Sodexo is Opening Doors to More Diverse Talent  - Business in the Community

Sodexo is Opening Doors to More Diverse Talent 

Learn how Sodexo Opening Doors is transforming recruitment by supporting businesses to hire skilled individuals with convictions.

Sodexo is Opening Doors to More Diverse Talent 

Sodexo is a market leader in delivering facilities management, catering and property management services to a wide range of industries in the UK and abroad; its purpose is ‘to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all’, making the Opening Doors campaign an excellent fit for this values-driven organisation. 

Tony Simpson, Chief Operating Officer, Sodexo Justice: “As the operator of six prisons across the UK, we see first-hand the transformative impact that meaningful employment can have on individuals leaving the justice system. We have leveraged Sodexo’s scale and strong business relationships to create new opportunities for employers to engage with this overlooked and often misperceived pool of talent.”

Inclusivity is at the heart of Sodexo’s recruitment ambitions, with clear commitments to gender and racial equality. In 2023, the business launched its award-winning Starting Fresh programme, which seeks to support other businesses to recruit skilled and qualified people with convictions. The programme was established following Sodexo-commissioned research, which found that although nearly two-thirds of businesses reported recruitment challenges, half had not considered hiring people with convictions.  

Though Sodexo has long been committed to making jobs more accessible, the Opening Doors framework provides a useful tool for self-audit, to identify where they can go even further to improve the inclusivity of their recruitment processes for people with convictions. 

Commitment 1: Partner with organisations that support disadvantaged groups into work  

Part of Sodexo’s social impact commitments is to actively promote social mobility across its UK business. It works closely with clients and its supply network in supporting underrepresented groups into work. Sodexo does this through its partnerships with more than 20 charities and external organisations who all share the common goal of supporting those from prison into employment. Since Starting Fresh was launched in 2023, it has contributed to the employment of over 800 ex-offenders. Furthermore, Sodexo has a guaranteed interview scheme for those meeting the required eligibility for a role.  

One of Sodexo’s most established partnerships is with Only a Pavement Away, who provide wraparound support, from funding to advocacy, outside of traditional recruitment pathways, helping Sodexo and Only a Pavement Away provide the equity that disadvantaged people require. This partnership has fostered learning in both companies with a strong mutual goal of supporting disadvantaged people, providing the best possible social impact. 

Commitment 2: Advertise your vacancies through a range of channels and recruitment partners that target diverse groups 

Sodexo is committed to hiring people with convictions as well as supporting others to do the same. The business has a dedicated recruitment team that works hard to create viable pathways between the prisons they operate and businesses with employment opportunities and set targets for recruiting people with criminal convictions.  Sodexo has extended Starting Fresh beyond the prisons it directly operates by holding information sessions at prisons and probation offices across the country. To date, the Starting Fresh team has been invited to run recruitment events at a further 23 prisons with a strong network of allies across the country, including the New Futures Network.  

“As the operator of six prisons across the UK, we see first-hand the transformative impact that meaningful employment can have on individuals leaving the justice system. We have leveraged Sodexo’s scale and strong business relationships to create new opportunities for employers to engage with this overlooked and often misperceived pool of talent.” -Tony Simpson, Chief Operating Officer, Sodexo Justice

Commitment 3: Remove the question about criminal records from application forms 

Sodexo is a Ban the Box employer. Candidates are only asked to disclose their convictions if the role requires a security check, and where this is the case, this is discussed with the hiring manager at the interview stage to ensure that the applicant has an opportunity to explain the circumstances of the conviction and their life thereafter. Sodexo works closely with Probation Services to ensure that all candidates with convictions are able to work in the specific role and location without breaching any conditions. 

“50,000 people leave prison each year, many with the skills and experience that particular sectors are crying out for. Recruiting people with convictions can be a fantastic way for employers to tackle talent shortages, improve the diversity of their workforce, as well as realise the business benefits by doing so, whilst making a tangible, positive, social impact on individuals, families and local communities.” -Angela Halliday, Director Social Impact UK&I
“Sodexo is committed to inclusive recruitment, and we’re extremely proud of everything that we have achieved. But we know enough to know that we can always do more – to make our jobs even more inclusive, and to inspire other employers to act too. That’s why we’re delighted to be an Opening Doors employer.  The BITC network allows us to improve and inspire in equal measure.” -Angela Halliday, Director Social Impact UK&I

If you wish to find out more and get involved in creating meaningful impact, please visit uk.sodexo.com/startingfresh.  

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