In the midst of COVID-19, there seems to be a grocer retailer that should be recognized for how they quickly adapted their processes and supply chain as it relates to providing one of the most essential items we all need: groceries.
HEB is a regional grocer with over 400 stores in Texas and Mexico. In January 2020, they were recognized by Business Insider as being one of the best grocery stores in America. Now if you live in Texas for example, you probably have your own reasons why you love HEB (based in San Antonio, TX) but here are some reasons to truly appreciate their leadership, management and partners even more.
They actually have been working on their pandemic and influenza plan since 2005. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and surrounding areas extremely hard in 2017, HEB was instrumental in helping the communities to rebuild. They have done an incredible number of things like:
- Implementing a Director of Emergency Preparedness
- Offering raises to their store managers and employees (called partners) as a great incentive to keep up their great efforts and work
- Allowed the partners flexibility in sick leave
- Worked with supply chains early on identify areas that needed additional attention and how to still manage daily shipments of food and other grocery items
- Put in signage in stores and setting up lines to help manage the amount of people in stores and the guides for social distancing
- Adjusted store hours so that there would be ample time to re-stock overnight to meet consumer demands
- Set limits on some items early on so that more customers would have access to those that they need
- Continue to monitor the situation and adjust as needed
- Received praise even from the popular Brené Brown about their Daring Leadership
While we continue to navigate what our day to day looks like, it seems like a great idea to take learnings from who is doing it well and give praise to those that are aiding however they can in this current climate and we are forever grateful for access to groceries, toilet paper and other things – thank you, HEB.
Erin Wike is a Career Coach & Lecturer at The University of Texas at Austin and owner of Cafe Con Resume. Erin is fueled by dark roast coffee with cream AND sugar, her loving husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs. She is the Co-Founder of Small Business Friends ATX to help fellow entrepreneurs + hosts events for people to live a Life of Yes with Mac & Cheese Productions.
