Reference no: EM133136219
Sodexo is the leading food and facilities management company in the world, employing 427,000 employees in 80 countries and serving 100 million customers daily. Sodexo has 10,000 employees in Canada - over 65 percent of employees are women, 33 percent are visible minorities, 5.5 percent are Indigenous, 3.2 percent have a disability and 87 percent of Sodexo's Canadian management teams are gender balanced.
A policy of inclusion is not an option or a choice - it is a business necessity. Sodexo is committed to providing all employees "the best possible work-life experience regardless of age, gender, nationality, culture or personal characteristics" and positions diversity and inclusion as the cornerstone of culture and a fundamental component of overall growth strategy. Sodexo's culture of diversity and inclusion extends beyond its workforce and community partnerships, and into its supply chain. Sodexo Canada works with 200 small and medium-sized enterprises, 84 Indigenous suppliers, and 24 women-owned businesses.
Diversity and inclusion are core competencies at Sodexo. Diversity and inclusion are part of employees' training and managers' annual performance assessment. New employee orientation and onboarding emphasizes Sodexo's values and expectations regarding diversity and inclusion.
At Sodexo, diversity training is part of the managing diversity strategy. Top management is involved in and committed to managing diversity. The senior executives program includes ongoing classroom training that is reinforced with community involvement, sponsoring employee groups, and mentoring diverse employees. Executives are engaged in learning the business case for diversity and are personally held accountable for the company's diversity agenda. The one-day Spirit of Inclusion session, mandatory for all managers, focuses on building awareness and skills around diversity and inclusion. Sodexo's diversity training includes learning labs focused on skill building and diversity awareness. Examples of these learning labs include Generations in the Workplace, Disability Awareness Training, Cross-cultural Communications, and Improving Team Effectiveness through Inclusion. The company's learning solutions for different functions and work teams. For example, a course related to selling to a diverse client base was developed and offered to the sales force, and a cross-cultural communication program was provided for recruiters.
To emphasize the importance of diversity for the company, at Sodexo each manager has a diversity score-card that evaluates their success in recruitment, retention, promotion, and development of all employees. The scorecard includes both quantitative goals as well as evaluation o behaviours such as participating in training, mentoring and doing community outreach. A proportion of a manager's pay bonus is determined by success in these areas.
Sodexo has found that its commitment to diversity and inclusion is positively affecting the business in several ways. Its mentoring program has led to increased productivity, engagement, and retention. There was an estimated return on investment of $19 for every dollar spent on the program. Sodexo has found that gender-based team - those with 40 - 60 percent women in management - outperform non-balanced teams on measures of global engagement, brand awareness, client retention, and positive profit and growth.
Sodexo also has been awarded several new business contracts and retained clients because of its involvement in managing diversity. Sodexo has been recognized for its diversity and inclusion efforts, which helps attract talented employees by signaling that the company cares about the well-being of all of its employees. For example, Sodexo Canada continues to receive recognition for its efforts, earning recognition in 2018 by MediaCorp as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers - Sodexo Canada has received this distinction for five consecutive years. Sodexo is also a Gold Certified Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Company, and has been a Top Employer for Young People for six years running.
Questions.
- What training, learning and development methods does Sodexo use, according to the information provided?
- Suppose Sodexo Canada continues to grow and asks you to advise senior leadership on how to maintain its focus on providing employee training learning and development related to diversity and inclusion. Suggest two or three methods.