Here, Everyone Belongs: JJ Serano

From a young age, JJ knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a lifelong career at H-E-B. From running down aisles in search of fun to being a Facility Leader at the Weslaco RSC, JJ seeks to continue the legacy of leadership that his father started, and make an impact at H-E-B.

What’s your H-E-B Story?

Although I officially began working at 16, my H-E-B story starts many years before that when I was a young boy accompanying my father to work at Weslaco #1. For my dad, Joe, H-E-B was his first and only job, having started here when he was only 16. He retired in March of 2020 with 47 years of service! While I celebrate 22 years of service in September of 2022, it feels like I’ve been here much longer.

Even from a young age, I knew this was a company with the ability to change lives because I had seen it change my father’s life. Ultimately, my goal was to contribute to H-E-B’s mission and vision, regardless of my role. When I became eligible to work at 16, I started as a Customer Service Assistant, bagging and corralling carts. Over those first few years I worked in several positions, from cashier to customer service representative. Whatever was needed I did, working long hours if necessary, and lending a hand in various departments. Eventually, I applied for our college internship program and was accepted as a management intern.

Right before graduating college, I started looking into SORL, hoping to run a store as my dad did. As I was perusing job listings online, I saw an opening for a position in our Transportation division. Even though I’d had my sights set on retail leadership, I was intrigued by the opportunity to have more of a behind-the-scenes look at the business. I sought out advice from my father and while I expected him to steer me back towards the retail side of the business, he encouraged me to go for it. That was over 15 years ago. Now, I’m the facility leader at the Weslaco RSC!

Tell me a little more about your dad, and the impact he’s had on your H-E-B career.

My dad has an incredible story. Just before his 16th birthday, my grandfather gave him the option to travel up north and work in the fields for the summer, as he had done in years past, or get a job locally and finish high school. Thankfully, my father is a smart man. He chose the latter option, finished school, and got a great job working for a growing grocery company – H-E-B. As I got older, I was allowed to accompany him to work. It was a different time back then! As you can imagine, H-E-B is full of opportunities for adventure for a little kid. I remember running up and down aisles, hanging out in the breakroom, and visiting the managers’ offices. Even as a child, I understood the value and significance of watching my father work. He’s always had a solid work ethic, which I admire. He was my mentor long before I knew what a mentor was and taught me so much about leadership and legacy.

What’s your favorite part of your job? And most challenging?

My favorite part of the work is the opportunity to help our Partners succeed and grow in their careers. There are many leaders who did that for me, and now I get to pay that forward!

The most challenging part, especially considering the past two years, is hearing about a personal struggle a Partner is experiencing and not being able alleviate it fully. It’s tough. Thankfully, we work for an amazing company that is constantly looking for ways to support our Partner population. H-E-B equips us as leaders to extend a hand to those struggling, either professionally or personally.

How do you feel your contributions are valued?

H-E-B does a great job of showing us we’re valued. The best example of this was in 2015 when we all became Owners. There are also several committees that I’m involved with that deal specifically with things like retention and change management for our Partner population. For me, as well as many others, to be able to weigh in on these important decisions before they’re finalized shows me that the company values our thoughts and opinions. Another way is through our Partner Resource Groups, which I am honored to be a part of as the Chapter Leader of our Hispanic MWT chapter.

Tell me a little more about being a chapter leader for the Hispanic PRG.

It’s been super fun! Although we’re very active all year long, my favorite time of year is probably Hispanic Heritage Month because of the celebrations we host and the volunteer events we participate in. It’s incredible to have the opportunity to connect with fellow members across the company, both professionally, but also personally. I love that H-E-B has so many opportunities to volunteer in the community — in fact, it was at one of these events where I met my wife. Giving back to the community is a huge part of our H-E-B spirit and something we can live into through the PRG’s.

What’s next for you?

Well, our business is always changing. As Owners, I believe we are asked to adapt and be courageous with the decisions we make as the business and the world change. As I mentioned earlier, my goal has always been to contribute to H-E-B’s mission, which has never changed. I will continue to look to make an impact regardless of the role I find myself in. The future is bright because we work for a great organization, and amazing Partners and Owners surround us!

What’s been a memorable moment at H-E-B for you?

When I first decided to pursue leadership at H-E-B. I’d always known that I wanted to work for H-E-B, just not in what capacity. One day, many years ago, I was approached by a very kind department manager. Presumably, he’d heard my name mentioned because he asked if I was related to Joe Serrano. I said yes, and what we told me next was pivotal in my decision to pursue leadership. He shared a story from many years earlier when he was a young overnight stocker working alongside my dad. He admitted that at the time, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his career and was struggling from a reliability standpoint. He had nearly reached the point of termination when my dad sat down with him and had a meaningful conversation about his role at work and home since he was a new father. He shared that because of that conversation, he turned it around and was able to grow with H-E-B. That was the most memorable moment because it inspired me to want to be the kind of leader and Partner my dad was.

What advice would you give others about working for H-E-B?

At H-E-B, you’ll be confronted with hundreds, even thousands, of decisions. The way I see it, if you make those decisions with the good of your Partners in mind, you can’t go wrong. You’ll have a positive impact on those around you and an amazing story at the end.