Recognized as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2023):
Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Nov 17, 2022)
Here are some of the reasons why Hershey Canada Inc. was selected as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers (2023) and Greater Toronto's Top Employers (2023):
- Hershey Canada encourages ongoing employee development through a range of in-house and online training initiatives, mentoring and leadership development programs, and generous tuition subsidies for courses at outside institutions (up to $6,000 annually)
- Hershey Canada supports employee volunteerism with two paid days off to volunteer (and a $500 donation for every 50 hours volunteered) and encourages employee giving with matching charitable donations, to a maximum of $5,000 USD
- Hershey Canada manages the SMILE peer recognition program, enabling employees to award redeemable points to colleagues who demonstrate one of the company's five global behaviours

An employee at a Hershey Canada production facility
Employer Background
Industry | Food manufacturing |
Established in Canada | 1978 |
Publicly traded | yes |
Parent company | The Hershey Company |
Parent company head office | Hershey, PA, United States |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Brantford ON, Mississauga ON, Saint-Hyacinthe QC, Granby QC |
Full-time employees in Canada | 851 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 81 |
Full-time employees worldwide | 17,944 |
Workforce engaged on a contract basis | 1% |
Average age of employees in Canada | 45 years |
Longest serving employee | 40 years |
Work Environment Rating: B+
Hybrid work | office equipment loan program, hybrid and remote work options existed for eligible employees prior to the pandemic, corporate discounts on Dell computer equipment purchased for home offices |
Flexible work options | flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), telecommuting |
Commuter amenities | walk to public transit, free parking |
Onsite workplace features | head office features flexible workspaces, a wellness room, appropriately named meeting rooms and workspaces (such as Oh! Henry Hideaway and the Twizzler Licorice Lounge), telecommuter workstations, sit-stand workstations, private phone booth, nap room, religious observance room, outdoor patio, discounts at local restaurants |
Employee lounge amenities | comfortable seating, television, foosball table, board games, modern chairs and sofas with televisions tuned to employee favourites (and also used for HR updates), high desks overlooking Toronto Pearson airport runway |
Snacks available | Hershey-branded snacks from onsite company store such as Reese's Pieces and Oh! Henry bars |
Work Atmosphere & Communications Rating: B
Employee social committee name | Quality Through Engagement (est. 2009) |
Past social events | hosted numerous virtual events to keep employees in-touch in fun ways, from virtual cooking classes to bingo to mocktail making to Halloween celebrations (and much more) |
Cultural aspects | dress-for-your-day policy, casual dress (e.g. jeans) daily, music while working, concierge services available, employee sports teams |
Employee communications | intranet site, company newsletter, internal social media |
Other in-house communications | monthly Canadian town halls with live question and answer sessions |
Financial Benefits & Compensation Rating: A
Financial benefits note | Hershey Canada Inc. has multiple employee groups, financial benefits may vary by position |
Outside salary surveys | participates in outside salary surveys every 12 months |
Employee salary reviews | individual salaries are reviewed every 12 months |
Long-term savings | defined-contribution (DC) pension, matching RSP |
Long-term planning | retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options, life & disability insurance |
Year-end bonuses | available to all employees |
Referral bonuses (max) | new employee referral bonuses (up to $1,000) for some positions |
Signing bonuses | available for some positions |
Additional financial benefits | share purchase plan available to some employees, corporate discount program (e.g. retail, services, travel, etc.), discounted home insurance, discounted auto insurance, discounted Hershey's products |
Health & Family-Friendly Benefits Rating: B
Health plan note | Hershey Canada Inc. has multiple employee groups, health plans may vary by position |
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 90% of the premiums |
Flexible coverage | health plan is flexible with adjustable premiums and coverage levels |
Minimum hours worked for coverage | 30 hours per week |
Waiting period | there is no waiting period for coverage |
Family coverage option | yes |
Dental coverage | routine, restorative, orthodontics |
Eyecare | $200 every 2 years |
Paid sick days | employees receive 5 days off each year |
Health plan includes | traditional coverage (e.g. prescription drugs), employee assistance (EAP) plan, semi-private hospital room, physiotherapy, medical travel insurance, homecare, medical equipment and supplies, massage therapy, nutrition planning, podiatrist, osteopathy, chiropractor, alternative coverage (e.g. acupuncture, naturopathy), virtual healthcare services |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $1,000 each year |
Health spending account | up to $12,000 each year |
Fitness club subsidy | up to $350 each year |
Additional health and wellness initiatives | formal MyWellbeing wellness committee (hosts seminars with guest speakers on a range of topics, including mindfulness, sleep hygiene, meditation, stress management and yoga classes) |
Family-friendly benefits note | Hershey Canada Inc. has multiple employee groups, family-friendly policies may vary by position |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 70% of salary for 11 weeks |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 100% of salary for 6 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 100% of salary for 6 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 70% of salary for 17 weeks |
Adoption assistance subsidy | up to $7,500 per child |
Additional family-friendly benefits | extended parental leave to unpaid leave, phased-in return to work for new parents, academic scholarships of up to $3,000 per child |
Additional family-friendly information | parental top-up for adoptive parents is 100% of salary for 2 weeks, followed by 70% of salary for 15 weeks |
Vacation & Personal Time-Off Rating: B
Vacation note | Hershey Canada Inc. has multiple employee groups, vacation policies may vary by position |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Vacation jump | vacation increases after 10 years of employment |
Maximum vacation allowance | employees move to a maximum of 6 weeks of vacation over their career |
Personal paid days off | employees can schedule 3 personal days off each year, as needed |
Company paid days off | employees receive 2 personal days off, as determined by their employer |
Unpaid leave of absence option | yes |
Additional time-off information | vacation purchase program for salaried employees (up to 5 extra days each year), provided 3 additional paid personal days off to salaried employees last summer along with early closing summer hours (noon on Fridays) between Victoria Day and Labour Day weekends |
Employee Engagement & Performance Rating: A
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months |
Managers receive performance review training | yes |
360° feedback option | as part of the review process, performance feedback is also solicited from co-workers and other managers familiar with each employee's work |
Confidential employee feedback | employees can also provide confidential feedback on their manager's performance |
Exit interview | exit interview option is available for departing employees |
Performance recognition | online recognition platform, individual performance bonuses, on-the-spot rewards, long-service awards, tailored and unique rewards (e.g. travel), annual Global Behaviour Award for salaried employees who go above and beyond and exhibit the "Hershey Way" (winners are recognized at quarterly town halls), SMILE peer recognition program with redeemable points |
In-house survey period | in-house surveys are conducted every 3 months |
Training & Skills Development Rating: A+
Career planning | online employee skills inventory |
In-house training initiatives | mentoring, in-house training, online training, paid internships, subsidies for professional accreditation |
Related tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $6,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Unrelated tuition subsidies | employer covers up to 100% of tuition per year for courses unrelated to current position |
Unrelated tuition maximum | employer pays up to $6,000 in tuition subsidies per year for courses unrelated to current position |
Community Involvement Rating: A
Scope of charitable involvement | local, national |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 2 paid days) |
Total number of charities supported last year | approximately 52 charitable and community organizations were supported last year |
Some of the community organizations supported | Food Banks Canada, Pink Shirt Day, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (BGC Canada), Food Banks Canada, SickKids Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and many more |
Charitable giving | matches employee donations, matches employee volunteer hours with company donations |
Community highlight | Hershey Canada's charitable efforts are focused on "Making More Moments of Goodness", which is part of the company's international efforts. The program's tangible effort are focused on helping children succeed in life and enabling employee engagement and volunteerism. |
The Career Directory
Hershey Canada Inc. has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.

Hershey Canada employees collaborate
Highlights for New Grads
Industry | Food manufacturing |
Full-time employees in Canada | 751 to 1,000 |
Parent company | The Hershey Company |
Parent company head office | Hershey, PA, United States |
Major Canadian hiring locations | Brantford ON, Mississauga ON, Saint-Hyacinthe QC, Granby QC |
Student opportunities | co-op opportunities |
Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring |
Annual tuition maximum | employer pays up to $6,000 in tuition subsidies for job-related courses per year |
Typical new grad positions | Assistant Manager Marketing, Financial Analyst, Demand Planner, Territory Sales Leader, HR Representative |
Starting salary | $60K to $70K |
Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, employees receive paid time off to volunteer, (up to 2 paid days) |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
-
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Marketing
-
Master of Business Administration
Recruits at these schools
- McMaster University
- Queen's University
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- University of Guelph
- University of Toronto
- University of Waterloo
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University