Contractor to Full-time: A Q&A with Akilah Malcolm

In this Q&A, Senior Recruiter Akilah Malcolm talks about her journey with Sodexo from contractor to a full-time employee.

Akilah Malcolm serves as a Senior Recruiter on the Talent Acquisition team. She started her journey with Sodexo as a contractor and transitioned into her current role as a full-time employee. We sat down with Akilah to learn more about her career development journey, how the culture at Sodexo positively impacted her, and what advice she has for potential candidates.

Tell us about your background.

I graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a bachelor’s degree in Food and Beverage Management, and I am fortunate to live and work in Miami. I was working with a contracting firm and began my time at Sodexo in July 2021 when my contract started. I had been working primarily food and beverage-related work with Randstad.

How has Sodexo helped you discover and expand your career potential?

Sodexo had me cross over into the facilities side and I started to learn a lot of great new things, collaborating with some great people within Sodexo. I got to expand my horizons to better understand different industries and have continuous learning opportunities. Once I got to experience the Sodexo culture, I already had my wheels turning on how I could leave my contracting firm and come over and work full-time for Sodexo.

What made the Sodexo culture resonate with you?

I really enjoyed my relationships within Sodexo and being able to work with the team. There are so many opportunities to act and grow at Sodexo that I had never encountered anywhere else. After my contract ended with Sodexo, I tried to find that same thing with my contracting firm, but to be completely honest, once you see the world and know what other options are there, it really made me appreciate being at Sodexo even more.

How was the transition from contractor to full-time employee?

I really wanted to come back to the Sodexo team, and fortunately, I was able to do that. I was welcomed back with open arms, and now I'm full-time, working on the same team I was on during my contract. I didn't have to switch segments or teams so, the transition for me was incredibly easy.

Now as a full-time Sodexo employee, do you feel like this is where you belong?

Yes, most definitely. There is a true feeling of belonging at Sodexo, and it was even more evident once I came back. All of the people that I worked with prior noticed I was back online and started reaching out to tell me they were really happy for me. That always feels good being welcomed so warmly. That’s a sense of belonging that I have only seen here. It really exceeded all of my expectations.

Your background is in food and beverage and now you are a Corporate Senior Recruiter for facilities, what does that say about Sodexo’s diversity of thought?

Sodexo does a great job of embracing a diverse community within the company. In my team especially, we all come from different backgrounds, both personally and professionally. I think that helps get the brainstorming process in motion because there are so many unique skillsets and perspectives. I have a hospitality background and can collaborate with someone from another background. We can share different ideas, methods of working, and even ways to communicate.

How has Sodexo’s size and scale allowed you to grow and develop in your new role?

I started out doing similar things that I was very familiar with, but I kept hearing a constant message from my leaders. They knew I could do those things well, but they wanted to help me grow and succeed, so they shifted me to the facilities side where I could develop in a new role and thrive in a new industry. They also provided me with the proper training to accomplish my new goals. From there, I have had the opportunity to grow and shift my focus to discover more possibilities within Sodexo. I've learned so much working on the facilities side that I don't think I would have learned otherwise. 

As someone who worked for Sodexo, left, and then came back, how do you share that with potential candidates?

When I talk with potential candidates, I like to give them a sense of Sodexo’s culture using real life examples. When people ask me why I work at Sodexo, I can share my personal stories with them. I use myself as an example of the endless possibilities. I left Sodexo and I had the opportunity to explore what else was out there. At the end, I came right back. That’s what I want to share about Sodexo, just how happy I am to be here and how grateful for the relationships I have built. The people and welcoming culture here truly make Sodexo an employer of choice.