DE&I Champion: Julie Martel

• Full name: Julie Martel
• Title: Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Eastern Canada
• Time with Sodexo: 5 ½ years
• Location: Montreal
• Segment: Transversal

 

Julie Martel has been part of the Sodexo family for over 5 years. After 8 years of running her own catering company, she joined Sodexo as a Site Manager and then progressed to the role of General Manager. Since 2019, Julie has played the role of Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist for Eastern Canada.

Julie has also been Chair of ADEPT for the past two years, an employee group whose mission is to raise awareness among Sodexo employees, clients, and partners about the importance of being open and accepting of people with disabilities through education and the promotion of their talents.

It was her past experiences as an operator that led her to take on this role, as she had partnered with a local organization to accommodate people with disabilities at the time. As a result, her team became more aware of the value that a person with a disability can bring to the workplace and it was the beginning of a new vision for everyone. Through this partnership, Julie has also been able to adapt her practices and has put a lot of effort to raise awareness on the importance of embracing difference, a core value for her. Her first experience with the organization, which led to a job, was also very inspiring for her. This is what led her to become a member of ADEPT. A few years later, she was approached to take on the role of Chair, a challenge she was ready to take on, as she felt that her past experiences would be an asset to the position. Finally, this new role allowed her to continue to do what she loves most in her work, which is to meet people, have an impact and stay close to the operations.

Given the competitiveness of today's job market, ADEPT’s work is essential, as it provides Sodexo with the best tools to reach out to a pool of candidates with disabilities and offer them an opportunity to develop and leverage their skills.

" People with disabilities have strength, life experience and resilience that naturally creates a positive impact by inspiring us as Managers to become better leaders, while also inspiring our teams and our clients.’’

To have the best tools, ADEPT works with partners such as the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) to ensure an optimal candidate experience for its potential employees. This partnership allows Sodexo and ADEPT to review our tools and platforms to ensure that the content is accessible and clear to all. This is essential for job descriptions. ADEPT and the CCRW are also working on the creation of a guide for operators that incorporates best practices for welcoming and onboarding employees with disabilities.

In addition, ADEPT is working with Ready, Willing & Able, a national initiative that helps Canadian businesses create an inclusive workplace by leveraging the skills and qualifications of people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Local ambassadors appointed by ADEPT are currently working with ADEPT employment counsellors to identify candidates with the right skills who could seek certification and join our Sodexo teams

According to Julie, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion teams have always demonstrated the importance of embracing differences. This value is so well anchored and conveyed within the company that many former employees return for this reason. Today, ADEPT remains focused on continuously improving the processes and work structures within the organization to facilitate the recruitment and hiring of people with disabilities.