The Hershey Co. Earns Employee-Driven Recognition
HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Co.'s U.S. business is now Certified by Great Place to Work.
The prestigious award is based on what current employees say about their experience working at Hershey. This year's survey of employees noted justice, pride and leadership as particular strengths for the company.
"Being named a Great Place to Work-certified company further validates our culture and our 128-year legacy of making moments of goodness," said Michele Buck, chairman, president and CEO of The Hershey Co. "Inspired by our remarkable people who bring our purpose to life, we are committed to living our values every day and ensuring our company remains a great place to work."
Hershey's U.S. business joins operations in Brazil and India in earning this certification honor.
Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.
"Great Place to Work Certification isn't something that comes easily — it takes ongoing dedication to the employee experience," said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work. "It's the only official recognition determined by employees' real-time reports of their company culture. Earning this designation means that The Hershey Co. is one of the best companies to work for in the country."
The certification underscores Hershey's on-going commitment to foster a positive employee experience, with inclusivity, equity and mentorship initiatives driving tangible results, according to the company. This year, Hershey launched an enterprise-wide career development program so employees could learn and practice new ideas, behaviors and skills.
The company is also committed to supporting employees through a set of competitive and wide-ranging benefits to help them be well, plan for their future, and balance work and life. To continue supporting employees and their growing families, Hershey will increase salaried parental leave to up to 20 weeks in 2023.
"This honor directly reflects the thoughts and opinions of our employees, which is the highest praise we could receive," said Chris Scalia, senior vice president, chief human resources officer for The Hershey Co. "To address the challenges of the past two years, our leadership team has harnessed the power of continuous and active listening, created a safe and open workplace through public acts of vulnerability, and fostered value creation through putting our employees' well-being first. These initiatives are making a difference, and we will continue to engage our people to create a workplace that's welcoming, inclusive and reflective of our purpose and values."
According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at certified workplaces are 93 percent more likely to look forward to coming to work and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company's profits and have a fair chance at promotion.
Pennsylvania-based The Hershey Co. employees 19,000 people worldwide. The company has more than 100 brand names in approximately 80 countries that drive more than $8.9 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, and fast-growing salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty and Dot's Homestyle Pretzels.