Scorecards and a Top-down Diversity Strategy at Sodexo

Anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the annual bonuses of more than 16,000 Sodexo managers is tied to meeting diversity objectives. For the executive team, 25 percent of their annual bonuses is tied to diversity performance — and is paid regardless of the company’s financial performance. Rohini Anand, senior vice president and global chief diversity officer commented, “The measurement system, and the accountability linked to bonus compensation, has put teeth into that measurement, helped galvanize the organization and promoted positive culture change.”
Sodexo believes that it must be actively modelled from the top, and embraced at the grassroots level. In the past year, Sodexo North America’s entire executive team underwent a “360-degree review” of their diversity performance. “Over the past five to six years, we have been progressively exposing the leadership in a series of different learning opportunities, starting with the business case for diversity, and moving on to specific topics around race, gender, sexual orientation and beyond,” explains Anand. “I don’t know of many companies that engage their executive team on a quarterly basis in such a deliberate manner. We not only engage our executives in classroom training, but they are also active sponsors of our network groups, and are involved in the community. Yes, a part of their bonus is tied to their diversity performance, but they are doing this because they want to do it, and because they recognize the importance of diversity to the continued success of the company.”