Springboard's Awards for Excellence celebrate what a great place the hospitality industry is to work. The 2009 awards, held at the Guoman Tower Hotel, London, saw Sodexo win the Corporate Citizenship Award sponsored by BII.
In a relatively new area, but one of increasing importance for any organisation, the judges were looking for a real commitment to social responsibility - both at a strategic and operational level, supported by evidence of effective initiatives sustaining a holistic approach to all aspects of social responsibility.
WHO ARE THEY?
Sodexo has an unrivalled reputation for building lasting partnerships with clients through open, transparent relationships based on trust and exceptional performance. In the UK and Ireland, more than 43,000 people are striving to improve the quality of daily life at more than 2,300 client locations across all market sectors. Sodexo provides food services that are specifically tailored to its customers, whether they are in schools, hospitals, garrisons, offices, factories or at special events such as Royal Ascot.
WHAT DID THEY DO?
Sodexo's entry represented a holistic approach to the Corporate Citizenship Award, with strong evidence demonstrating that strategic objectives were effectively communicated throughout the organisation and to external stakeholders.
The development of the Sodexo foundation, focusing specifically on tackling poor nutrition in local communities, clearly links Sodexo's core business expertise to social responsibility; and the development of "Citizen" - a global corporate citizenship monitoring software tool which allows the sharing of best practice and global internal access to citizenship key performance indicators, clearly demonstrated Sodexo's long-term commitment.
WHY DID THE JUDGES CHOOSE THEM?
Springboard chief executive Dr Anne Pierce said: "At a time when business is beginning to get really tough, we believe that recognising achievement is critical to motivation and morale. The Awards for Excellence are a fitting tribute to the passion, enthusiasm and dedication displayed by businesses and individuals who contributed to the quality, variety and creativity within tourism in the UK today. Our industry continues to set new and tougher standards and to achieve the highest possible levels of customer satisfaction. Without doubt, the enthusiasm, excitement and commitment demonstrated by our award winners set a wonderful example for others in the industry to follow."
Martin Gould, of sponsors BII, commented: "BII is delighted to sponsor the Springboard Corporate Citizenship Award for Excellence. As the professional body for licensed retail, BII recognises Sodexo's outstanding achievements in corporate social responsibility."
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?
For more about Springboard and their Into Work programme, helping people into the tourism and hospitality industry, visit www.springboarduk.net or call 020 7497 8645. Springboard has also produced an employers' guide to providing work experience, called Inspire. For more information, contact Holly Rawlings on 020 7395 9484 or e‑mail hollyr@springboarduk.org.uk