Sodexo Adds a Seventh Network Group for Employees
By Kerry Noone, Marketing Communications Manager

Today's workplace is made up of employees from four generations: the Traditional Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y/Millennials. Each group has its own attitudes, behaviors, expectations and motivations, which are primarily based on life experiences of that generation. Whether you're applying for a job, speaking to clients, pitching a new idea to your boss, or leading a team, awareness of generational differences will help you achieve success.

A study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership discovered that many of the assumptions made about each generation were exaggerated, resulting in the so-called "generation gap" and thus causing misunderstandings and miscommunication between the generations. To successfully integrate these generations into the workplace, companies like Sodexo are creating a corporate culture that actively promotes diversity and respect for its multi-generational workforce.

Jane Buttermore, Vice President of Operations, School Services and i-Gen Chair

The mission of i-Gen is to leverage multi-generational differences and commonalities for personal and professional growth in order to attract and retain talent that enhances Sodexo's strength of diversity and inclusion in the marketplace. "The i-Gen Network Group will provide opportunities to share information among all of the generations. Our programs will focus on learning about each of the generations to help us understand what motivates them. We will also begin to learn from each other as we create mentoring opportunities, webinars and social networking sites to share experiences and knowledge," says Jane Buttermore, i-Gen Chair.