Top Workplaces 2023: At Kraft Heinz, company culture is key

The Kraft Heinz Co. is behind major labels like Oscar Mayer Lunchables, Velveeta and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. But the performance of those iconic brands isn’t the only way the company measures success.

“We believe our company culture is the main differentiator that will lead us to greatness,” said Monica Novomisle, chief people officer for Kraft Heinz North America. “The growth of our people is a critical metric of business success.

Over the past four years, the food manufacturer has been transforming its operations and its corporate culture, Novomisle said. Kraft Heinz has doubled down on diversifying its ranks, and it’s committed to championing employees and helping them develop. The company has also created engagement councils comprised of employees at every level who gather real-time feedback and tackle issues head-on.

“Every person at Kraft Heinz owns creating and bettering our community, and it’s working,” Novomisle said.

Kraft Heinz appears for the first time this year on the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by consultancy Energage in Exton, Pennsylvania. Kraft Heinz ranks 21st among large employers. The company employs more than 3,300 employees in Illinois, including its headquarters in downtown Chicago, a research and development center in Glenview, and across manufacturing and operations. The company has three manufacturing facilities and three primary distribution campuses in Illinois.

This year, Kraft Heinz has hired approximately 550 people across Chicagoland, Novomisle said. The company has been investing in areas that will fuel its continued growth, including R&D and the innovation and digital teams.

At the same time, the company strives to maintain a sense of community.

“We’ve been vocal about making our big company feel smaller,” Novomisle said. “Volunteering together and working in our communities together helps give us that ‘small feel’ while making a difference.”

The company holds an annual Packathon for Rise Against Hunger that brings together employees at two dozen sites across the globe to pack meals. In 2022, employees packed 700,000 meals. This year, the company set a goal to pack 1 million meals for children and families in need.

The company also offers an athletic charity program where 25 employees from across the globe competed in the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, raising money for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

“As a company, we’ve stepped in to sponsor our runners, covering all the costs, race fees, fundraising minimum and travel expenses,” Novomisle said.

Abby Kalsto, senior marketing analyst for Lunchables, has been employed at Kraft Heinz since graduating from college in 2020.

“It’s been a dream of mine to go back to school and get my MBA,” Kalsto said. “Kraft Heinz has given me the financial freedom and balance to focus on my part-time MBA program at Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. It means so much to me to have an employer who supports my personal and professional growth.”

But for Kalsto, the best part of working at Kraft Heinz is the autonomy. “Every day I come to work and I’m able to make decisions that create a positive impact in consumers’ lives,” she said.

During Patty LaValle-Jones’ three-plus years with Kraft Heinz, the director of procurement and transformation has noticed the company’s endless pursuit to be better.

“The company urges us to bring our diverse knowledge and experiences to work each day,” she said. “We are encouraged to find our voice and to speak up, challenge the status quo and drive solutions.”

LaValle-Jones said Kraft Heinz has invested in her development by providing executive coaching and various types of training. The company also offers tools and resources that employees can leverage for mental and physical well-being, she said.

The company offers LiveWell, a program that helps employees manage their physical, financial, social and emotional health. This year Kraft Heinz added two apps as part of the LiveWell program: “Daylight,” which treats anxiety, and “Sleepio,” which treats insomnia, Novomisle said.

Kraft Heinz also has a “work from anywhere” program, which gives employees the ability to work outside the company’s offices for up to six weeks each year.

“We all play many roles as individuals personally and professionally, and finding that balance has been easier by leveraging Kraft Heinz’s culture of flexibility and our more recent six weeks ‘work from anywhere’ benefit,” LaValle-Jones said.

Adis Sulejmanovic, head of demand planning, has been with Kraft Heinz for a little over five years. He finds that the most exciting part about the organization is its “We” culture.

“Our principles inspire collaboration, aim for excellence and guide our journey of continuous improvement,” he said. “We play to win, and we do it by investing in our people, being dependable to our partners, serving our customers and giving back to our communities. It is also energizing to be part of the history of an organization that has been feeding the world with world-class iconic brands for well over 100 years.”