"I'm not the leader, I'm a just follower"

I mentioned in my last post the many high points from my time spent at the ERE Social Recruiting Summit in NY. I also mentioned the one low point of my trip - a delayed train turning my 3 hour commute into a 6 1/2 hour commute. The train was scheduled to leave NY at 6:20 and at 6:25 when we were still sitting in the station I should have known something was not right. At about 6:29 when the train started to move I relaxed a little and then not 60 second later I heard, "Stop the train, stop the train, STOP THE TRAIN" through the conductor's walkie talkie and I knew it was going to be a long night.

Apparently there was a signal problem on the track but we were told we would be on our way, "momentarily." I don't know about you, but momentarily to me means 10 - 15 minutes tops. Maybe 20 minutes. After about 45 minutes and hearing for about the 15th time our conductor announced we would be "on our way momentarily" we realized we were stuck without escape and it was time to hit the cafe car. Have you ever been on a delayed train? It's not fun. Periodically our conductors would walk through the train asking for patience and communicating the situation as best they could. Kudos to them for their patience and smiles. After about 2 hours, as one member of the track crew clanked through the isle he was bombarded with the question we all had but no one could answer, "When would we be on our way?"

With a smile on his face he said, "Don't know - I'm not the leader, I'm just a follower."

Ooops.

Probably not the best thing to say on a crowded delayed train and I'm sure it was a good thing his supervisor was not in ear shot.

I wondered if he really did feel like "just a follower" and why he didn't want to be a leader. Just because you are not the boss does not mean you can't be a leader.

This is something I've heard over and over since joining Sodexo. Sodexo's employees focus their talents and expertise on making every day a better day for clients, their customers and for each other in order to be the leader in integrated food service and facilities management. It says that right on our the home page of our web site. Our employees are our biggest asset, so we strive to make working for Sodexo a great experience for each employee. It says that on our web site too and Sodexo fulfills this promise to it's employees. To help our employee be leaders we offer the benefit of leadership training through Sodexo University. Sodexo University offers diverse learning opportunities specially designed to help employees succeed and grow, including a program called "Leading the Sodexo Way." This program includes nine leadership development courses that reinforce core competencies needed by Sodexo managers and other professionals like, providing constructive feedback, addressing emotions at work, speaking to influence others, etc.

Hmmm... "speaking to influence others" might have been a good course for Mister "I'm just a follower." Don't you think?

Social Recruiting Summit in NY? Sodexo was there.

Monday I had the pleasure of attending the ERE Social Recruiting Summit in NYC. I had the added pleasure of speaking on a panel about using social media for recruiting. Kelly Dingee(@sourcerkelly) moderated the panel. Kelly and I "met" for the first time about a year and a half ago on Twitter. I was just dipping my toes in the twater and trying to twigure it all out when I got my first @reply from her with great advice that made Twitter click for me. I've been hooked ever since and I think it's safe to say many of my Sodexo colleagues feel the same now that we've been using Twitter in our recruiting strategy. I met Kelly for the first time IRL last month at TWTRCON in Washington DC so I was thrilled when I learned she was going to be the moderator on the social recruiting panel. Not being a professional speaker, it was comforting having her friendly face on stage with me. Another friendly face was Ben Gotkin (@lifeatmccladery) who coordinated the panel and included me. Ben and I also met online - it's been so long now I'm not sure if it was on Facebook or Linkedin but it was one of the two networks. Ben and I have similar social media goals and have share tips & tricks as we both tackle our employment branding. Every time I speak to Ben I learn something new. The third friendly face on stage with us was Heather Tinguely (@Heathert390). She's one person you need to know if you want to work at Microsoft. Heather and I met (by phone) for the first time just a week before the event but of course I've admired her online spaces for a very long time. View my World - ever see? Of course you have.

It was a great day filled with new ideas and many "a-ha" moments and lots of live tweeting. And if you missed the event, you can view our Social Recruiting panel on USTREAM here and here. (Note to self: smile more on stage) as well the full agenda of experts like, Laurie Ruettimann, Fred Wilson, Carmen Hudson, John Sumser, Master Burnett, Susan Burns, Gerry Crispin and Jessica Lee.

So what were the take aways and high points for me from the Social Recruiting Summit?

Take away: Transparency is good. Keep sharing real stories from your employees. It is personal. And, personal branding is still really, really important - key word being "personal."

High point: Meeting (in real life) people I've been following on Twitter or blogs for years now. Like the hostess for the day, Laurie Ruettimann, The Recruiter Guy, Chris Hoyt and The HR Farmer, Keith McIIvaine. And of course, Chris Russell with Jobs in Pods - I am a big fan of his and Sodexo has worked with him on some of our podcasts and I finally met him in person.

Take away: The term Rogue Recruiting from Fred Wilson who blogs every single day. Every day.

High Point: Watching Jessica Lee's presentation about how she uses social media for recruiting and personal branding. For the record, I don't believe Jessica Lee is an introvert. She was amazing.

What were the low points for me? I was in NYC - could there possibly be any low points? Yes. But the single low point did not come until my commute home on a delayed train turning my 3 hour commute into a 6 1/2 hour commute I'll write about that tomorrow.

I joined Facebook, now what? Using Social Media to Find a Job

(reposted from Sodexo's "Career Connections" eNewsletter - you can subscribe here)

The recent growth in social networking makes it easier than ever to network with people and get your resume in front of the right person. Networking with people in today's world goes way beyond email, telephone, tradeshows and websites. There are so many social networking tools available and it's easy to get confused or overwhelmed. To help our candidates and employees understand the many different ways to network with our team of recruiters, we introduced a Network with us page on our career site this year. This is your "one stop shop" for connecting with us. Sodexo's entire Talent Acquisition Team is actively "talking" with candidates across the country about their career opportunities on Facebook, Linkedin, this blog and on Twitter and more.

Social networking is mutually beneficial for employers and candidates. It allows both parties time to get to know each other. In addition to improving the candidate experience, it allows the employer an opportunity to share with candidates their culture and it allows the candidate to connect with real people who can answer their questions. It also allows the organization to learn about a candidate's career goals and aspirations and it allows candidates to choose companies that meet their expectations.

If you are still saying to yourself, "now what?" maybe these tips will help.

1. Use online resume builders like Visual CV or Resume Bear to revitalize your resume and set up a Google Profile. Take charge of your online presence and use social networking tools to brand yourself and increase your digital footprint. Google’s search engine loves blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. and you want to be found. Make it easy for a recruiter to find you.
   
2. Join LinkedIn and set up your profile to look like your resume including recommendations from current and former employers and colleagues.
   
3. Find people you know on LinkedIn and invite them to connect with you. Join groups on Linkedin, like the Sodexo Careers group and participate in the discussions. Start inviting people you know to connect with you on LinkedIn.
   
4. Set up Google Reader with RSS feeds from job board aggregators like Indeed, and SimplyHired. You can enter your criteria (company name, location, job title, salary, etc) and available jobs will be delivered to you filtered and ready for action. If you know you'd like to work for Sodexo, enter this information in and wait for results.
   
5. Set up job alerts. Job alerts will email you when a job you’re interested in is posted. Sodexo has a job agent in our career center, a job search widget and Twitter job alerts. You can also set up a job alert from Careerbuilder and other major boards.
   
6. Set up your Twitter account. Applications like Tweetdeck or Twirl will allow you to build job or company related searches. If you are interested in working for Sodexo, build a search for Sodexo and you'll see our recruiters are actively tweeting. You can see a list of our recruiters on Twitter on the Sodexo Careers blog. Here is a great Twitter cheat sheet to get you started
   
7. Set up your Facebook account and just like Linkedin, start to connect with people. Here are a few tips for using Facebook in your job search. Become a fan of a company to learn more about their culture and become of fan of industry-related trade organization pages to make connections in your industry.
   
8. Search for career related blogs, like this Blog. Don't be afraid to comment on blog posts when you agree, disagree or have a something to add. If you have a Google Profile, your name can be easily linked to your information. This is one way to get noticed by recruiters.
   
9. When you find a job you’d like to apply for look for ways to connect with a recruiter at the company. Sodexo’s Network with Us page on our Career Site makes it easier to connect with recruiters and hiring managers.
   
10. Be honest, consistent and patient. Just because you've created profiles does not mean people are required to connect with you. It’s important to represent yourself honestly and most important as a valuable contact. Social networking is not all about you - it's about your network. Help others make a connection and they will help you.

Your Social Networking profile is not for your eyes only.
If you have already started to network online or you have plans to, don't forget the information on the internet is for anyone who finds it. Take the opportunity to brand yourself as a committed employee, which will appeal to companies, like Sodexo who are looking for candidates to fill open positions. Remember, anything you post online, regardless of privacy settings, has the potential to be read by many. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind? If you do not want your boss to read it then don't post it online!


Will you take advantage of the access to our employees to get to know us?
If you have not adapted to the times and embraced social networking there is no better time to take the plunge. If you are still not sure where to begin, try reaching out to employees from the company you are interested in on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook, and ask if they have a minute to answer your questions. I think you will be surprised that most people are open to sharing their story.


What tips would you add for using using social media to find a job?

Happy Anniversary to me!

photo credit: Screencrave.com

Last Friday I went to see Disney's Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey in 3D. Jim Carrey in 3-D flying into the audience in a night gown? Yikes. To add to the "yikes-factor" I took my son who is turning 8 this week and 4 of his friends. Five 8 year old boys out together in public was somewhat of a challenge but, it was better than having five 8 year old boys on the verge of boredom in my house all night, right? It was fun. My husband drove the boys in his mini-van while my daughter and I drive in my sporty cross over. Yes, you read that right. In our house my husband drives the mini van (and loves it by the way) while I insisted on the sporty cross over vehicle.

So what does my son's birthday and my car have to do with the title of this post?

This week marks my 2 year anniversary with Sodexo. I joined Sodexo's Talent Acquisition Group as a Marketing Communications Manager and I have the privilege of working with a team of recruiting professionals who are committed to finding the best qualified candidates. My first day of work was not a typical first day mind you. I, like many of my colleagues work from my home office but that doesn't mean I didn't commute into work on my first day. In fact, my commute into work that day was via an airplane to San Antonio, Texas for our annual meeting. It was the perfect opportunity to meet the people I was going to be working with every day. I say the perfect opportunity because as I mentioned many of us work from our home office in locations across the United States and outside of visits to our headquarters in Gaithersburg, MD or career event it is the one time we are all present in one location at the same time. If I had started with Sodexo just two weeks later I might have had to wait a year to meet everyone.

Are you still asking yourself what my son's birthday and my car has to do with my 2 year anniversary with Sodexo?

I was in Texas on my son's 6th birthday and I was in Las Vegas for his 7th birthday - both times attending Sodexo's Talent Acquisition Annual Meetings. Sad, yes -- but he really didn't care much especially since it meant he was able to celebrate twice and he probably got a few extra presents as a result of the mom-guilt. Fortunately, in my day-to-day work life I don't experience much of this guilt. Working from home eliminates the long hours of work with an added commute time. Sodexo's Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA) offers alternatives to employees to reduce stress and to improve work-life balance like working from home. Starting your day a little earlier or later are also options. In addition to our FWA we also have a benefit called Lifeworks. The Lifeworks program provides personal and professional resources for employees that can be used every day. So when I decided I wanted to get pet insurance for my dog, I had a resource. When I decided I wanted to increase investments for my kid's college, I had a resource. Just about anything you can imagine Lifeworks can help. Both of these Sodexo benefits improve balance of personal and professional balance and I feel lucky to be able to take advantage of the benefits.

This year our team opted to delay our annual meeting in order to prepare for a new Applicant Tracking System and the training that would be required. So, lucky me! I'm able to celebrate with my little guy on his birthday this year. And celebrate we did last Friday with pizza and a movie and his first ever real sleepover. Though the 5 eight year old boys full of energy had me thinking "Serenity now" by about 10:30, I was still happy to be home with him.

If you are celebrating an Anniversary with Sodexo - tell us about it. What do you do for Sodexo, how many years have you worked here? What's your favorite part? Email me here if you'd like to share your story with a guest blog post!

So what does my car have to do with the title of this post? Nothing. I just wanted to make it very clear that I do not drive the mini van in our house. No offense to anyone who drives a mini van -- like I said, my husband drives one and he loves it. I'm just more a of a sporty car kind of lady. I'm going to be 40 soon and I need every youthful advantage I can get at this point!

Everyone can be a brand ambassador for Sodexo

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... even my children!

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Friday was "the most wonderful day of the year," according to my almost 8 year old hamburger. Uh... I mean my almost 8 year old SON! He talked about Halloween night for nearly a week straight (and about drove me and his sister nuts). "I can't wait until Saturday," was the the first thing out of his mouth in the morning, when he walked in the door after school, and before he went to bed at night. One morning he even woke up a little agitated and he told me the reason was he didn't sleep well the night before because all he could think about was Halloween.

When the day came he was dressed in his costume by 3PM and very excited. By 6:30 he was insisting, "it's time, it's TIME!" He wanted to carry a pillow case instead of his plastic pumpkin so he could collect more candy than in the past. I wasn't willing to give up any of our pillow cases and I wanted him to take his (little) pumpkin. We both were standing our ground and on opposite sides of the candy argument - he wanted more candy and I wanted less candy. And then out of the corner of my eye I spotted my assortment of reusable Sodexo shopping bags that I keep handy for the grocery store. Hence the title of this blog post.

EVERYONE really can be a Sodexo Brand ambassador -- even my children.

My daughter chose the pink bag (also a Sodexo bag) and my son chose the blue. We have approximately 35 houses in our neighborhood so I figure at least a few folks noticed the Sodexo logo. My children hear me talk about my job to friends and family and they love to hang over my shoulder when I am Tweeting (@SodexoCareers) and updating our Facebook Page at night. So they know (or they think they do) what I do for Sodexo's Talent Acquisition Team. It's funny to hear them talk about their mom "tweeting" or "playing around on Facebook" for work to their friends. I am proud to say that if anyone had asked my little brand ambassadors about Sodexo on Halloween they would have said, "Sodexo is a large food and facilities management company and my mom works there."

Sodexo, Blog Potomac AND the Marine Corps Marathon

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the final Blog Potomac a social media marketing event organized by Geoff Livingston and Debbie Weil just outside DC in Falls Church, VA. I live in Maryland so the drive to Falls Church VA is not so bad...if you are used to DC traffic and if know where you're going that is. Typically when I set out for a drive like this I will go to MapQuest and print out the step by step directions for peace of mind and because I am directionally challenged. This time, however I decided to use my new Tom Tom GPS system, which is apparently also directionally challenged. As "Tom" was directing me to "Turn Left, Turn Left, TURN LEFT!" and after "Tom" and I argued about the unexplained detour through a very nice neighborhood about 6 miles from my destination I was back on track and I made to Blog Potomac a little late but ready for a full day of social media marketing ideas from some of the best in the industry.

The best quote of the day for me was from Shel Israel, author of Twitterville: “the tools change, but people remain the same.” He elaborated on this by saying, he thinks we are "at the end of the beginning era of social media, a period of enormous innovation and disruption that has forced people to do things differently." I couldn't agree more. You can read more about Blog Potomac here and here and here.

The day ended and I as I headed out of the parking lot "Tom" and I had a little chat about my need to get home to my family and I asked him very nicely to cooperate with this need and direct me home without detours. Yes, I realize it's weird to talk to your GPS. Call me weird. When Tom started to take me through DC I started to get worried but my faith is in technology and I let him guide me turn by turn. As I was driving near the Pentagon I noticed huge yellow signs along the road - it didn't take long before I realized what they were -- the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) was last Sunday and these were the signs posted for the runners. I thought how cool is this? I'm driving the same route that more than 21,000 people would be running in just a couple of days! Coming from a blogging conference my brain was in blogging/content mode so I quickly snapped a few shots of the signs.

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A little history about the MCM according to Wikipedia. The MCM has been run every year since 1976, and as of 2008, was the nation's 5th-largest race by finishers. The course, which varies slightly from year to year, is certified by USA Track and Field. The race is generally run a few weeks before the Marine Corps' birthday in November. The race is also known as "The People's Marathon" because it is the largest race that offers neither prize money nor appearance fees to draw elite runners.

And, for the second year in a row, Sodexo was the official food service provider for the Marathon feeding more than 700 VIP's and providing 30,000 bags filled with healthy snacks for the runners. Did you read the blog post by Marc Lubetkin, Communications Director for Sodexo's Government Services last week? If you did then you know Sodexo also proudly sponsored the affiliated MCM Healthy Kids Fun Run, which held on Saturday before the race and the MCM Health and Fitness Expo where Tina Reddington, a Sodexo Registered Dietitian, talked about sensible nutrition and running. I didn't attend the events but I followed them on the Twitter (@SodexoUSA) and on the MCM Facebook page. You can take a look at photos of the events on the MCM Sodexo Flickr page here.

I'm not a runner -- any more that is. About two years ago I decided I was going to start running and I trained for a 10K with my neighbor for almost a year. When I crossed the finish line I was so excited I hugged a complete stranger and the next day I retired my running shoes. It was the most exhausting year of my life. I known many people who run marathons - some are training for their first and others have been running them for years. It's an impressive way of life and I'm thinking about pulling my running shoes out of retirement.

Any advice out there from runners on motivation and training?

Thank You Sodexo Plant Operations and Maintenance Employees

An open letter to Sodexo's Facilities Services Teams from Ted Bryant and Dan Ball, Senior Vice Presidents, Sodexo Facilities Services in recognition of National Health Care Plant operations and Maintenance Week


October 2009

Dear Sodexo Plant Operations and Maintenance Services Teams,

We want to THANK YOU for all you do for clients, patient’s visitors and staff. Your efforts and professionalism is mission critical for the Hospitals we serve. Your task is not easy. Many people are depending on you and your teams to keep the building and equipment operating in order for others to take care of the health of the patients we serve. Your passion and dedication is visible every single day.

The facilities we serve are both large and small. They operate 365 days a year. They're open each and every holiday. There is no time to slow down or take a break from performing your duties. Client and patient satisfaction are dependent on your services. You make a difference everyday in the lives of nursing, staff, visitors and our patients. You embody the Sodexo CARES Behaviors of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Enthusiasm and Service.

The CARES Stories that we receive are true testaments of the role you and your teammates perform. The stories are extraordinary!

YOU are extraordinary!

To all our Plant operations and maintenance Teams - Steve Dunmore (DVP Facilities), Dan and I THANK YOU! We are proud to be part of a team that puts the patent experience first. Keep up the good work. And keep making a difference in so many people’s lives.


Regards,


Dan Ball and Ted Bryant
Senior Vice Presidents
Sodexo Facility Solutions


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Daniel Ball
Senior Vice President, Facility Solutions
As Senior Vice President, Facility Solutions, Dan Ball’s responsibilities, include leading Operations & Maintenance and Infrastructure Renewal operations for the Eastern, Southeast, Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. In addition to Dan’s passion and commitment to excellence, he brings a wealth of health care facility management and related experience, from both a client and corporate perspective. He has also accumulated a tremendous track record of success since joining Sodexo as a Facility Solutions District Manager in 2003. Dan’s many accomplishments include: the highest Customer Satisfaction scores in the Division for the last three years and 2006 recipient of the Spirit of Sodexo award for Customer Service.


Ted Bryant, CHFM
Senior Vice President, Facility Solutions
Ted Bryant is currently the Senior Vice President of Facility Solutions division, Western Region for Sodexo Health Care Services. Ted began his career with Sodexo in 1976 as a Manager Trainee in the Higher Education market. He quickly moved to unit management in the Health Care division and was promoted to the position of Vice President for Operations Support, Western Division in 1995 and in 1996 he was appointed to Senior Vice President for the 9 western states covering all services. In 2003, Ted was asked to take on the SVP role in the newly created Facilities Solutions Division.


For more information about Facilities Management Careers visit our microsite here.