Pros
Sodexo has many properties, and always has opportunities for employment. They are the leader in the leisure/service industry and are progressive in their approach to enhancing customers' dining experiences whether it be in a dining hall, staff cafeteria or public park. Their approach to innovation has given them some great successes and made their business model very profitable in certain areas.
Cons
Sodexo's model is all about profitability above everything else. Many times, key elements such as quality, logic and safety are outweighed by the need to exceed profit margins. If you work for Sodexo, don't expect to be smiling and happy like the folks on the HR brochures. Expect to work 7 day weeks, 12-14 hours a day. Expect to be denied time off for doctor's appointments, home emergencies and more important things like family events like birthdays and weddings. Expect to live at Sodexo and hotel at home. I barely see my family anymore. I haven't taken a vacation in two years. I'm lucky if I get a day off in the middle of the week. Management says things are critical and they can't give us any time off right now. We are woefully understaffed. The work is never done. Also, while Sodexo is an innovative company, they apply a cookie-cutter approach to most of their properties. They are unyielding in the need to acknowledge that no two properties are built alike. Customer bases are different, customer needs are different and thus how you organize your operations is going to differ from place to place. Sodexo has a model they try to force down every organization's pipeline. If they think it takes 12 widgets to run the operation when you know it needs 20, they expect you to make it work with the 12. No exceptions. And don't expect to be given the tools to do your job. I was expected to use my personal cell phone and laptop to do my job. I use my personal vehicle to make inventory pick-ups. I pay out of pocket for inventory and have to wait to be reimbursed. Sodexo is all about keeping those profit margins clean, and the less money, the less resources they have to cough up, the better it is for them. If I had it to do all over again, I would have said no to Sodexo.
