Sodexo’s Mentoring Initiatives;
Programs to Suit Every Employee
By Amy Brooks, Recruitment Manager, Environmental Services

When it comes to mentoring, Sodexo has something to suit everyone. According to Jodi Davidson, Sodexo’s Director, Diversity Initiatives, Sodexo has a variety of mentoring programs that are designed to meet the needs of different employee stakeholders in the organization. “We have a formal program called IMPACT, which is designed to be cross-divisional and cross-cultural in nature; Peer 2 Peer, our employee network group mentoring programs; and BRIDGE, which is available on a regional basis within our business lines,” Davidson noted.

Sodexo’s Spirit of Mentoring initiatives were launched in 2005 and, according to Davidson, they are clearly having a strong impact on both our mentees and mentors. “The mentees feel empowered, become greater risk-takers and feel more productive in the areas of time management and project management, and mentors are honing their active listening and communication skills and report that they are demonstrating improved leadership within their own teams as a result of the mentoring programs,” said Davidson. “Through mentoring, individuals who in the past might have only pursued opportunities within their own divisions are now exploring options organization-wide.”

To date, several hundred successful mentoring partnerships have been created and have been sustained over time. Leah Teague, recently hired General Manager in Sodexo’s Health Care Services Division, notes that as a result of her mentee experience, “I was able to learn things much faster than I ever would have on my own through trial and error. The mentoring program quickly boosted my knowledge and confidence in ways that otherwise would have taken many months.” Teague initially applied to the mentoring program at the urging of her District Manager. Moving from her role as a unit Clinical Nutrition Manager to a unit General Manager, Teague acknowledges that unit financials were not her area of strength. Her mentor, an already accomplished unit General Manager, was able to work “hands-on” with Teague in the area of financials. “I would have made many more mistakes and floundered a lot more without my mentor’s assistance,” said Teague. “This can be very defeating, having to go through the pain of trial and error. My mentor also exposed me to challenges I might face sometime in the future so I would be more prepared and able to tackle the tasks proactively.” Teague summed up her experience as a mentee by stating that “the experience turned out to be a short-term investment for a long-term benefit!” When asked if her experience as a mentee made her think about moving into the role of a mentor in the future, Teague reflected on her experience outside of Sodexo as a teacher and stated, “Absolutely! Seeing the ‘ah ha’ moments and seeing people move forward with the information I provide to them is very fulfilling for me.”

To expand upon what is currently in existence, there are plans to leverage a Web-based solution so that capacity can keep up with demand. By doing so, Sodexo is positioned to continue growing our mentoring culture as a part of our diversity and inclusion and talent management strategies.