Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

“At Chick-fil-A, Inc., culture is so much a part of who we are and what we do and what we offer to candidates. We truly care about our staff. And that's not something we just say. We walk it and we live it every single day.” — Jennifer Attaway, CCP, SPHR, Total Rewards ?#LifeatChickfilAInc??

"I’m an accountant who’s bursting with ideas. I have an entrepreneurial spirit, so I always thought that working a nine-to-five job would be constrictive for someone like me.?? ? But working at Chick-fil-A, Inc., I have found that the creative thinking that I care so deeply about is woven into the very DNA of this company.?? ? While Financial Services requires some heads-down time with spreadsheets and data, I also get the opportunity to work through complex situations. My focus is Non-traditional Restaurant Strategy – including our Food Truck Fleet – and I love the out-of-the-box thinking that it requires.?? ? But outside of my everyday job, I have found another incredible way to live out my passion for ideas here at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center – as an Innovation Ambassador!? ? After I started in my accounting role, I soon discovered the Innovation department, and I was all in.?? ? I completed training on Chick-fil-A’s innovation process and team building facilitation, and now I am leading innovation training throughout a variety of departments in our corporate offices.?? ? Innovation doesn’t always have to mean new product development or transforming ways of working. It can be as simple as bringing a “beginner’s mindset” to a new task or showing genuine curiosity by asking exploratory questions.?? ? At the end of the day, I’m glad to be working for a company that values new ideas and encourages curiosity – in both big and small ways." ? — Kate Thomas, Restaurant Accounting Strategy, Non-Traditional Restaurants #LifeAtChickfilA?#FinancialServices?#InnovationAmbassador

“Before I came to Chick-fil-A, Inc., I was doing neuroscience research in an academic setting. The really neat thing about the world of academia is that the most exciting findings are developed through collaboration. When I was considering transitioning to working in data science, I was concerned I’d have a hard time finding that same level of collaboration but I found it at Chick-fil-A.?? ? In academia, groups of people with complementary skill sets work together to produce scientific work that's better than what any one of them could do in isolation. Often, someone who specializes in creating experiments will team up with one person who specializes in computational work and another person who specializes in theory — and together they can arrive at really impactful results.? ? I knew that if I made a change, I didn’t want to be disconnected from business realities and just get caught up in playing with the newest, coolest data models, rather than working with my colleagues toward a goal.? ? At Chick-fil-A, not only do I have direct business impact, I’m also collaborating deeply with colleagues who are working really creatively on their special piece of the pie. All of us are contributing something special and giving each other a lot of helpful feedback. And ultimately the work we’re doing is better than what any of us could have done in isolation. We’re innovating, and we’re doing it as more than the sum of our parts.” — Nathaniel (Caleb) Wright, Forecasting Team? #DataScience #Innovation #LifeatChickfilAInc?

Kate Thomas didn’t expect the very structured world of accounting to allow her to pursue her passion for innovation. Then, she landed in her role at Chick-fil-A, Inc. where innovation is welcomed in every role at every level.?? ? Kate recalls how innovation makes its way into her daily tasks.?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, locally owned and operated Chick-fil-A restaurants and Chick-fil-A, Inc. are supporting those impacted – including residents, local Owner-Operators and their Team Members.? ? Staff member Mark Ellison has volunteered with Team Chick-fil-A, a group of Support Center Staff, in Asheville, North Carolina this week, where Chick-fil-A's mobile kitchen is preparing thousands of chicken sandwiches and distributing to the community.? ? “It’s been especially meaningful for me to serve the Asheville community this week. It’s really been a full circle moment for me, as I was first introduced to the brand as a college student experiencing a natural disaster. My college town had suffered a tornado, and the local Owner-Operator was on campus distributing food to students. The selflessness and care shown on that day, putting people first – is what sparked my interest in joining the organization. I’m truly humbled to have the opportunity to serve the Asheville community.” ? Learn more:?https://lnkd.in/ghFBdZBv?

“Technology is prioritized throughout the entire Chick-fil-A, Inc. organization, and at the Corporate Support Center, we’re pushing the envelope with innovation now more than ever.? ? My job as Senior Project Lead for Smart Equipment is to strategically deploy software that supports equipment capability across 3,000 Chick-fil-A restaurants.?? ? My role sits within the Test & Rollouts team, and we partner cross-functionally with manufacturers and suppliers to develop and deploy software updates to connected restaurant equipment.? ? These software updates can sometimes be small evolutions, simply because Chick-fil-A is a mature business. But in addition to that day-to-day, we are building a significant foundation of data that will facilitate a higher level of automation on the horizon.? ? For example, imagine a Chick-fil-A restaurant experience where real-time data provides the kitchen with automated forecasting of how much chicken to fry and how many waffle fries to prepare, based on the number of cars in the drive-thru.? ? Ultimately, this aligns with our core value “We’re here to serve,” by freeing up restaurant Team Members to demonstrate the most welcoming hospitality towards their guests, while serving freshly cooked meals on time.?? ? The data groundwork we are laying will support really cool innovation in the future. It’s an exciting time for tech professionals to be working in Restaurant Development, here at Chick-fil-A, Inc., and I’m glad to be a part of it.” - Caleb Hand, Test & Rollouts, Restaurant Development? ? #ChickfilAIncLife?#Innovation?#RestaurantDevelopment?

When natural disasters impact the communities we serve, we look for opportunities to show additional care. Chick-fil-A, Inc. and the American Red Cross are working together to provide relief and assistance to people, families and communities whose lives have been affected by Hurricane Helene. To double the impact, Chick-fil-A will match each dollar donated up to $500,000. Thank you for helping us lift up others during this time of need!? https://lnkd.in/deWBnsY

“My time as a Co-Op at Chick-fil-A’s Corporate Support Center was with the Supply Chain department. I worked on the team that checked quality and safety for our packaging suppliers – the manufacturers who produce Chick-fil-A's takeout containers, straws, and other products that support the operation of the restaurant.?? ? Believe it or not, Chick-fil-A restaurants have over 400 SKU numbers representing all the?products used for packaging. In other words, there are hundreds of unique products that are used for consuming food, containing meals, transporting takeout and so much more.? ? Part of what the Supply Chain team does is travel to supplier facilities to see the production of these valuable items in person. This helps to ensure quality, safety and care for Chick-fil-A Owner-Operators and Guests.? ? For example, consider the waffle fry carton. Just that one product is made by multiple suppliers, and each of those suppliers produce the cartons in several different facilities – that adds up to a lot of site visits!?? ?? Even though we frequently traveled to supplier facilities during my co-op experience, I was amazed at how much care and camaraderie I still felt from my team. We were intentional about staying connected through weekly meetings and catching up with each other’s personal lives. Everyone was always so kind.”?? ? Emmaline Zeiler, former Co-Op, now Sr. Project Specialist, Supplier Quality and Safety?? ? #ChickfilACoOp? #SupplyChain?

Applicants face a question when applying for an internship: Which should I pursue? Would you advise future interns to pursue one over the other? Might interns find success pursuing a little of both? Tell us your advice in the comments!

“Co-Ops at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center do projects that make a valuable impact on the business and show genuine care for people.? ? During my Co-Op semesters in Supply Chain, one of the projects I worked on was using material science to support a solution to a slightly stinky challenge.?? ?? Through a quality control submission tool, we learned that some of the garbage bags at our local restaurants have been ripping too easily. Bags would break at times, so some Team Members were double bagging as a safeguard.?? ? In response, we are working with several restaurant Owner-Operators to gain feedback on a possible new material for these garbage bags. We recommended testing a different type of polyethylene with a higher tensile strength (the max you can stretch something before it breaks), so it shouldn’t pull apart as easily.? ? We completed the testing and submitted the project for review. Although there have been no approvals yet, what I found exciting was the chance to see how a small product material change could have the possibility of making such a meaningful impact.? ? If the garbage bag reliability can be increased, the Chick-fil-A restaurant Team Members are more supported. Then, they can demonstrate even better care for Guests in the dining room. If restaurants use one bag instead of two, that could potentially mean product cost savings. But best of all, the Team Members can get home to their family or friends at the end of their workday, without encountering an unpleasant and surprising mess.?? ? During my Co-Op semesters, and now working as a full-time Staff member in Supplier Quality and Safety, I have discovered that caring for others is the best part of this job. Saving money for the business is cool, but making a difference for our people is so fulfilling.”? ? Emmaline Zeiler, former Co-Op, now Sr. Project Specialist, Supplier Quality and Safety? ? #LifeAtChickfilAInc? #SupplyChain? #ChickfilACoOp?