Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

“I really do believe that old adage that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. As a people leader, the only way you can make that happen is to spend time with your people. Not transactional time, but transformational time. Get to know who they are. Get to know what their hopes and dreams and goals are — in every part of their lives, not just at the office.  Sometimes when people join Chick-fil-A, Inc., they can experience some skepticism about this kind of heartfelt interest. But the only way that you can combat that is just to actually live out daily that element of care — and to build trust with your people and your team. You can't just tell them. You’ve got to show them. And it can't just be lip service. It’s got to come with action.” — Sean Warren, New Restaurants Real Estate Team, Restaurant Development #WorkFullofCare #ServantLeadership #LifeatChickfilAInc 

“I’m on the Decision Science Team, where I build linear and mixed integer optimization models. One thing my people leader did, which I really appreciated, is led my whole team on a journey to work on our skills in storytelling. Those skills are essential, because a lot of what we do is explain what the results of our models mean, so that the best decisions can be made. A lot of people imagine that you build an optimization model and it gives you an answer. But that’s not true. You need to understand what level of detail has gone into the model, how confident you are in the information it incorporates, what assumptions were made in building the model. Then you need to add in your own intuition, your own business knowledge, and consider any additional constraints that should be included in the model. It’s only when you use storytelling to create a shared understanding that you can then make decisions together and move forward.” — Deborah Gromme, Decision Science Team, Data #DataScience #OperationsResearch #LifeatChickfilAInc 

“At Chick-fil-A, Inc., I see immense, vast opportunities. They’re almost endless.  Here, they hire people to retire them. The hope is that new hires will stay with Chick-fil-A their entire career, no matter where their professional growth takes them. There’s tremendous openness to transitioning roles and areas of specialization over time.”    — Porsche Purcell, Sales Tax Accounting #LifeatChickfilAInc #Accounting #WorkFullofOpportunity 

“My dad was in the military when he was younger. He got out after he had me and my sister because he didn’t want us to grow up having to move around all the time — and so he never got to finish his degree.    When I was in high school, he went back to school to finally try to get his degree. He was taking a data analytics class, and I would watch him. He was doing a lot of different things with Excel. And I thought that looked really interesting. I thought to myself, ‘that looks like it would be really fun to do as a career.’ So my dad and I ended up pursuing an accounting degree at the same time. It was neat. If he had a problem he couldn’t figure out, he could ask me. And vice versa. We could try to work through things and learn it together, which was really fun.  As soon as I had an accounting internship, I knew: ‘Oh yeah. I like this.’ It was very complex. A lot of data. A lot of learning. And I love complexity and puzzles.    Working in sales tax accounting at Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the perfect fit for me. I like to be challenged — and for things not to get too mundane and repetitive.    When you have a question, and you don’t know what the outcome will be, and you just get in there and dig, and find the answer. It’s the most gratifying thing.” — Porsche Purcell, Sales Tax Accounting    #LifeatChickfilAInc   #Accounting   #WorkFullofExploration 

A seasonal favorite is back for fall.  The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich has returned to menus nationwide along with the new Spicy Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, available for a limited time at participating restaurants. “When we released the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich last fall, not only did we receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, but we also saw our Guests making their own unique twists by swapping the Original filet for the Spicy filet. They inspired us to officially offer a Spicy version as its own menu item, and we are thrilled to deliver what we know our Guests want more of!” said Chick-fil-A Chef, Stuart Tracy. And that’s not the only fan-favorite making a comeback this season. After a 13-year hiatus – and countless calls for its return – the Banana Pudding Milkshake is making its way to menus nationwide, bringing back a cool twist on the classic dessert.  Read more: https://lnkd.in/eY9vvtut.

“I’m on Chick-fil-A, Inc.’s Decision Science Team, where I build linear and mixed integer optimization models that help power decisions vital to the business.     Typically, in operations research, the goal is to create models that allow a business to build ways of operating that minimize costs. At Chick-fil-A, it’s different. Cost is a factor, of course, but we also prioritize caring for the individuals who work with us and for restaurant customers.    I’ve been working on a model to help determine the weekly route schedules of drivers for Chick-fil-A Supply, our distribution service provider that serves a growing number of Chick-fil-A restaurants. When drivers were interviewed, we heard from them that certain kinds of schedules give them a better quality of life, so we built those preferences into our scheduling model.    I’ve worked in operations research for more than two decades. Before coming to Chick-fil-A, I had never before seen this kind of human care built into business models. Now, having seen how Chick-fil-A, Inc. prioritizes delivering service and care to restaurant Owner-Operators, Team Members, customers and to those of us supporting corporate operations, I wasn’t surprised at all. Chick-fil-A is unique.”    — Deborah Gromme, Decision Science Team, Data   #DataScience #OperationsResearch #LifeatChickfilAInc 

"During my co-op experience at Chick-fil-A, Inc., I was blown away by the growth I saw in myself. The work I did stretched me and I was able to live out my passion for sustainability in real world scenarios every day.     Last semester was my second co-op rotation working on Chick-fil-A’s sustainability team, and my project was facilitating waste audits for Chick-fil-A restaurants and the Corporate Support Center. Specifically, I was responsible for looking at ways to reduce waste – for example, composting uneaten food or even addressing waste of more specialized materials, like recycling unused textiles.    It was fascinating to do the sustainability work itself, but I was also impressed at how much I was encouraged to play an action-oriented role in driving the work forward.     My co-op coach encouraged me to take the lead on coordinating with our third-party sustainability auditing company, and when I was nervous about emailing people I didn’t know, or calling someone who is high-up in the organization, my coach has really helped me to find my voice.    She told me, ‘You don’t have to be afraid. You work here, and you know the project. You got this!’    And that advice was priceless for me.     She showed so much kindness towards me. Everyone on the Chick-fil-A staff was so gracious. It’s remarkable how much professional growth this co-op provided me with, and how caring all of my coworkers were towards me. I’m beyond grateful.”    - Annabelle Sarkissian, former Co-Op, Sustainability Team, Chick-fil-A, Inc.      #LifeAtChickfilAInc #Sustainability #ChickfilACoop 

We know long-term careers are more than staying in the same role while meeting the same deadlines and deliverables. We believe a long-term career should offer other factors. Which factors do you feel make the most impact for your career? A. Work-life balance B. Collaborative team dynamics C. Professional development opportunities D. Other (leave a comment!).

“My background was in architectural engineering and before transitioning to Chick-fil-A, Inc., I had gained quite a unique variety of project management experiences in my previous jobs.     During those first 20 years of my career, I learned that what matters most to me in my work life is care and growth.    My first role out of college was doing heavy highway construction inspection, advising builders of the corrections they needed to make on the project site. Often these builders were much more seasoned in the profession than I was at that point. That was definitely a learning experience!    I moved to the corporate side of the industry and enjoyed working for a nationally known retail store chain for over a decade. And I even worked for a privately-owned general contracting business and a global real estate investment management firm as well.    I learned that I am passionate about building lifelong friendships with my coworkers, versus being in cultures where peers might have a more competitive relationship.     I learned that I value companies that provide resources and support to their people so they have what they need to be successful.    Chick-fil-A, Inc. represents those values and more.    In my current role here, I oversee the new construction projects for Chick-fil-A restaurant locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. I work closely with Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators to ensure that they understand what to expect throughout the construction process for their restaurant.     One of my favorite parts of my job is having that introductory call with an Operator to share the vision and plans with them for the new restaurant they are going to lead. It’s inspiring.    I love what I do and the people I get to work with every day.     I definitely see Chick-fil-A as my permanent career home.”    - Courtney Yancy, Principal Construction Lead, SW Region    #LifeAtChickfilAInc #RestaurantDevelopment #PrincipalConstructionLead 

“When I came to work in tech at Chick-fil-A, Inc., I knew it was a company that really encouraged its staff to prioritize family needs. I don’t have any kids at the moment. But I do have dogs. And my people leader told me, ‘Dogs are family, too. They have care needs like going to the vet, and you should feel free to take the time you need to take care of them.’  It really made me feel so supported. I had an experience before I joined Chick-fil-A when I needed to bring my dog to the emergency vet at the same time as a work meeting. I felt so guilty missing it and ended up joining the call remotely instead of giving full attention to my dog. But at Chick-fil-A, Inc., I don’t feel any pressure when I need to take care of my pets — and they even ask me how my dog is first-thing in the morning. Here, I just experience so much care.” — Andira Putri, DevOps Tools Team, Technology #NationalDogDay #SoftwareEngineer #LifeatChickfilAInc