Arulraj Alexander: From Gardener to Facilities Manager

Stay Curious, Keep Learning, Grab Opportunities — This Is My Success Mantra

Never miss an opportunity — My learning

To me, knowledge has always been of paramount importance. But knowledge doesn't need to be sought only through formal academics. It’s present in all that we do in our daily life. What’s important is whether we have the zeal to look for it and lap it constantly.

I come from a humble background. I was first employed in the landscaping division of a three-star hotel in Chennai. To put it in simple words, I was a gardener. Call it fate or an opportunity in disguise, one day, I was suddenly asked if I would consider being part of the Food & Beverages Division for merely a one-day event. The person managing that event guided me in my responsibility and found in me a potential to do more than gardening. This single-most recognition was the start of my growth process.

Sensing my capabilities, my senior shifted me to the Housekeeping Division of the hotel. My curiosity to learn in my daily workday, my drive to add value to the guests and my sense of ownership catapulted me to roles with greater responsibilities. There have been innumerable times wherein I have lapped up opportunities beyond my work role, and these moments have significantly contributed to my career success.

The 'Sodexo' value ad

My overall work experience in housekeeping spans 23 years. I'm part of Sodexo for 14 years. Working in this company has been altogether a unique experience. Here, every day is an opportunity to make an impact. With Sodexo, I have had the opportunity to experience the heights of my career.

For Sodexo, improving the quality of life is a daily mission. I'm completely awed by their ethos of enhancing the quality of life to keep people healthy, happy & motivated every day. I believe our integration of Food services, Facilities management, employee benefits and more contributes to the happiness index of our clients and communities. And, Sodexo translates this philosophy to its employees as well.

My Sodexo success story

I attribute my success in Sodexo to the organisation's work culture. The leadership team is genuinely committed to their team's success. They take efforts to understand the staff's aspirations and offer them the right set of tools to advance not only in their career but holistically in life. Speaking of self, my seniors believed in my ability and characteristics and took them as a starting point for my development. The attitude here is not to harp on the deficiencies but to enable people to transition their gaps to strengths. Sodexo manifests a growth mindset. It is this sensibility that has made me belong and thrive in this organisation for such a long time.

I have always emphasised kindling curiosity and learning throughout life. This attitude certainly takes people forward. With encouragement from my family and peers in Sodexo, I finally managed to take a distance course and complete my graduation recently. This scholastic accomplishment after decades reaffirms that age has nothing to do with milestones in life. All one needs to do is stay motivated, scout for opportunities and make progress. Every day!