About Aspire Bakeries

Aspire Bakeries is a leading North American bakery supplier serving quick-serve restaurants, foodservice providers, and grocery retailers with high-quality, sustainable bakery solutions. With 13 locations across the US and Canada, Aspire operates with a clear mission: put customers and people first to become the best bakery in North America.

Krys Wietzema, Vice President of Human Resources, leads a team of 30 HR professionals supporting Aspire’s core operations. Her focus: build a safe, engaging, and career-driven workplace where associates can grow and stay for the long term.

The challenge

Before partnering with WorkStep, Aspire faced high turnover and limited visibility into what was driving attrition or employee sentiment.

“Our turnover was extremely high,” said Wietzema. “The team was focused almost entirely on onboarding and filling positions, with little time left for strategic initiatives.”

Engagement programs existed but they were time-intensive and slow to scale. Leaders lacked timely, actionable feedback to address issues before they impacted retention or satisfaction.

At the same time, the company saw opportunities to improve communication and close the loop with associates more effectively, ensuring employees felt heard and saw action on their feedback.

The solution

Aspire implemented WorkStep to help create a continuous listening program that reached its entire frontline workforce quickly and consistently.

“[WorkStep] gives us flexibility to send regular check-ins with associates, collect data in a digital format, and really assess the potential issues we need to close,” said Wietzema. “It’s been transformational for gaining visibility and being able to reach the entire population much quicker.”

With WorkStep:

• Leaders own engagement — Engagement is no longer an HR-only initiative. Managers now receive direct, location-level feedback and are accountable for acting on it.
• Feedback loops are closed — In the past 180 days, Aspire achieved a 92% alert resolution rate, meaning nearly every flagged concern received a timely response and resolution.
• Communication is streamlined — Using WorkStep’s Inform tool, Aspire sent more than 30 targeted messages in six months, covering topics from open enrollment to operational updates.
• Frontline development is prioritized — Aspire rolled out learning management systems, succession plans, and job skills training to help hourly associates advance into skilled roles.

The impact

Two years into the partnership, Aspire has seen measurable, organization-wide gains:

• Record low turnover: In 2025, they’ve seen a 2% YoY improvement in turnover.
• Higher satisfaction: General Satisfaction is up 20% since partnership launch
• Leader accountability: 92% of alerts are responded to and resolved, creating trust that feedback leads to action.
• Steady improvement in targeted areas: Through WorkStep, Aspire tracks favorability and feedback related to safety and food quality. This helps drive a safety-first culture.

“The only way we can succeed is to engage our leaders,” Wietzema said. “This is their accountability to lead their people, communicate, collaborate, and provide visibility into the changes and solutions we’re bringing.”

Why it matters

By embedding WorkStep into daily operations, Aspire has shifted from reactive staffing to proactive engagement and retention strategies.

“We’ve moved from constantly onboarding and offboarding to retaining our associates and investing in their growth,” said Wietzema. “We’re building career paths, strengthening our culture, and making engagement a leadership priority.”

Her advice to other HR leaders:

“This is not an HR initiative—it is a company-wide initiative. Communication and prioritizing engagement makes a significant difference with employee retention and overall culture.”