In late April, George Chavel, President and CEO for Sodexo in North America, welcomed John Davies, Vice President for GreenBiz Intelligence, to provide a briefing to Sodexo on the leading trends and priorities for companies as they think about sustainability and how to incorporate it into their business models. As George Chavel noted, the environment is a "C-Suite issue," not only at Sodexo, but also for our clients, vendor partners and suppliers.

Some of the leading trends described by John Davies include increased transparency, expanded accountability, and innovative approaches to increase efficiency that result in eliminating waste and reducing costs. Sodexo’s commitment to sustainability as defined in our Better Tomorrow Plan describes our commitment based on the core values that have served the company well since its founding. As Davies noted, the idea that companies must be more open with information about both their positive and negative impacts is becoming more widespread. Read more»

What role do MBAs play in the U.S. workforce today? Is it to crunch numbers and drive profits for corporations, or is there more to it than that? How can corporations impact policy on critical issues such as child nutrition? How can corporations coordinate, empower and enable employees to offer their strengths and expertise and to make a difference in their communities? Sodexo leaders discussed these topics and much more with members of the DC Chapter of NSHMBA at George Washington University during a Sodexo-sponsored event on May 6th. Read more»

Career success or failure is often determined as much by how well one is able to "play the game" as by one’s performance on the job. Office politics are played out every single day from corporate boardrooms to small businesses around the world. It is the savvy employee who learns how to navigate this landscape and is able to get ahead. Read more»

The National Restaurant Association honored Sodexo with its Faces of Diversity Award for achievements in and contributions to the restaurant industry. The Faces of Diversity awards celebrate diversity in the restaurant and food service industry and among the industry's nearly 13 million employees. Read more»

During the month of April, Sodexo’s 380,000 employees across the globe were asked to join forces by teaming up to raise money, donate time, and provide meals to people in and around their local communities. This global initiative helps the one billion people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition around the world.

Sodexo employees repacking food items at Food Lifeline’s Shoreline Repack Center in Washington.

The work of volunteers impacts everyone’s lives by building stronger communities through volunteerism. This Sodexo event launched in the United States fourteen years ago and evolved into a global effort in 2009. Servathon, the largest employee fundraiser for the Sodexo Foundation (Sodexo’s charitable organization), encourages Sodexo employees to come together for the greater good of the community to provide a better way of life for those in need. Read more»

During the Memorial Day holiday, many across the country will be remembering those who have given their lives in service of our country. Sodexo employees will be among those honoring that service and the sacrifices made. One constant across the very large population of military veterans is the commitment to serving: service to those in their charge, service to the unit in which they served, and ultimately service to the nation through duty and sacrifice. With Spirit of Service as one of our core values, Sodexo has proven to be an exceptional employer for many veterans, military reserve and families of both veterans and those on active duty. Read more»

Left to right: Anthony Scarpino, Senior Director, Talent Acquisition; George Chavel, President and CEO; Kerry Noone, Senior Marketing Manager

Thanks to smartphones and sites that promote on-the-go interaction, the amount of people using mobile devices to access the Web has grown exponentially. There are over 4.5 billion mobile phones in use today, and it’s estimated that by the end of this year, over 1 billion users will be accessing the Web via a mobile device.

Sodexo has now made it possible for those "on the go" to learn more about our company and our career opportunities via mobile. Beginning with this issue, our Career Connections eNewsletter can now be viewed via mobile by clicking on the “Mobile Users Click Here” link just above this e-card. Individuals will now be able to search Sodexo career opportunities with the launch of our mobile Web site at m.sodexo.jobs. Users can learn more about a career with Sodexo by viewing the Meet Our People profiles and joining our Talent Networks. To view the site, visit m.sodexo.jobs from your mobile device or desktop.

1st row: San Francisco State students: Jane Nguyen, Roksana Czech, Nathalia Fung, Delilah Bisase and Danielle Leeke. 2nd row: Myra Mendoza, Senior Recruiter and Florence Fong, District Manager

At Sodexo, we take college recruitment seriously. When faced with a down economy, many companies opted to cut back on college hires, but not Sodexo! We recognize that those talented students preparing for graduation today represent the future leaders of our country and our company. When we bring students on board our company, we place a high value on ensuring that they are making the most informed decisions about their career path as possible. We know from experience that this results in a better match for both the student and for Sodexo, and it helps drive retention over the long term. Towards that end, we invest in our college relationships by giving our time and our talent. Our recruiters spend time on campus, sharing information on our corporate culture and values and advising on career planning, job search strategies, resume preparation and interview techniques. Our executives make themselves available for classroom presentations and industry panels to share their perspectives. And when students explore opportunities with us, we do our best to have them visit our accounts so that they get a real-life view of what they might expect as they begin their careers with our company. Read more»

Michelle Robinson, Director, College and External Relations

Across the globe, Sodexo makes significant commitments to all of its employees at each touch-point of their career experience with our company. In the March edition of Career Connections, we told you about Sodexo equipping new employees for success from day one with the Come Alive with Sodexo program. That same commitment continues for the development of its leaders. Sodexo understands the importance of "growing your own." It created the Emerging Leaders Program approximately one year ago and has recently graduated its first class. Read more»