Michelle, an iOS Developer on our Digital Team, is all too familiar with the My H-E-B app, having worked on it since before it was released to the public in 2019. Alongside her amazing team, she’s worked to create an immersive mobile shopping experience that includes all the familiar comforts of shopping in store. Almost 5 years later, she’s still hard at work adding new features and strategizing how to further improve the app. Her best advice for working at H-E-B? Share your ideas. Regardless of your age, tenure, or level of education, the variety of opinions and perspectives fuels H-E-B’s continued innovation.
What’s your H-E-B story?
Since 2010, I’ve been worked on mobile apps as a software developer. I’m passionate about app development and love creating products that involve the user in exciting ways. Five years ago, before I joined H-E-B, I remember shopping at my local H-E-B store one day and seeing them expanding the Curbside box. Not long after, I used Curbside for the first time. At the time, Curbside was still in its infancy, and I remember thinking, ‘this is the coolest thing ever. This is going to change my life.’ As a mom with two little kids, ordering groceries from my couch is a game-changer. From there, I became interested in working for H-E-B, so when I saw they were hiring an iOS developer in Austin, I applied and was hired to join a small app-development team. To be able to work for a company that I admire, that has a service that I enjoy using, and work on improving that service for customers just like me is both rewarding and fulfilling.
What did your journey look like once you got to H-E-B?
While my role as an iOS developer for the My H-E-B app hasn’t changed, the growth we’ve experienced as a company, especially in the eCommerce space, is monumental. After being hired, I joined a small mobile team of about 20 people working out of this co-working space in Austin. Our team has really evolved over the last four years! Now we work from the Eastside Tech Hub, which is quite the upgrade from our first co-working space or from home. Each day brings new and exciting projects!
What’s been your favorite project at H-E-B?
Working with the team to get the My H-E-B app out was by far my biggest accomplishment. We’re constantly iterating and working to make it even better. One of my favorite recent projects has been adding store maps to the app. Getting this done meant working with many people from across the organization and visiting the stores to talk with Partners and customers about their experience using the app. It was a lot of fun, and I think the result is a crisp and functional feature that makes shopping in our stores an even better experience.
What is your favorite part of your job?
The people I work with! My team is full of intelligent, fun, and caring people. They keep me laughing and inspire me — I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s so true! To be doing meaningful work alongside such a group of talented Partners is something I am so thankful for.
How do you feel your contributions are valued?
While I’m grateful to have leaders who encourage and support me, the highest form of praise that I can receive as an app developer is seeing customers using and loving the products that I’ve helped build. The great feedback we receive from Voice of the Customer or from pulling data to see what our customers like and don’t like allows us to move forward with specific updates and features. Honestly, nothing gives me a greater feeling of being valued than that!
What’s next for you?
To continue adding value to our customers, whether that’s by adding new features to the My H-E-B app or finding new ways to improve the in-store shopping experience for our customers.
We’re constantly evaluating our mobile offerings to ensure that the user’s journey from start to finish is frictionless and easy.
What’s been a memorable moment at H-E-B for you?
The volunteer opportunities at H-E-B stand out to me. One specifically that I remember was during the winter snowstorm in 2021. I volunteered to work in one of our stores bagging groceries, and I remember thinking, ‘I can’t believe they’re entrusting me to help with this!’ Because I’m in front of the computer most of the day, I don’t get those immediate interactions with our Partners or customers. So, this gave me a fresh perspective that I could use to inform the work I do. Overall, the experience was valuable, and I’m glad that H-E-B makes doing things like that possible!
What advice would you give to others about working for H-E-B?
The best advice I can give is this: If you have an idea, share it. There’s a seat for all of us at the table. If there’s anything I’ve learned over my four years here, it’s that your opinion matters and helps make H-E-B a better place to work and shop.
