Picture this. You arrive at the grocery store and pick out a cart. As you start heading for the food aisles you realize this cart has a squeaky wheel. Everyone keeps giving you a look, but you've already committed so there's no turning back. Annoyed? So were the people at Peapod Digital Labs. That's why they did something about it. PDL is the nation's first online grocery business. By replacing a physical cart with an online cart, the company has made grocery shopping so much easier and enjoyable. The experience is complete with a checkout line, browsable web experience, and speedy delivery.
PDL employees work in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Diving Into the Values at Peapod Digital Labs
Since PDL was acquired by Dutch retailer Ahold Delhaize in 2001, the company has been defining the future of grocery shopping by building a market-leading omnichannel experience for customers. This perfectly represents the culture at PDL. Employees are always looking toward the future.
"If you are passionate and want to solve complex problems with cutting-edge technology, come join our team," said Brian Thiese, Executive Lead of IT. "Rather than thinking how things are, you imagine what could be; rather than using what is, you use what's best; rather than settling for today, you're helping build tomorrow."
The Team at Peapod Digital Labs
No Bad Eggs Here
The employees at PDL are more than just colleagues. "The team that I am on has a great sense of being more than just co-workers," said Kevin Kobets, Senior Product Owner. "We recently split into smaller scrum teams and I think that has allowed those teams to grow closer." Kevin finds himself ending the workday by grabbing a beer with his peers because of the bond he's created with them.
The team is really into fresh produce, but they also love fresh perspectives and that's where having a diverse workplace really shines. PDL's team is made up of people who come from all different backgrounds. By fostering an environment that is inclusive, team members are able to think more creatively, be innovative and create a truly outstanding product. This sense of inclusion really draws in team members who are caring, committed and focused on the future.
I think the reality is that we're all nerds here," said Aaron Watson, Manager of Web and Mobile. "We love to "go deep" into whatever thing we're into and to constantly be learning.
The Culture at Peapod Digital Labs
Be Passionate About Work
Scrappy and passionate. That's probably the best way to describe the culture at PDL. With a startup mentality and decades of experience in the grocery industry, the culture at PDL is dependent on knowledge transfers and new ideas. Typically employees leave their passions outside of work. But PDL encourages you to bring them with you.
We want you to love what you do at PDL," said Watson. "We want you to love who you work with and where you work." So PDL accepted the challenge. With plenty of challenges to solve in a fast-paced environment, they guarantee you won't be bored with your work. This is where working on the cutting edge of eCommerce has its advantages.
You'll have the opportunity to work from multiple locations and work with different brands. At PDL, you'll set up video calls to connect with colleagues on the East and West coasts, and everywhere in between. At the end of the day, you'll be able to go home and feel good about the work that you did because everything you do at PDL is focused on helping people eat better, save time and live well.
"At PDL, I have always felt that the projects I've worked on have helped me improve my technical skills and also to be a better team player," said Anju Ravindranath, Software Engineer. "We are encouraged to take ownership of the projects that we work on, rather than just follow orders."
One project, in particular, was really enjoyed by Mobile Developer Carly Kraft. The project was introducing e-commerce to the company's traditional grocery store brands. The project brought along a lot of changes to PDL, including an updated app. But working on a project isn't always rainbow (Skittles) and lollipops. The true test is how PDL handles the low points of working on a project.
"We all get stuck on something at some point, and usually, that means getting in a room with our teammates and white-boarding out the problem -- just talking about it out loud sometimes solves the issue. Being in a collaborative environment has allowed us to move quickly and solve robust problems," said Kraft.
The Benefits at Peapod Digital Labs
Put PDL in Your Career Shopping Cart
The No. 1 goal of PDL is to embrace every employee's passion. In order to have employees truly love where they work, it's important to PDL that employees make time to embrace those passions. From the onsite music room to the open mic nights, team members can show their true colors at work. Other passions include a strong gaming tradition starting with "Dungeons & Dragons" and coming full circle with a quarterly ping pong tournament.
The company even hosts "Passion Talks," which are exactly like TED talks, but instead are used to discuss individual employees' passions. "PDL really embraces the rich cultures and backgrounds represented in our team," said Watson. "Our employees feel valued and appreciate the culture we are building together. We've found that by respecting people's needs to take a break from work and embrace their passion throughout the day, we all benefit from a more inclusive, fun, creative and productive workplace."
Making work fun isn't the only perk you'll find at PDL. The company also follows an unlimited vacation policy so employees can escape from work when they're needing a break. You'll want to learn how to push the digital grocery cart even further with performance-based bonuses, and add a grocery cart seat for a child with the generous paid parental leave policy. Plus you'll probably start coming up with more innovational ideas with beer on tap at the office. It's safe to say you can stop shopping for the right company because you've already found it.
