By Taylor Gilmore, Manager, Global Real Estate and Facilities
At Kellogg, people are our competitive advantage; investment in their development, wellbeing and creating a culture of inclusion is paramount to our collective success. And as a member of our Global Real Estate and Facilities team, I know that our work plays an important role in creating that culture and demonstrating our commitment to employees.
With a background in real estate, I truly enjoy my job and am proud to say that I’ve collaborated with the team to refresh more than 20 offices globally. Most of this work happened remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges this presented, we created a variety of vibrant, collaborative and welcoming spaces over the last few years.
We knew that when we returned to our new normal, we wanted employees to feel at home no matter where they decided to “Locate For Your Day,” our new hybrid work policy that empowers office-based employees to find a balance between working from home and the office.
As we refreshed our offices, we wanted to incorporate our legacy – as well as our vision and purpose – to reflect connection, collaboration, creativity and culture. That’s why we have the most up-to-date fitness centers, welcoming coffee bars and gathering areas, and even meditation rooms. We also worked to ensure the health and safety of our employees was at the forefront of every decision within each facility.
Three especially big projects were the consolidation of three Chicago-area locations into a new office in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, a complete overhaul of our Battle Creek, Mich., headquarters, and continued redesign of our W.K. Kellogg Institute for Food and Nutrition Research. When employees returned to these offices for the first time, their delight and true appreciation for the space was evident, making our hard work worthwhile.
Knowing that I played a role in advancing our culture and integrating our legacy throughout Kellogg’s global facilities, instills a sense of pride that’s hard to describe. One of my favorite things about working here is that we empower our people. I have always been lucky to have great managers who pushed me to be the best I could be and helped me to make the transition between departments and roles.
It’s this commitment to people and culture that keeps me at Kellogg. Employees have a choice as to where they work each day and if they’re in one of our facilities, we want them to feel valued, bring their ideas to the table, and remember how important collaboration is to our business and culture.