Top Workplaces 2022: At ALDI, feeling part of a team, appreciated by managers makes it a great place to work

Cooperating as a team and feeling appreciated by your company’s management are two good reasons to enjoy working at a company, and, according to its employees, that’s what makes ALDI one of the Top Workplaces in the United States.

ALDI, a discount grocer with 2,100 stores in 38 states, was named one of The Hartford Courant’s Top Workplaces for the second year in a row and for the fourth time overall. It ranked eighth among large workplaces, those with 500 employees in the market surveyed. Last year, it placed second.

“I love my job because I will be forever-challenged in my role,” wrote one employee in the annual survey by Energage. “I am appreciated and respected, and see direct correlation between hard work and the end result. I am able to be creative, set my own schedule, communicate amongst peers and director’s freely, and feel valued.”

Top Workplaces, a program of Energage, which studies employers to determine those that best engage their workers, bases its Top Workplaces program on a 24-question survey of employees, the only criterion for determining which companies make the list. It has partnered with The Hartford Courant for 12 years to determine the best workplaces in Greater Hartford.

ALDI, a privately held company, ranks ALDI as a large employer because it has at least 500 employees in the five counties surveyed; Hartford, Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham. Statewide, the company has 31 stores, its newest in Branford, in New Haven County, according to Chris Daniels, ALDI’s South Windsor Division vice president,

Other employees completed the sentence “I love my job because …” comments included:

“I love my job because it allows me to work under little to no pressure so I can work efficiently.”

“I love my job because I can make an impact on my team and community everyday I work.”

“I love my job because I feel like I am making a difference and my higher ups actually care about me.”

Pay and teamwork were well represented in the comments:

“I love my job because people here are great,” wrote one employee. “The pay is also a wonderful incentive. I feel my pay reflects the hard work I put in.”

“I love my job because we all try to get the best out of each other!” wrote another. “We cooperate very well together! We all have trust in one another to get our jobs done and help one another … if needed! And our manager[s] do their best with understanding their coworkers.”

Founded in 1976 and based in Batavia, Ill., ALDI has 944 employees in 12 locations in the five counties surveyed. The company has 42,000 U.S. employees and 160,000 worldwide. ALDI did not reveal its revenues or plans for expansion.

ALDI’s business model is featuring its own high-quality products at low prices. Requiring customers to bring their own grocery bags or to buy them at the store help keep prices low, the company told Energage. “This very basic change also allows ALDI to operate in a more environmentally friendly fashion.”

“Our shoppers know we only offer the very best of their weekly must-haves, like organic and gluten free foods and an ever-increasing assortment of fresh produce and USDA choice beef,” ALDI wrote to Energage.

“You will notice more than 90% of what is found in our stores is an exclusive brand product, hand-selected by ALDI to ensure that our products meet or exceed the national brands,” the company wrote. “Tested in the ALDI Test Kitchen located in Batavia, IL, these products taste the same or better than national brands.”

ALDI did not offer a company representative for a requested interview. Instead, Daniels emailed a statement:

“As an award-winning employer, we have been nationally recognized for our commitment to employees and our dedication to prioritizing employee well-being and safety. Our store employees are the face of the ALDI shopping experience, and their hard work makes it possible for ALDI to do what we do best — provide high-quality items at amazing prices.”

Daniels agreed with the comments from employees that “the best part about working at ALDI is the people. Our store and warehouse employees in particular love being part of a team and enjoy being able to give back to their local communities. Additionally, our team appreciates that no two days are the same, and that makes working at ALDI exciting.”

Indeed, one of the employees surveyed commented, “I love my job because there’s always tasks that need to be completed and never a day that’s similar to another. There’s always been challenges and differences in every one of my shifts at [ALDI] and it makes me feel very good getting things done and striving to do more every day.”

ALDI said in its statements to Energage it is “committed to building an inclusive culture that values diversity in all its forms.”

“Our culture is based on empowering all of our people to achieve remarkable things, always improving as individuals and as a team, working together for our customers and for our community,” the company stated.

As one employee summed up why they enjoy working at ALDI: “I love my job because we all try to get the best out of each other! We cooperate very well together! We all have trust in one another to get our jobs done and help one another … if needed! And our manager[s] do their best with understanding their coworkers and their needs! I love working for ALDI and recommend many people to work for them as well!”

To apply for a position working for ALDI, go to https://careers.aldi.us.

Ed Stannard can be reached at estannard@courant.com or 860-993-8190.