Executive interview with Sodexo: how to capitalise on a multi-generational workforce

They have a saying at Sodexo: “You have to bake it in not bolt it on.” And that’s exactly the approach taken to its diversity and inclusion strategy, which isn’t just bolted-on as another initiative.

“Employing a diverse and inclusive workforce is not just the right thing to do but it’s good for business”, says Sean Haley, Chair of Sodexo UK & Ireland. And he’s right, the business and moral case for a more diverse workforce is well documented. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than those in the fourth quartile. The most ethnic and culturally diverse companies also outperform the least by 36% in profitability. 

Sodexo employs a 30,000-strong workforce to deliver food and facilities management services across both the public and private sector. And within that workforce is a cross-section of generational representation that the organisation is dedicated to supporting whatever stage of life they may be in – whether that be early career, through parenthood, the menopause, or even preparing for retirement. Haley sees this support as a vital means to not just attract the right talent but to also increase retention, reduce sickness levels and make Sodexo an employer of choice.

“But then we also need a workforce that can reflect our communities and the services that we actually deliver,” adds Haley. Ensuring younger staff know the requirements of university students or enabling older staff members to appreciate the needs of carers means that the Sodexo workforce not only represents but also understands its broad customer base.

Then there’s the social value aspect: being a purpose-led business means being able to provide evidence that it serves the communities it works within – something Haley and Sodexo takes very seriously.

“All of that wraps up in making sure we understand how to manage and support the different generations that exist throughout our business,” he adds.

Attracting and retaining talent in the context of a labour shortage crisis is not to be understated, but Haley sees other opportunities that business could be failing to capitalise on by not fully supporting all the generations they employ. Opportunities such as unlocking their full potential, “when there are five generations within it that may not be working together in an optimal way. You’re simply not benefiting from all the experience across your organisation,” he says.  Then there’s the risk of an ever-increasing skills gap – the more people leave an organisation early, the less that skills and experience are passed down to the next generation.

Baking in – a leadership priority

When it comes to embedding a D&I strategy into an organisation in a way that will truly succeed it has to be led from the very top. “The first thing to learn is it’s not the responsibility of a D&I lead or even a HR director,” says Haley. “The leadership team needs to truly believe and understand the risks and opportunities of the D&I agenda.”

The benefits of a truly baked-in D&I strategy far outweigh the risks. Haley believes that if a business is just talking the talk and not walking the walk on D&I, without embedding it in the business, then they run a genuine risk of being an unsustainable business.

So where to start beyond that leadership buy-in? Employee engagement is key, and networks that reflect the generations within the workforce, once empowered to interact and take responsibility to inform can guide the business on actions it needs to take forward to drive diversity and inclusion from within. And the adage of what gets measure gets done never get tired when it comes to D&I: to make data informed decisions an organisation needs to understand its demographics and measure the ongoing success – or failings – of its approach. “Set targets,” says Haley. “Set ambitious targets and measure yourself against them.”

Improving D&I in a business is a continuous learning experience for a leader like Haley. “The market evolves constantly, people’s requirements and demands continue to change,” he says. But his headline learning goes back to leadership: “Leaders need to get it, they need to get it, then they need to provide frameworks for the business to own it and drive it forward.”