Meet a Carrot — Megan Zigler
Megan Zigler, an Area Manager in the Twin Cities region, found herself in a common scenario three-and-a-half years ago. Having taken time off to focus on being a mom, Megan discovered she was ready to get back into the workforce.
“I wasn’t sure how much time I was going to take off,” Megan said, “but I always intended to go back to work.”
Out on a walk with her one-year-old son and a fellow mom who had just gone back to work, Megan recalled, “She told me how amazing this new job was with Instacart.
“I had never heard of it,” Megan admitted. Instacart had just launched in the Twin Cities and was rapidly growing. “My friend was initially hired as a cashier but then was asked if she was interested in the Shift Lead role by the Operations team,” she said. “My friend kept going on about how cool this startup was and how flexible the hours were. I was immediately interested.”
Megan applied, interviewed and was hired for a Shift Lead role. “I remember was how super cool and progressive Instacart was as a company. I knew immediately that wanted to continue working here.”
She also quickly learned how fast moving Instacart was and how challenging the role could be on any given day. “I remember getting frazzled one time when we had a checkout lane go down; I was thinking about my metrics but also really about the customer.”
It was that focus on the customer that really pushed Megan. “Instacart’s passion for customer service across the many groups that Instacart serves is amazing.
Coming from a background as a restaurant manager, Megan commented, “It was refreshing to see how Instacart balances the priorities of customers, retailers and Shoppers.”
After a year in her Shift Lead role, Megan was hired as an Area Manager where she is currently tasked with In-Store Shopper staffing and scheduling, maintaining retailer relationship, and managing the astronomical growth in the volume of incoming orders. Her advice for others looking to make a similar jump? “Work hard and stay positive. Show that you’re thinking of the solutions and not just problems.”
Zigler also mentioned the importance of thinking of the big picture — specifically around the number of people and teams necessary to make Instacart work. “One thing I didn’t appreciate enough until I was on the corporate side was the complexity of the data and engineering.”
Across teams, she commented, “There’s a universal atmosphere of wanting to empower people that I find so fulfilling. I truly feel a part of the greater effort to provide this amazing service to customers and retailers.”
When asked how she felt about her journey back into the workforce, Megan said, “I appreciate the integrity of Instacart, and know that by taking care of Shoppers, we ultimately take care of customers.” She mused, “Not bad for a day’s work.”
