat din ang stress. Ang benefits is so so lang compare sa iba. Much better pa ang bank benefits. Everything went well until we migrated to SAP system. Sobrang naging hassle ang transactions which already compromises customer needs and our own credibility na. And management though they are aware of it parang wala naman ginagawa to protect their customers. And now, i decided to resign and on process of job hunt. Hindi na kaya icompensate ng sahod ang stress at problema plus sama ng loob na binibigay sa akin ng work ko. If you want to know more about the company i am talking about, just pm me sis^_^

[agape]

Similar din ba sa Asia Brewery and Splash Corporation?

[xtine]

Working in San Miguel Corporation is kumpare system and malala pa rin ang red tape.  The pay is really low because its the prestige of working for San Miguel. 

[deta]

I recently applied in Monde Nissin. I must say the process was pretty fast. I got my job offer 2 weeks after the initial exam. I haven't signed the contract though since I still have to pass the pre-employment exam. Based on the job offer, mukha namang generous. The department who interviewed me also said that they value work-life balance. So, overall mukha namang okay.

[xtine]

^Hay, ganyan ako sa san miguel.  I was offered the job with signing ang everythig before my pre employment test.  Yung test is only formality.  Basta magustuhan ka sa interview ok ka na regardless of te result i guess.  Panay IQ test lang naman sha and essay normally

[deta]

Ooopss... sorry. I was given a job offer but I have to pass pre-employment physical exam pa before I sign the contract. The IQ exam et. al. and the interviews were all done before the job offer.

[beatrize zuri]

^^ hi sis, saan ang office ng monde? and pa pm naman kung how much ang offer nila and the benefits, and the position na available. gusto ko sana itry para maiba naman ako ng line of work 

[lencute]

I think their office is located in Makati

[Princess_Chill]

oo nga sis pa pm naman iyong sa nissin monde...

nasusuka na talaga ako sa call center! huhuhu

[ReservoirDogs]

I used to work for Universal Robina Corp., almost 10 years ago.

Salary-wise, it's actually a bit on the low side; but you will definitely learn a lot, especially if you're planning to focus on a brand / marketing career path.

Work is 8 - 6:30pm from M-F.  Culture-wise, I really loved the people that I worked with.  People from brand department are usually newly college grads; mean age is around 25 years old. 

One of my officemates was recently granted an early retirement package.  Most of the people from other departments have been there for more than 10 years na.  However, mabilis ang turnover sa brand department.  Some of the people from brand department had transferred to other FCMGs that the TS mentioned.

[geraldita03]

hi sissies! i've been absorbed in Asia Brewery just this week but contractual pa ako meaning 6 months probationary period. but we still don't have our orientation pa so di ko pa alam magkano sahod. how much po kaya yung sahod? i will be assigned as quality control sa laboratory. i'm a bit nervous and at the same time excited. i'll be posting soon!

[juni]

I know people who have worked at P&G, Splash, San Miguel, and Johnson & Johnson.  Like you said sis meimei, cutthroat nga sa P&G, mahirap makasurvive dun if you're not super competitive and magaling, kailangan laging all systems go ka dun.

Yung sinabi ni sis xtine na may palakasan/padrino system sa San Miguel, yun din yung observation ng kakilala ko dun.  May pagka-old fashioned daw that way, yung tipong barkada ni ganito, anak ni ganyan, etc.

Yung friend ko na nagtrabaho sa Splash was stressed out nung nandun siya.  Di daw healthy ang environment, so umalis siya.

So far ang feedback na narereceive ko about Johnson & Johnson is may work-life balance daw dun, mas feel mo daw  yung camaraderie/family atmosphere dun.

[whatswithjuly]

i'd like to ask a question. why do FMCG companies (or baka yun na-applyan ko lang) ask kung may relatives ka na employee of other FMCG? yan kasi mahirap kasi my brother is working for a chinese-owned FMCG...not big names as mentioned in the previous post. pero ano yun chance ko na maka-apply sa the likes of nestle, SMC, etc. thanks po sasagot.

[leighnie]

They ask kasi very cut throat and competitive ang FMCG industry. Baka they work for a competitor, hindi pwede yun kasi conflict of interest. You will be exposed kasi to confidential information and there's a huge possibility na mapagkwentuhan nyo. No no yun sa FMCG.

[sarsingkit]

I used to work for the one of the top 3 FMCG companies. Okay ang pay of course and benefits. Stressful environment lang talaga. 8 hours nga ang work pero hindi naman nakakauwi after 8 hours. But I think generous naman sa promotion. Plus, marami rin naman nagrertire doon. Siguro if you started early and first job mo yun, magququit ka at some point or malakas chance mo ma-pirate ng ibang companies and give you 2x the pay and give you managerial agad, basta an offer that you can't resist. Karamihan ng Management Trainees namin, ganito nangyari.

Ang maganda sa company na to, medyo western ang culture kasi hindi naman pinoy ang CEO so walang palakasan etc. to which notorious ang San Miguel as I also have heard.

[meimei]

i'd like to ask a question. why do FMCG companies (or baka yun na-applyan ko lang) ask kung may relatives ka na employee of other FMCG? yan kasi mahirap kasi my brother is working for a chinese-owned FMCG...not big names as mentioned in the previous post. pero ano yun chance ko na maka-apply sa the likes of nestle, SMC, etc. thanks po sasagot.

this type of question (whether you have a family member in a competing company) is not exclusive to the FMCG industry. nag-apply ako dati sa Ayala Land and tinanong din sakin yan.

so basically yes, it's about "conflict of interest". pero di naman automatic na di ka matatanggap kung may family member ka man in a competing company. because it depends kung ano bang positions niyo in the first place. kasi merong roles na di naman maeexpose to "conflict of interest". i know husbands and wives nga na working for competing companies, hahaha!

for example yung family member eh sa IT Dept nung competitor, tapos ikaw nasa HR. eh malabo namang maconsider na conflict of interest yan.

[leoanmsotelo]

Mga sis, meron ba sa inyong distribution key account specialist sa fmcg company? pashare naman ng experiences and benefits. I'm applying for this position kasi and final interview ko na next week.  thanks!

[sparklingjewel]

Based on what my network tells me, cutthroat sa: P&G, Unilever, Nestle, Coca Cola. Your career has to be your top priority here and you have to be really good in what you do. My bosses used to go home 4am, 1am, ganyan on a daily basis. Some leave the office only to work the night over at a coffee shop. They have really harassing presentations to their foreign executives. If you work hard and do well, worth it siya. Some of my friends expat na, pinadala sila sa other offices abroad so even higher pay. Benefits are of course, the best in the industry i think.

Have heard not so good things about San Miguel-- they make their OJTs serve coffee and photocopy stuff daw. And may mga office politics. Analysis paralysis naman sa J&J. Monde naman ok daw ang culture di masyado pressure sa work and you will learn a lot. URC mababa sweldo kasi chinese company. Del Monte and Kraft, magulo sa loob, hindi pa as established ang structure and direction ng company compared to the top guns so madaming 'birth pains' and daming tactical na nangyayari.

I work for one of the companies TS mentioned, 2.5 years so far, manager level. I chose carefully where to go kasi i wanted to manage my work-life balance while making sure na ok ang pay and benefits. And i think i got lucky. My offer was a +53% jump from my basic salary sa old company. Andami pang extra benefits like more leaves (42 ang VL and SL ko in a year), double-pay ako on all holidays even though i dont work naman, and may flexible fund to use for gym or spa ganyan. Dun palang ok na ako so i signed. In my 2.5 years here I've also gotten annual increases,so my salary now is +30% jump pa from my starting salary 2.5 years ago and double my salary since i left my old company. Annual bonus depends on company performance vs. targets, on top pa, between 12-25% of annual pay sya far. I also get a car to use with free gas (20k/month), parking  and maintenance. Laking tulong sa bawas everyday expenses. Of course the work is challenging, but i feel that it is justified. Average hours worked a day is 8-10 hours.

Plan ko before na umalis when I've established my own business kaso mahihirapan na ako tapatan yung current earnings ko given my last annual increase pa na 20%.

I shared my experience here because i think working in FMCG is still worth it (dati ibang industry ako). Select the company carefully lang based on what you are willing to give your job. If you bite more than you can chew it can eat you up. Also, most of them are very sensitive sa paghire na dapat may FMCG experience na kasi you should hit the ground running. No time to adjust or learn kasi targets are really a huge deal here. So nag-iikutan lang mga tao among the companies

[EyeV]

Hi Sparkling Jewel,

I am currently on a job hunt and was eyeing an FMCG company which I heard has good benefits and values work-life balance. I don't have background in FMCG, but I have sales background. Recently applied to  this FMCG company and took their exam. They never got back to me. Didn't know anyone from the inside and just took my chances. I believe because I had high salary from previous employer and the current requirement they have is entry level.

What's your advice if I really wanted to pursue FMCG?