Innovations2Solutions

In late 2009, the Sodexo Group and ESSEC formed a partnership to advance research on the quality of daily life, and in early 2010, they established the Sodexo-ESSEC Chair in Innovation and Quality of Daily Life to drive research initiatives. Initial exploration of quality of life issues involved a review of existing academic and business documentation to identify prominent and emerging trends associated with the quality of daily life. The studies sponsored by the Chair should provide insight as to how services in this area should evolve, and ESSEC’s international and multi-disciplinary approach offers the perfect complement to program goals.

The “financial services sector” is a term used to describe a cluster of occupations that manage money and requires that its professional employees possess similar knowledge, skills and abilities. Careers within this sector include investment planning, banking, insurance and business financial management.13 Generally, these careers offer their professional employees autonomy, high salaries and challenging career paths. To reap these occupational benefits, however, some professionals within this sector have heavy and sometimes unpredictable travel commitments and are required to work long hours, a large chunk of which is spent sitting in front of computers analyzing complex data.13

In Part One of this series on financial services call centers, we reviewed the physiological and psychological outcomes of call center work, and the effects that these can have on organizational outcomes. In Part Two, we will examine components of the call center work environment and discuss recommendations and techniques to promote better engagement and a healthier working environment.

With the rapid globalization of the world economy, it is imperative that companies be equipped to provide both local and international exchange of information and services. Call centers are a key means to this end, and are ubiquitous in the United States and abroad. Call centers clearly play a critical role in day-to-day company operations, long-term customer retention, and organizational success. Yet most are plagued by a host of worker-related issues, many of which stem from low levels of employee engagement. The research has clearly shown that employee engagement – encompassing an employee’s motivation, morale, and enthusiasm for the job – is critical for employee satisfaction, productivity, and company success.

This document exhibits the importance of breaks in the manufacturing environment. Breaks can refer to the amount of time to take a pause from work; physical spaces to take that pause, or even activities that one can do during a moment away from a manufacturing line or task.

American manufacturers continue to shoulder much of the healthcare burden and productivity costs associated with obesity-related chronic diseases and disability in the United States. Forward-thinking companies, however, are focusing on providing good nutrition and fostering positive eating behaviors as part of their risk- management strategy, to improve the overall well-being of workers.

In manufacturing, the quality of the frontline employee’s work-life is rarely studied. Most research on this population focuses on increasing the quantity and quality of their production efforts, rather than improving their workplace experiences. These two issues are not mutually exclusive. Rather, a happy and healthy workforce is a key ingredient to a successful enterprise. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to explore what factors color the frontline employee’s impressions of his or her work experiences (“Quality of Work-life” or QWL).

Few regard being in the hospital as a pleasant experience. A hospital stay is usually associated with a dual burden — the unpleasantness of the condition causing the hospitalization, as well as the discomfort associated with the state of being in a hospital. Medical research and increasingly also patient engagement can help speed and alleviate the first issue. To mitigate the second concern, hospital staff and administrators can make valuable contributions.

The critical question is: what can HEIs do to create a welcoming and supportive environment for these students – one that provides safety, comfort and security through formal and informal organizations that understand these students’ unique needs and cultural preferences.

How mindfulness and meditation can be used to manage and reduce stress in higher education students

How mindfulness can be used to address problems and needs within schools.

Achieving an optimal quality of life is a balance between nutrition, diet and exercise. That balance has to take into account the age, special conditions and individual needs of each resident. Central to this effort is providing healthy, nutritious foods that balance nutrition with enticing flavors to create an indulgent way to enjoy health. Mindful by Sodexo achieves this balance and helps residents, staff and guests make healthy dining choices. The program focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clarity in messaging. By readily sharing the ingredients and nutritional information of the Mindful menu items being offered, consumers are better educated about which foods are part of a healthier choice so that making those choices soon becomes second nature.

This paper will examine the role of the food services and dining spaces in meeting the needs of today’s employees and contributing to long-term organizational success. The food offer does not always reflect the unique characteristics of today’s workforce, yet this misalignment may not be readily apparent – employees may quietly grumble that the food services are inadequate, or they may simply choose to leave their worksite for lunch. At first glance this issue may seem insignificant; however, in reality it alludes to larger issues around work-related quality of life, company image and culture, and the ability of employees to be optimally productive—issues that ultimately affect the organizational bottom line. Food services and the dining spaces can affect all of these outcomes, yet they do not always leverage their ability to do so.

Managing social interaction and loneliness in healthcare and older adults’ care settings is the focus of much contemporary research and public policy. Social interaction and loneliness impact the quality of life of patients, older adults, families, carers and workers, including their ability to progress and the performance of organizations across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The purpose of this report is to increase understanding of loneliness and social interaction to improve the quality of life of patients, older adults and carers, so they can progress and the organizations near them can perform better.

Rosewood Senior Living Community recently renewed a six-year contract with Sodexo to provide resident dining services at the Bakersfield, CA location. Sodexo first began managing the nutrition services and resident dining at Rosewood in 2005 with the goal of: • attaining financial stability • positively impacting reviews by governing bodies • improving the quality of food • updating the infrastructure • increasing voluntary meal sales and catering revenue Sheri Oliver, who has served as director of dining services at Rosewood since 2010, said the department has undergone numerous improvements under Sodexo’s management, which led to the renewal of the contract.

Sodexo’s created an innovative experience that aligns with the client’s vision, values and new ways of working through a unique village and lifestyle center concept. This built environment is designed to enable greater collaboration, innovation, and well-being through a blending of dining, retail experiences, and support services customized to meet the unique lifestyle and work style needs the population.

This paper offers an overview of key trends affecting the senior living resident experience: 1. Accommodating a new generation of customers who are more diverse and more tech-savvy than previous generations 2. Changes in consumers’ retail behaviors 3. New expectations for senior living amenities and services 4. Changes in the senior living industry’s stakeholders

Roth, a Sodexo Company, is a leading provider of quality roofing and building preservation, alternative energy, HVAC, and remote energy management solutions designed for sustainability, maximum life cycles and operational effectiveness. With decades of experience, this Sodexo company applies a unique performance-oriented approach to identify problems and provide the best solution to meet clients’ needs. Many Roth products are environmentally preferable and carry Energy Star® ratings, Cool Roof Rating Council ratings and can contribute to achieving LEED® certification. Roth, a Sodexo Company, is the industry benchmark for service excellence, delivering world-class Sustainable Solutions Built for Life.

Fostering engagement should clearly be a top priority for manufacturing organizations; however, before any comprehensive strategies are implemented, it is important for employers to address some of the more basic job stresses and engagement issues associated with working in this sector – particularly for those workers engaged directly in production.

Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions and IFMA are proud to play key roles in the future vision of corporate real estate and facilities management through the development of our people, skills, and partnerships. Today, we join the IFMA for World FM Day, a virtual event on Twitter. For a longer discussion, check out the LinkedIn Workplace Experience group to engage in some thought provoking discussions with industry leaders.

Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions and IFMA are proud to play key roles in the future vision of corporate real estate and facilities management through the development of our people, skills, and partnerships. Today, we join the IFMA for World FM Day, a virtual event on Twitter. For a longer discussion, check out the LinkedIn Workplace Experience group to engage in some thought provoking discussions with industry leaders.

Sodexo Facilities Management Solutions and IFMA are proud to play key roles in the future of corporate real estate and facilities management through the development of our people, skills and partnerships. Today, we join IFMA for World FM Day, a virtual event on Twitter. For a longer discussion, check out the LinkedIn Workplace Experience group to engage in some thought- provoking discussions with industry leaders.

Few experiences and settings are wrought with as much convergence and divergence of opinion and range of perspective as the workplace. Function and process, organization and mission, culture and brand, space and environment all collide in the workplace, to either support or inhibit the quality of work or the quality of the work/life experience. In an effort to understand, change and evolve a perspective on the workplace, those responsible for the workplace (from company leadership, management and HR specialists, to facilities and real estate professionals) look to trends to inform or affirm their approaches. Appreciating history and understanding momentum and trajectory are thought to be valuable in getting a glimpse of the future. And we all stand to gain from a look at the future that trends promise.

Certain demographics of employees are drawn to these unique environments. They wanted to help others, deliver customer service, provide safety, or interact with colleagues. There are other unique characteristics to these employees as well that merit a different approach to their management and recognition. You will read about how time is spent during the selection process to ensure that organizations are recruiting and selecting people with the right profile, and about efforts to keep this unique and emotional connection with their employees. The report will also provide what organizations are doing to help individuals bring their best by connecting to the customers, strategy and success of the organization. We are most proud that this report highlights the best of what Sodexo’s employers do in the realm of employee engagement in the unique environments we serve. Employees are looking to organizations for tools and resources that help them simplify their lives, stay healthy and balanced, and bring their “whole self” to work. These factors continue to be top drivers of engagement. As shown in Sodexo’s 2012 Workplace Trends Report, employee engagement, productivity, brand image and loyalty continue to be relevant measures of success, no matter the workplace. We hope you find value and insight from this collection of research from six environments.