After almost 10 years of working with Sodexo, Angela Schrider is a core member of the team and has harnessed her commitment to holistic health and wellness, her passion for learning, and natural knack for management to effectively operate as the Engagement, Wellness and Community Manager across 12 Sodexo sites.
Prior to joining the Sodexo team as a service attendant, Angela ran a snowboard tour business with her partner in New Zealand. Working the tourist seasons in the ski industry, Angela’s initial reasoning for joining Sodexo was to find flexible work during the summer months.
She never expected she would step into a career which brought her such fulfilment, let alone result in her permanent relocation to Australia.
Angela credits a lot of her success at Sodexo to the people.
I have received really good advice, help, and support from managers and colleagues that I have worked with throughout my Sodexo journey” Angela said.
Within three years of working at Sodexo, Angela was promoted to manage sites in Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia. Since then, Angela’s seven years of management experience and qualifications in Sport Science well equipped her to take on the new role of Engagement, Wellness and Community Manager in March 2020.
Angela’s genuine interest in politics and human behaviours in large organisations has really expanded since stepping into this role. Her experiences of engaging with employees from diverse cultures and backgrounds, communicating with different clients, and working with internal and external stakeholders to achieve organisational objectives led her to pursue a Master’s in Business Psychology which she is now halfway through.
“It’s not something I initially planned on doing,” Angela said.
“I enrolled to help me recognise opportunities, but also to understand and overcome challenges that I faced in the job I’m doing. I’ve also found that it ties in really well with the employee engagement component and designing and delivering organisational initiatives.”
Angela attributes much of her personal growth to working with people from different backgrounds while onsite.
“I quickly learnt how to communicate with people with many different personalities and the importance of patience, tolerance, and listening to others,” Angela said.
“It can sometimes be challenging to work closely with people for 14 days straight. It’s hot and dusty and people get stressed because they’ve been away from their family and their lives back home.
“Although challenging, it’s so important for us to recognise that people may have things going on behind the scenes that we aren’t aware of that could impact how they behave.”
When asked to provide advice for fellow Sodexo team members, Angela said it was important to be kind to yourself and others.
“The ability to let go of things, learn from your experiences, and move on with a positive mindset is essential,” Angela said.
“Sometimes you just have to be a little bit easier on yourself when things don’t go the way you planned.”
Angela shares that being open to opportunities is paramount, reflecting on her own career progression with Sodexo and the many opportunities she has been able to access.
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