More than 20 years of marketing experience in the food industry was just the balance of acumen and maturity Hormel Foods managers had in mind when they extended a job offer to Eric Jacobson.
Eric joined the company as a brand manager in 2015, and played a key role in establishing an employee resource group that aims to support experienced hires with their integration into the company. “I have been an experienced hire more than a few times in my career,” says Eric. “While it has always been exciting, it can also be frustrating, confusing and sometimes scary. I hope to be able to play a role in creating a great experience for people coming into the company and also for people to have a long career at Hormel Foods.”
The group is called HIRE and the acronym stands for Hormel Integrating Relevant Experiences. The group’s mission is to foster and maximize diverse experiences to grow talent, build bridges and bring the best results to the company. “There are so many HIRE members who want to be involved in making a difference. They’re not just showing up at meetings, they’re taking action,” says Eric. “I’m grateful for the attention from senior management at the company on retention and gaining a better understanding of the needs and challenges of experienced hires.”