Pros
Sodexo USA is a large company with steady employment and benefits that only a large company can offer. They are strong in diversity in hiring and promotion both in management and hourly staff, at least at the units themselves. The upper management that I have encountered are mostly Caucasian, but I haven't been at their corporate headquarters to see for myself. The shop I work in is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. It is difficult for me to determine how company policies may affect those units that are non-union. Sodexo maintains a high-quality facility and good standards in their food service operations.
Cons
Salary levels are low, especially for New York City. A large company looks only at averages, and too often does not consider the real cost of living in an expensive city such as New York. When management changes, people are brought in from other locations. I have only seen one promotion from hourly staff to management in three and one half years. With the current economic crisis, cuts and layoffs were necessary. Laid off employees were not counseled and advised of other positions in the company. I believe that this is due to anti-union discrimination. Sodexo mostly operates in a top-down management model; most of the menus and marketing strategies coming from upper management, with little development at the unit level. This stifles creativity, and makes poor use of talented individuals.
