15 Minutes With… Jessica Jones, Senior Manager, Diversity, Culture & Engagement for Smithfield Foods

By Michelle Pelletier Marshall, Women in Agribusiness Media & Smithfield Associates (August 27, 2024)

In this 15 Minutes With…, we caught up with Jessica Jones, Smithfield’s senior manager of diversity, culture, and engagement (DCE). Based in Smithfield, Virginia, Jones manages and supports DCE, human resources, talent management and talent development activities with a focus on continuous development and aligning talent with organizational goals.

Smithfield, an iconic American food company dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.®” began operations in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia. The company has been a longtime sponsor of the Women in Agribusiness Summit and supportive of the placement, advancement and creation of opportunities for qualified women and other underrepresented individuals. With a culture of responsibility, operational excellence and innovation, the company strives to produce good food the right way with respect for people, animals, communities and the planet.

WIA Today spoke to Jones to learn more.

1. Tell us a little more about your background and how your career path took you into your current role.

After graduating from Radford University with a communications degree, I began my professional career journey with an organization I’d interned with for two previous summers. My initial role in corporate affairs afforded me the opportunity to support executive leadership communications, investor relations and internal communications efforts. During this time, I was exposed to many facets of the company including global event planning, talent acquisition and early career development, which quickly piqued my interest.

After an opportunity to experience state government, I joined Smithfield’s talent acquisition team in 2018 where I led the company’s collegiate recruitment strategy and early career programs. This work helped me realize my passion for connecting with others and witnessing their career growth and personal development journeys. After a few years, I was faced with the decision of growing in talent acquisition or transitioning to a new team focused on fostering diversity, culture and engagement at Smithfield. I’ve been in my current role for nearly three years, and it’s been rewarding to witness the DCE programs’ success and how they have positively impacted our employees.

2. The company has seven pillars of sustainability, which includes DCE. What does engagement look like at Smithfield?

DCE has been a continuing journey at Smithfield. By prioritizing and fostering a culture of engagement, we’ve been able to shift mindsets ranging from talent recruitment to running an internal meeting to ensure that various perspectives are represented to make for a well-rounded discussion and decisions. DCE is also about creating an environment where people can authentically show up as themselves every day and in any room.

Two years ago, we established an annual employee engagement survey that solicits honest and anonymous feedback that helps us assess employee satisfaction, gain insight into the employee experience and capture ideas to improve the company. We’re looking forward to our third year as that information helps us establish benchmarks, spot trends and monitor progress. These actions help us continue to make DCE part of our DNA.

3. Smithfield speaks to making a difference, providing good jobs and being good stewards of the environment. What are some programs exemplifying this? And what advice would you give that might assist other organizations on this same journey?

We always say that our people are our best asset, and we strive to provide them with access to training and resources to help promote career advancement. For example, Smithfield’s leadership development pipeline programs aim to create a diverse pipeline of qualified candidates to fill future management positions. Our emerging leaders program is focused on developing key talent for frontline leadership roles. The operations leadership program is designed to serve as our dedicated operations-based career development program through training and mentorship. Lastly, our mid-level leaders program is geared towards developing mid-level professionals into future leaders at Smithfield. Since inception in 2020, we have had over 150 employees complete the various programs.

My advice to other organizations is to meet your employees where they are and be open to asking for their honest feedback. If you don’t ask, you run the risk of making up your own narrative, which doesn’t help develop a culture of trust and belonging. 

4. What drives you in your current position?

Simply put, the people. I thrive on connecting with others and especially enjoy watching them take a chance on themselves and succeed. It’s one of the most rewarding aspects of my role that truly gets me excited for work every day.

5. What is your best piece of career advice?

My motto is to own your career. This means being your authentic self while also being intentional about building relationships, emails, conversations at the water cooler or in the hallway. You never know which door may open next and it’s up to you to own your future.  

ABOUT JESSICA JONES

Jessica Jones is senior manager of diversity, culture, and engagement (DCE) for Smithfield Foods. She is a dedicated professional who brings over 15 years of experience in various areas including inclusion and belonging, talent acquisition, early career program management, corporate communications and global event planning. Jones consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence with a focus on people-centered programming. She excels at strategic execution to meet and surpass goals, bringing value to every project and team. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree from Radford University with numerous certifications that have provided a solid foundation for her career. Known for her contagious positive outlook and strategic focus, Jones is committed to driving success and contributing to the growth and development of her teams and varying industries.