Where do HR leaders draw inspiration from? What are their worst nightmares? How did they stand the test of the changing times? In this segment, we will trace your journey to the top. This is your story - a story that is made of extraordinary accomplishments, methods that helped you overcome adversity, innovative programs that you led, and fundamental changes that you brought in. It's your chance to inspire the next generation of leaders.

 

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In an exclusive interview with HR.com, Annick de Vanssay, Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Sodexo, a French food services and facilities management company that employs 422,000 people and operates in 53 countries, touches upon nurturing talent, empowering people, and promoting DEI.

Excerpts from the interview:

 

Q: What has your HR journey been like and what influenced you the most to have a positive impact on your career?

Annick: I come from four generations of women entrepreneurs! I am lucky to have these incredible female role models in my family. When I went to business school, I had in mind to start my own business. But I wanted to get hired by big companies first to learn.

Once I graduated, I started in finance. Auditing is very formative for an HR person; you learn about the company from top to bottom. But it was an HR internship at France Telecom that I did during my business studies that changed everything. And for the record, my mother created and ran a hotel restaurant. I tell myself that I did not fall into Sodexo by chance! I know restaurant and hospitality businesses and I have infinite respect for these professions, such as reception, catering, cleaning dishes, etc.

HR is very much in line with my values, it is a job that makes sense: taking care of employees and committing to offering them a fulfilling professional environment. HR has huge responsibilities: attracting new skills in jobs undergoing a profound transformation, preparing the adaptation of the workforce to the needs of the company and our customers, training to develop managerial practices, imagining the future of work... and above all, ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of all our employees in the workplace.

Q: What were your challenges during the early days of your career? What are those today?

Annick: Since the beginning of my career, my concern is to be connected to all generations, to be able to prepare today and tomorrow's talent, and to give them the means to flourish while being business minded. As HR, having the right people at the right doing the right job is our ambition, with H&S as a top priority.

And today, I would say that the biggest challenge as HR director of a global services group in our sector is to retain our people and their talents. We need to work harder to ensure that they thrive within Sodexo.

Q: How do you see workplace culture changing over the years?

Annick: It is no longer we who choose the talent, but the talent who chooses us. We need to become a more and more desirable employer, that's what our employer commitment is all about. Today, employees, whatever the generation want to work with conscience in a company.

At Sodexo we offer more than a job, it is a chance to contribute to something bigger. You belong to a family, to a team working under a common and shared purpose, “To create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all”. This is our leverage, the way we do. As a responsible employer, Sodexo is committed to the well-being, health, safety, training, and development of its employees. Therefore, throughout the world, we have undertaken to define our employer commitment, the fundamentals of which are - belong, act and thrive!

Finally, the company plays the role of social mobility for its employees, in order to equip them with the necessary skills to generate an impact and positively influence their lives, our society and the environment.
 

Q: Can you share the top three learnings from the challenges you faced?

Annick: HRD is a profession of humanism, whatever the difficulties one faces. The world is sometimes very violent and the HRD tries to temper it. Our responsibility is to be the guardian of this justice and integrity. This means learning your limits, i.e. when you can and cannot do things, and understanding that there is no compromise with yourself.

We represent the interests of the company, and therefore its continuity. This is a huge responsibility. But there are ways and means of exercising it: for me, what is important is respect and consideration. It requires a lot of discernment. It is a job that requires a lot of work on oneself, of centering oneself.

Q: Where do you draw the line when it comes to work-life balance?

Annick: Being CHRO of 422,000 people all over the world is a huge responsibility and you must be committed to the well-being of your employees. My day-to-day job is to ensure a fulfilling and safe environment for all of them and constantly improve their quality of life.

Like everyone, I sometimes need a break to rest and return better to do my job. First of all, spending time with my family is crucial for me. But I also have a passion which is gardening. I love plants and I grow many of them at home. Scabious, gentian ... I can recognize them, and I like to smell them. Another important occupation for me when I do not work is meditation. I read several books at the same time; they keep my brain awake and allow me to meditate.

Q: What fundamental change(s) (in terms of culture) have you brought into your company?

Annick: Sodexo is a company of women and men who offer services that are people-oriented. It is a company with strong values that are committed to people to offer them the best possible experience within the company and provide them with opportunities to flourish.

When I joined Sodexo, I was amazed at our people's commitment. They dedicated themselves to offering the best services possible to our clients and consumers. It is true in India and Asia but also in all the 53 countries where we operate.

Since I arrived in 2022, my willingness in this company is to continue developing all these strong values, especially positioning Sodexo as an Employer of Choice. I relaunched the EVP promise to our employees early this year. We wish to attract and retain talent by empowering them to meet their full potential through a strong employer brand. We also built a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can belong and thrive.

Q: What are some major changes you see affecting HR within the next few years?

Annick: A CHRO today has many responsibilities in a company, especially a big company like Sodexo, with jobs in profound transformation. The most important issue is to become and stay an attractive employer in the current “world war of talents”. As I already said, we no longer choose our future talents, it is the talents that choose us.

It is why we relaunched our EVP Promise to be an employer of choice with strong values committed to people, committed to the climate and dedicated to the inclusion of all. It is the fundamentals of our employer brand: belong, act and thrive!

And I would like to emphasize on DEI. The importance of developing a comprehensive and consistent approach to DEI across the organization that has high resonance for all our people. The road to a more inclusive workplace is not easy or short. However, companies must take the first step to prioritize and acknowledge the importance of implementing DEI initiatives within their company culture to create a safer, and more inclusive and positive work environment. DEI is part of Sodexo’s DNA as it reflects the diversity of our clients and 100 million consumers in the world.

 
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