Whether they work on the frontline or in the back room, multicultural women are vital to the success of this food- and facilities management services company, where they made up more than a quarter of the employees hired last year. many of them forge key relationships in the company’s affinity groups, the list of which includes the African-American leadership Forum, the Sodexo organization of latinos and the Pan-Asian network. Minority women who have taken on leadership roles within those networks say that it enhances their visibility with executives, showcases their potential and keeps them top of mind for premium assignments. Multicultural women now fill 20% more management positions than they did five years ago, and many take advantage of formal mentoring. The annual Diversity Business and leadership Summit offers workshops on cross-cultural communication.

President & CEO George Chavel
Senior VP & Global Chief Diversity Officer Rohini Anand

At Sodexo, multicultural women represent…
28% multicultural women
7% of corporate executives
9% of senior managers
13% of the top earners
27% of the company hires
13% of the company promotions
28% of the company losses
12% of participants in mentoring programs
14% of participants in affinity groups

With a wide swath of 6,000 clients to serve across North America, this service-solutions company places hourly workers everywhere from cafeterias and laundry plants to custodial and housekeeping departments. But to ensure its own gears keep turning properly, it relies on its administrative assistants, who finally scored a development initiative of their own last spring. The Administrative Professional Engagement Program offers mentoring, live and virtual networking, educational opportunities, scholarships and industry association memberships to hourly workers at headquarters, in Buffalo, NY, and in Allentown, PA. While its current focus is on corporate staff, the program will soon be available across all business units. “Having access to a mentor helps in the development of your skills, so you never feel behind the team,” says Cindy Clemenza, executive assistant to the company’s chief human resources officer. To further expand their horizons, employees who work 30 hours per week can apply for $2,500 in tuition aid each year and sign up for free management, computer and culinary courses through Sodexo University. High-potential frontline employees in Atlanta and Oklahoma City recently piloted Supervisor Essentials, a program that offers them the training, networking and mentoring they need to grow their own careers.

Hourly workers 87%

CEO George Chavel

Senior VP & Global Chief Diversity Officer Rohini Anand

Female hourly workers 61%

Work hours required for family health insurance 30

Job skills training during work hours for hourly workers Yes

Encourage breaks so nursing moms can breast-pump No

Average annual paid time off taken by hourly workers 15 days

Minimum job-guaranteed maternity leave offered to hourly workers 12 weeks

Minimum paid maternity leave offered to hourly workers Varies

74% of Sodexo workers who belong to employee networks say their membership has increased their engagement with the company.

Getting a glimpse of how other people in your own company work can be a profound experience, especially when they operate in another business or a different type of job. Impact, a yearlong mentoring program offered by this food and facilities-management services company, recently matched 90% of its 125 mentor/mentee pairs across divisions and functions—a move that inspired participants. “It has given me a new perspective,” says Ragini Raghuveer, a clinical nutrition manager, who is Indian-American. “I’m more aware of the impact my position has on the success of the company.” Diversity is a vital component: The program, aimed at high-potential employees, requires that at least 60% of its partnerships be formed across racial and/or gender lines. (Last year, 76% of its pairs fulfilled this mandate.) So enthusiastic are company leaders about Impact that more than half of the executive team participates annually. One-on-one, group and round table mentoring programs also thrive in the company’s eight very active employee networks, including those for women and African-American, Latino and Pan-Asian employees.

Multicultural Women 28%
President & CEO George Chavel
SVP & Global Chief Diversity Officer Rohini Anand

At Sodexo, multicultural women represent…
7% of corporate executives
10% of senior managers
14% of the top earners
29% of the company hires
29% of the company losses
14% of participants in mentoring programs
Not tracked % of participants in career counseling programs

Sodexo’s resource and referral program helps employees find attorneys, health coaches, home repairmen—even pet groomers.

Career development is a priority for this food services and facilities management giant, which employs moms at 4,763 locations across the United States, including hospitals, schools, senior centers and military bases. Hourly employees frequently follow a “learning map” and complete at least 20 hours of training each year. If they’re interested in climbing the ladder, they may be able to enroll in a program that helps them transition into jobs as supervisors and managers, and they can take any of 50 online business classes, with costs covered by the company. Employees who want to pursue higher education can count relevant work experience toward 15 credits at Post University in Waterbury, CT, or Strayer University in Newington, VA, which has more than 70 affiliated campuses in 16 states. While these universities offer tuition discounts, anyone working 30 hours per week is eligible for up to $2,500 in reimbursements annually toward classes, registration or lab fees, no matter where they go. (Budding Julia Childs can even take courses at the Culinary Institute of America.) Annual $2,000 scholarships are available to moms or kids pursuing culinary or food service education, and there are $5,000 awards for employee children who are working to end hunger in their communities. Should business slow or family need extra attention, employees can request unpaid leaves, while those who require child care can call the company’s resource and referral line to help find it. (Pretax spending accounts ranging from $200 to $5,000 help cover costs.) Health insurance requires an average of 30 hours of work each week, but the 401(k) and discounted stock purchase plans are open to all, regardless of work time.

Hourly Workers 87% 

CEO George Chavel

Senior VP and Global Chief Diversity Officer Rohini Anand

Hourly workers that are female 62% 

Work hours required for family health insurance 30  

Job skills training for hourly employees Yes 

Average paid sick leave taken by hourly workers Not tracked

Average paid vacation leave taken by hourly workers Not tracked

Job-guaranteed maternity leave for hourly workers 12 weeks 

Paid maternity leave for hourly workers Varies

To underscore how serious it is about diversity, the company has vowed not to rescind the bonus, no matter how bad the economy gets.

In tough times, corporate diversity efforts can often take a backseat—but not at this food- and facilities-management services company, which ties 10% to 25% of its manager bonuses to how well managers hire, promote and retain women and multicultural employees.  In 2008, nearly 30% of Sodexo hires were women of color. Once on board, strong mentoring programs help multicultural women. The exchanges that this program encourages are so powerful that its positive effect has been Gaithersberg demonstrated in three separate internal studies looking at retention and productivity.

Multicultural Women: 28%

Multicultural Women Managers/Execs: 10%

Chief Diversity Officer: Rohini Anand

Hires who are multicultural women: 29%

Hires who are multicultural men: 25%

Multicultural women managers/execs: 10%

Multicultural men managers/execs: 13%

Top 20% earners who are multicultural women: 14%

Top 20% earners who are multicultural men: 18%

Multicultural women on board of directors: 0%

Offers formal compensation program to reward managers who specifically help multicultural women advance: YES

Rates managers on the number of multicultural women employees advancing: NO

Uses outside recruiter to focus on finding multicultural women candidates: NO

Offers support groups specifically for multicultural women: NO

Offers mentoring programs specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO

Offers sponsorship program specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO