Elena Victoria

When I married my military husband in 2003, a fellow Air Force spouse gave me a wedding gift– a handbook for military wives published in the 1950’s, replete with “sage advice” for a successful military marriage including gems such as “have your husband’s favorite drink and slippers waiting by the door when he comes home from a long day at work,” etc.

Since receiving that book a decade ago, my family has PCS’d (moved) four times, my child has attended 5 different schools, my husband has been deployed twice, and I have continued my marketing career at Sodexo!   I have also been privileged to meet a number of military wives, particularly during my husband’s stint as commander of a B-1 squadron.

 As I reflect on the many spouses, both men and women, whom I’ve met over past years, there has been a common lament.   It’s not about long deployments or being far from home, but rather the inability to find rewarding employment.  According a study commissioned by the Secretary of Defense (RAND Corporation 2007), military spouses are less likely to be employed than their civilian counterparts.  Relocation and child rearing challenges are the two primary factors contributing to the disparity.  And yet, according to RAND, “Attraction and retention of service members depends on the quality of life for the [service] members’ families, and an important element of the quality of life for military spouses is employment.”

The role of the military spouse has evolved since that handbook was published fifty years ago.  Yes, we raise our children and run our households, but we also manage projects, sit on boards, fundraise—and want to work! We face exceptional challenges, but we also have exceptional qualities.  We are adaptable, flexible multi-taskers with drive and determination.  And studies such as RAND’s affirm that we are well educated, skilled, and diverse.

May 11^th is designated Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  I’d like to use this opportunity to encourage my Sodexo colleagues to begin a discussion about military spouse employment.  Sodexo has the tools (such as virtual employment and flex time), the geographic footprint (8000 client sites throughout NorAm) and the vision (Quality of Daily Life Solutions) to take a leadership position in military spouse employment.  

Click on the HONOR logo for more information on Sodexo Employee Network Groups.

As an active member of Sodexo’s employee network group HONOR, I understand the importance of providing support, guidance and resources to employees and families connected to the military.  By supporting and encouraging the recruitment of military spouses, we not only improve the quality of daily life for our military families, we contribute to the morale and welfare of our troops and ultimately create a richer, more diverse workforce at Sodexo that is reflective of the communities we serve.

Elena Victoria is the director of marketing and communications for the Sodexo Solution Center and a proud military spouse.

Linda Lan

I’m proud to say that this is the first year that I’m actively taking stock that this is Asian Pacific American Heritage month.   Rather than be embarrassed that I’ve failed to even bat so much as an eyelash at all the prior Asian Pacific Heritage months — I’m celebrating this year of recognition as a first.  Because my diversity learning is this – it’s not when you begin your journey of diversity awareness, it’s what you make of it. 

                My ‘active’ diversity journey began a little over a year ago with the most selfish of intents.  After having recently returned from maternity leave I saw a number of fliers being posted about submitting an application for the Frances Nam Scholarship.  I noticed two things:  1) the deadline was rapidly approaching and 2) it seemed like the odds may very well be in my favor.   And with that realization and a video submission, my journey began.  Since being chosen as the 2011 winner I’ve become a more active participant in Sodexo’s diversity initiatives and have become much more in tune with my Chinese heritage and the role my heritage has had on all aspects of my life – personally and professionally.    Much of the dichotomy I’ve felt all along between the way it is I was brought up vs. the way things are done in society is now crystallized in this concept called “diversity” that I am now on the journey to understand, celebrate and help educate around it. 

                My diversity learnings were further advanced this past week when I had the opportunity to participate in a Senior Manger Leadership Forum led by LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics).  Even the concept of LEAP being management training designed by Asians for Asians seemed revolutionary to me.  Never before had the thought even entered my mind that there would even be such a thing.  It had been a foregone conclusion for me that you acclimate to the way it is or get lost in the shuffle.  My primary takeaway as a result of graduating from LEAP is this – stay true to your values but make sure your values don’t hinder your upwardly mobile progress.  Stay true to your values but make sure your intents are being properly conveyed to the outside world.  So much of our cultural upbringing are rooted in Taoist philosophies – around the concept of allowing situations to unfold naturally rather than going through excessive manipulations to achieve the desired outcome.  The basis of these concepts, unfortunately, doesn’t fare well in the corporate world as you attempt to seek upwardly mobile opportunities.  With this realization – it is now your task to make sure you and your career aren’t getting lost in translation.

            Whether you are black, white, yellow, purple or orange I believe the learnings to be the same – be aware of your intent, be deliberate in the way you present yourself and most importantly make sure you have an accurate read on how you are being received on the opposite end.  My primary motivation for embarking on this diversity journey is for my two young boys.  I want to be able to instill in them the ability to recognize, distinguish, appreciate and celebrate how every single one of us is diverse in our very own way.   I welcome each of you to join me on my journey and share your experiences as well. 

Linda Lan is a manager for Sodexo/Market Connection supplier on-boarding.

Jenn Tekin

A new hire’s experience on their first day can set the stage (and their mindset) for the rest of their employment. Going the extra mile to make a new employee feel welcome the organization is an important first step in building employee engagement and achieving a sustainable culture of recognition company-wide.  Well-designed and executed recognition programs are an excellent way to ensure not only a positive first-day experience, but also create a happy and successful work environment.

A WorldatWork Association Linked In poll confirms that organization’s today take the early adoption of employee recognition seriously.  The March 2012 poll reports that 95% of respondents agree that early recognition in the global workforce is very important starting with day 1.  The methodology is that recognition programs present a unique opportunity to communicate to the newest team members – and re-emphasize to all employees – that the organization is committed to helping them achieve success both personally and professionally.  Implementing a recognition program that includes new employee on-boarding is an excellent strategy for developing employee engagement. 

Employee recognition should begin on the first day of employment.

Organizations with high employee engagement experience 16% higher profitability and 18% higher productivity over companies with low engagement levels, according to Gallup. Similarly, a study from Towers Perrin reports that committed employees deliver 57% more effort than uncommitted employees. By supporting desired behaviors among employees – especially those new to the organization with praise and recognition, an organization will create a performance culture that impacts the workforce long into the future.

In conjunction with an organization’s onboarding practices, daily recognition tools such as notecards, eCards and company branded items are powerful and memorable motivators when welcoming new employees and assimilating them to the organization.  “Being recognized for positive contribution carries significant value in communicating appreciation and respect,” comments Jennifer Tekin of Sodexo Motivation Solutions. “And thus creates a foundation of trust and open-communication in which to build employee engagement.”

Incorporating recognition early in an employee’s tenure ensures they feel supported by leadership and their peers.  The connection sparked during an employee’s first days with the organization is a lasting memory that will motivate them in the years ahead and contribute to the organization’s overall culture of recognition.

Jennifer Tekin is a senior marketing manager for Sodexo Motivation Solutions.

Kevin L. Rettle

Today’s office planning approach has come full circle, from the organizational needs of the late 20^th century to the uber-individual focus of the dot.com era, to what is now a hybrid of both.  Companies have long seen space as a differentiating factor in attracting talent, but with four generations in the workplace for the first time, all with vastly different attitudes and work styles in the place of work, companies must now re-think how space works for them.

Innovation, speed to market, security, safety, and image still continue to drive design decisions, but now layer on the workstyles of most organizations spanning four demographics: Baby Boom (born 1946-64), Generation X (born 1965-77) and Generation Y or the Millennials (born 1978-99), and Generation Z (born starting in 1990). Aging boomers are still the largest group, but the mix is changing quickly as 20-something workers bring new attitudes to the workplace. For example, the youngest workers, who have grown up wired, love technology and the flexibility it gives them to multitask in a variety of settings, including non-traditional ones.

For the first time, four generations are present in the workplace.

Factors Beyond Space

It is not just the “plug and play” Y generation that has high expectations for technology in the workplace. New technologies have given all workers greater mobility and have increased the demand for alternative, multipurpose workspaces with ubiquitous power and wireless capabilities. Ready access to the right technology — including electronic whiteboards, plasma screens, projectors, and video conferencing, as well as computing — enables communication and performance at every level, for every age group.

Workplace Starts at the Front Door
The demand for a quality worklife isn’t confined to corporate offices. For most employees the workday experience begins and ends in the lobby of the building, and developers and building owners are reconsidering what design features and amenities will make their properties attractive to a new generation of tenants. To be competitive, Class A buildings, whether they are new construction or repositioned properties, now feature active entry lobbies with great curb appeal — a concept that has evolved dramatically since the 1970s and 1980s, when the office tower was designed more as a corporate icon than as a vital part of the work experience. Set back from stark entry plazas, the sleek lobbies were treated as voids, sheathed in stone and dark glass.

Community-Minded
In our recent Workplace Trends Report, I explored the resurrection of evidence-based space design (EBD).  In the brief I explore this:  as corporate real estate executives transition their roles from administrative tactics to enablers of their companies’ performance, the use of evidence based design becomes a natural instrument to the creation of space and service architectures that maximize performance of individuals and organizations. 

Architects, designers, and service professionals are being challenged more than ever to create inspiring space that is both beautiful and functional; offices and workspaces that are collaborative, but also contribute to effective individual work; amenities that contribute to efficient output while creating places that people want to work at; hard services that safely maintain mission critical plant operations 24/7 and contribute to healthful environments.  EBD connects end user needs and expectations with architecture and design considerations, while enabling fact-based decisions that are also fiscally responsible.  

Sodexo has long used proprietary evidence based design methods in developing service architectures that yield highly performing individuals, contributing to the progress of the organizations that they serve, and spaces that are inspirational, while also minimizing environmental impact (part of our Better Tomorrow commitments.)  Still wondering what I mean? Learn more by reading our Nokia case study, or better yet, stop by at CoreNet this weekend ( booth 225) and talk with us about how you can REignite your workforce through innovation and planning for the workplace of the future.

Kevin Rettle, FMP, is the director of FM/CRE Market Research & Insights, Sodexo.

Donya Redmond is the community and partner relations director for Sodexo at Detroit Public Schools.

As the community and partner relations director for Sodexo at Detroit Public Schools, I am always seeking out opportunities that allow our employees and partners to support the school district and the Greater Detroit community – opportunities such as the recent 104.3 WOMC Radiothon for Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan, is how Sodexo support to the community.

A group of 12 volunteers, including Sodexo employees along with Sodexo partners employees from Hercules & Hercules Inc. and Payne Landscaping, Inc., helped make the event a huge success by answering pledge calls and processing donations.  It was an incredible collaborative effort and in the two hours we volunteered, the radio station raised a total of $85,612.  Over the course of the entire Radiothon, a whopping $371, 282 was raised to help Gleaners fight childhood hunger.  This equals roughly 1,131,531 nutritious meals for hungry children – an amazing amount!

I was so proud to be a part of this event for a number of reasons.  Not only was it great to be able to support the community outside of my daily work at Detroit Public Schools, but it also matched Sodexo’s philanthropic mission to end childhood hunger through our own Sodexo Foundation.  Sodexo proves each day to stand on its values and realize the importance of volunteering, supporting community, and engaging employees in event that promote stewardship and fellowship. I love the fact that Sodexo supports employees in helping their local communities.

Of course, this volunteer opportunity was much bigger than one person.  It took the collective dedication of all twelve of our stewards of the community to make it a success.  I asked these volunteers to share what this experience meant to them and here’s what they had to say:

Bobby Banks with Sodexo: “Being a member of the Sodexo team affords employees the gateway to do more than just earn a paycheck. Sodexo empowers us all to make a true and tangible difference in our communities by teaming with national and local agencies, along with company and employee-sponsored organizations. We really are making a difference one person, one family and one community at a time.”

Robyn Freeburg with Sodexo: “This was a great opportunity to help in my own community. I am proud to be part of a company that makes this their main platform. Helping stop hunger for all is so important, especially in our own backyards.” (Pictured: Chacona Johnson, DPS Foundation; Jim Johnson, WOMC; and Donya Redmond, Sodexo.)

Rachel Lee with Sodexo: “The time I spent volunteering at the Gleaners Radiothon has truly motivated me to become more giving of my time to help ensure the children of the city are fed. What a great organization Gleaners truly is.”

Kim Murphy with Payne Landscaping: “I enjoyed volunteering my time to help fight hunger. Making a difference in someone’s life makes a difference in mine.”

Rhian Russell: “I came to Gleaners to help the less fortunate get food. I hope I get another opportunity to help other kids.” (Rhian Russell working with mom Holly Russell from Sodexo and pictured with Jim Johnson from WOMC) Rachel Lee with Sodexo: “The time I spent volunteering at the Gleaners Radiothon has truly motivated me to become more giving of my time to help ensure the children of the city are fed. What a great organization Gleaners truly is.”

Terry Payne with Payne Landscaping: “It was a great experience – I enjoy being able to give back to the community.”

Susan DiMaggio with Sodexo: “It was very rewarding volunteering my time to help stop hunger in our local community. It is such an honor to be employed by an organization that supports this community food bank and its efforts to fight hunger throughout Southeast Michigan.” (Pictured: The WOMC DJs lend a helping hand.)

Be sure to check out additional pictures of the event on the Sodexo Flickr page.

The authors pose at Tarleton State University, part of the Texas A&M System since 1917.

As student employees for Sodexo at Tarleton State University, my co-workers and I had a tremendous opportunity to learn about the business of creating exceptional experiences for students on campus.  In our roles, we support Sodexo’s team by managing labor and weekly schedules, overseeing the unit and district level financials, and graphic design for our district manager’s region. This hands-on exposure to campus dining not only gives us a real-world glimpse into the hospitality industry, but it’s also extending our college education outside of the traditional classroom.

Recently two of my co-workers and I had an interesting opportunity to visit another campus in our region to meet with students and conduct surveys about their dining program. Being strangers trying to take time out of a student’s day, we felt as if we had a challenging task in front of us. However, the students and faculty we encountered were truly eager to fill our surveys out and let us know what they liked and disliked about their dining program. We were surprised by the similarities as well as the differences between the dining programs on both campuses. We also found it interesting to learn what issues were important to students on that campus. The students requested that they be provided with healthier options at dining hall locations as well as a wider variety of options. They also wanted on-campus retail dining locations to rival those found in the community surrounding their campus.

It is these experiences that make our work with Sodexo an integral part of our college education. Although we learn a great deal from lectures and text, we find that our work with the Tarleton State dining program gives us a unique perspective on the business that’s nearly impossible to replicate. We definitely encourage students interested in a career in hospitality at other Sodexo-served campuses throughout Texas and across the country to see if they can join similar programs!

All three authors are student employees for Sodexo at Tarleton State University. Tanner Smith is a student manager, Katie Campbell is a district administrator and Victoria Miller is a district graphic designer.

As consumers we are often bombarded with these crunch decisions…in the advertisements we see… sometimes with some of the big ticket items we are considering buying.  We are given a limited time in which to act, and sometimes the pressure can get the better of us.  The same applies with ethical decision-making.

A colleague recently shared a newspaper article with me about a study conducted by researchers from several well known universities regarding the amount of time someone is given to make an ethical decision and the impact. In one of the tests, participants were offered the choice of more money for lying or less money for being honest. 

Take time to smell the roses…and make the right choices!

The participants, when given more time – three minutes versus less than 30 seconds – to think about the choices were 5 times more likely to make the more ethical choice of being honest.

Lisa Bowers is compliance manager for the Sodexo Office of Ethics and Compliance

Of course it is helpful when the new company provides a strong orientation program to facilitate the transition.  My employer, Sodexo, provided a unique onboarding experience through an award winning program called Arrive and Drive: Come Alive with Sodexo.  This comprehensive virtual and classroom based orientation introduces managers to the company, all required compliance training, software applications training, critical operations functions, management techniques and a year of self-development. The program allowed me to review materials at my own pace, see certain topics multiple times if I desired and provided links to more information for the topics that were particularly relevant to my position.  This approach was like nothing I had experienced with any previous employer and made me feel that the company was investing in my success right from the beginning.    

There is always going to be a learning curve, but total immersion will help you acclimate faster.  Ask if you can sit in on meetings so you can see how people interact and be sure to make notes.  Is the approach formal or casual? Are there company or industry specific acronyms that you need to learn?  Is innovation or use of technology welcomed or a more traditional approach preferred?  Knowing these basics will help you fit in more quickly.  Don’t be shy about sharing your ideas or taking on projects.  You may not do everything perfectly along the way but that can be the best way to learn and in most cases your efforts will be appreciated.  After all, you were hired because it was recognized that you can contribute to the team. 

So my advice is to embrace the learning curve. Jump right in and you’ll be a native before you know it, helping out the next rookie.

Enrico Dinges is the newest member of Sodexo’s Corporate Communications team supporting external public relations efforts for Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources. 

Our History

When we formed Sodexo’s Talent Acquisition department in 2004, we believed that staffing with home-based employees would offer a number of benefits beyond recruiter casual. We knew it would create the opportunity to hire the best staff regardless of their physical location. We knew this arrangement would allow our team to be better focused on goals while avoiding distractions from being physically located in an office or single line of business. And, we knew it would reduce expenses and allow more flexibility in the way our recruiters managed their volume of job requisitions – hiring over 4,500 management employees each year.

Click the fuzzy slippers for an in depth look at the 2012 Workplace Trends report.

Clearly Defined Goals

To be successful, we developed a strong, clear vision and value set to guide our recruiters. What really makes successful virtual organizations thrive is establishing the framework through which you expect your employees to work. Setting clear performance goals that tie back to business objectives gives employees a sense of purpose and direction.

Providing a strong training and development program is also key to helping virtual staff meet these goals. At Sodexo, our strong on-boarding and training program and regular sharing of best practices help keep our recruiters and staff up-to-date on the latest industry news as well as corporate information.

As a company, we value our customers, team work and innovation, and celebrate best practices while measuring and rewarding results. In developing our virtual team model, we engaged operational and human resources leaders to ensure an alignment of our strategies with business objectives. And, we incorporated concepts from Jim Collins’ books “Built to Last” and “Good to Great.”

Building Engagement

However, to build high performance culture in a virtual organization, you also need the highest levels of engagement. And, you need to be very deliberate in addressing some of the downsides of working in a home office – such as feelings of isolation and being disconnected from the business, feelings of being undervalued and, not surprisingly, weight gain. For us, we needed to develop a team that would give 120 percent.

Enter the water cooler. Working virtually, there is little time to socialize with colleagues in casual conversations or hold impromptu meetings in the hall. So, we established regular, intentional communication within our team, including weekly team conference calls and bi-weekly individual calls – each with some dedicated time for personal musings and informal chatter.

From birthdays to service anniversaries, pictures and highlights from personal accomplishments and activities, to best practice sharing and external speakers who provide updates on new initiatives, this water cooler time is a critical component of our weekly meetings to help our team stay connected to each other and the business.

We’ve even been known to throw “parties in a box.” We’ve done virtual baby showers, holiday parties, wedding showers and celebrated other life events virtually. For one particular baby shower, not only did we send the mommy-to-be a box of traditional baby shower goodies and gifts, but we all received the same box before we gathered on the phone to celebrate with her – “all” being our Talent Acquisition team plus HR and operations partners from across the country. This was a great opportunity to share a special time and bring the team together as a family.

Providing Recognition

With a team that works hard, you need to provide intentional recognition. Recognizing accomplishments – big and small – is important for employee morale and for developing a sense of purpose and connectedness to the company for virtual employees. In Talent Acquisition, we consistently recognize our team members for their contributions and successes through quarterly Virtual Star and Brand Ambassador Awards. And, we hold a live meeting annually to celebrate accomplishments, energize and motivate, and enjoy the personal company of each other … fuzzy slippers, optional.

Over the years, what we’ve found is that while it’s natural to connect to one another in a live workplace, you have to be very intentional in a virtual environment. It takes more effort, but it is very possible to have the same, if not a greater, level of performance. By providing training and development and online support, teams can thrive in the virtual environment.

But, don’t take just my word for it. Read some additional research in the area of virtual teams here and here. Building an intentional, purposeful framework for your virtual team will lead you to success.

Arie Ball is the vice president of Talent Acquisition for Sodexo.

Architects, designers, and service professionals are being challenged more than ever to create inspiring space that is both beautiful and functional; offices and workspaces that are collaborative, but also contribute to effective individual work; amenities that contribute to efficient output while creating places that people want to work at; hard services that safely maintain mission critical plant operations 24/7 and contribute to healthful environments.  EBD connects end user needs and expectations with architecture and design considerations, while enabling fact-based decisions that are also fiscally responsible.  

The Nokia Building. (Click on the picture for the case study.)

So how do we bridge the subjective “art” with the objective “science” to create space that works?  EBD acts as the conduit between emotion and architecture; intuition and investigation; idiosyncratic and metrics based outcomes.  A number of tools are employed by practitioners of EBD. Modality studies, psychographic analysis, ergonomics, color studies, end user preferences, environmental impact, and health impact are a small sampling of these.  The use of these methods not only influences architectural and service design, but also serves as a predictive model of future performance.

Sodexo has long used proprietary evidence based design methods in developing service architectures that yield highly performing individuals, contributing to the progress of the organizations that they serve, and spaces that are inspirational, while also minimizing environmental impact (part of our Better Tomorrow commitments.)  Still wondering what I mean? Learn more by reading our Nokia case study.

Kevin Rettle is the director of marketing, Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions.