{"id":3252,"date":"2026-07-12T12:06:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T12:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3252"},"modified":"2026-07-12T12:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T12:06:31","slug":"fortune-500-land-olakes-is-letting-workers-choose-what-days-and-times-they-work-and-the-flex-jobs-are-getting-25-more-applicants-than-full-time-gigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=3252","title":{"rendered":"Fortune 500 Land O\u2019Lakes is letting workers choose what days and times they work\u2014and the flex jobs are getting 25% more applicants than full-time gigs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Land O\u2019Lakes first introduced flex jobs at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, in early 2022. Participants in the part-time program tell the company what times they\u2019d like to work, and Land O\u2019Lakes comes back with a slot that fits in their schedules. Most flex talent at the billion-dollar company log about 16 to 30 hours of work every week, with shifts built around employees\u2019 availability rather than a fixed schedule. The famed food giant selling butter sticks, whipped spreads, and shredded cheeses changed its policy after flexibility became workers\u2019 top priority, assembling a small HR team to test out the program at select sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cRegardless of work, location, generation, [or] type of work\u2014flexibility, work-life balance\u2014was one of the key things that we heard from across our organization,\u201d Julie Sexton, chief human resources officer at Land O\u2019Lakes, tells Fortune.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe chief supply chain officer\u2014who\u2019s now retired\u2014really came forward like: \u2018Let\u2019s challenge our notion here,\u2019\u201d she adds. \u201c\u2018If everybody\u2019s saying flexibility is important, we need to step beyond the paradigm of: that can\u2019t happen in manufacturing environments.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Most opportunities to take advantage of the perk lie in operations and supply chain roles across 60 U.S. Land O\u2019Lakes\u2019 manufacturing facilities. However, the Fortune<\/em> 500 business plans to roll out the benefit to all 140 locations nationwide, and says there are more flex options in housekeeping, office clerking, and sanitation. Sexton explains that leaders at different facilities weigh in if flex jobs are a possibility at their site, as requires extra staffing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So far, the perk has proven to be a smash hit among workers\u2014as well as a huge win for the business. Land O\u2019Lakes says views and applications for flex roles outpace traditional roles by roughly 25%, and turnover among new flex workers is 12 points lower compared to that of recently hired full-time talent. It\u2019s a critical advantage as the manufacturing sector grapples with persistent labor shortages and elevated turnover. By offering a benefit like flex jobs, the business can attract workers who otherwise couldn\u2019t commit.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are looking for these opportunities,\u201d the CHRO says. \u201cIf you can get a role that can flex around other key parts of your life, I think that speaks to what people really value after the experience of COVID, or just what people are looking for as they think about they balance work-life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Land O\u2019Lakes\u2019 choose-your-own-schedule policy is paying off for workers<\/h2>\n

Instead of demanding its thousands of employees across the country to fit one mold of work, Land O\u2019Lakes is leaning into their diverse needs. Sexton says that the company employs college students, working parents, and caregivers who desperately need a workaround. Now, flex work professionals can call the shots on their part-time schedule\u2014whether that means unloading trucks before sunrise or working a sanitation shift after the kids are asleep.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNow I can get my son ready in the morning, drop him off at my mom\u2019s house who will take him to preschool, and then I can pick him up at 1 p.m. every day,\u201d Cypress Evans, a flex-job employee at Land O\u2019Lakes, said in a press release. \u201cI now have the opportunity to see his big milestones at school, take him to doctor\u2019s appointments, his first t-ball practices. I won\u2019t miss anything like that. And that means a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Alongside the flex-work program, Land O\u2019Lakes also offers other ways to support staffers\u2019 work-life balance. Employees working at the company\u2019s Minnesota headquarters enjoy a three-day hybrid model, and staffers receive paid caregiver and emergency leave, as well as phased retirement plans. And beyond the company\u2019s focus on flexibility, it\u2019s also strengthening employee development by encouraging them to learn from one another.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Reverse mentoring is bridging divides in a multi-generational workforce<\/h2>\n

Another part of managing a large, multigenerational workforce entails creating cohesion across employees with different lives. So to facilitate that cross-generational connection, Land O\u2019Lakes rolled out a reverse mentorship program in 2022, flipping conventions on its head by having junior employees lead the charge. The CHRO says she\u2019s participated for at least three years in a row; it\u2019s a popular initiative giving leaders a direct line to new perspectives, while helping younger workers build confidence and visibility.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think the value is about: How do we bridge the gap across those generations and really turn that into an advantage?\u201d Sexton says. \u201cThere\u2019s helping our more junior employees get up to speed faster and understand the organization. There\u2019s value in our more experienced employees hearing a fresh perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with more generations in the workforce than ever, the HR executive explains, there\u2019s been a concerted effort to bridge those divides. The nine-month program is open to anyone at the business\u2014with staffers paired intentionally across generations\u2014and has drawn 900 employee participants so far. This year alone, there are 130 reverse mentorship duos. While entry-level workers help senior employees unravel their blind spots and assumptions, seasoned staffers are giving young talent the space to improve their professional career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the junior employees bring is that fresh perspective. It\u2019s a voice that, again, a more seasoned employee may not always hear from. And I think the benefit to the more junior employees, too, is it gives them a place to try out that voice,\u201d Sexton says. \u201cThe other benefit that the more experienced employees bring is their knowledge and their wisdom about work.\u201d<\/p>\n

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