SYSCO LABS

Sysco LABS Sri Lanka is the captive innovation arm of Sysco Corporation, which is a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest food service business. Sysco is a global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and customers who prepare meals away from home. Sysco LABS’ engineering teams based in Colombo, and Austin and Houston in Texas, innovate food service from the enterprise grade to technology that revolutionises the way in which the business connects with restaurants and shapes the manner they connect with customers.

Q: How does corporate reputation give businesses a competitive edge?
A: Corporate reputation and image play critical roles in identifying top tier talent and persuading them to evade competitive offers to accept positions at your organisation – all while retaining your employees.

Employees want to feel they are a part of an organisation that does rewarding and impactful work, gives back to the community and contributes to the economy. They also aspire to work for an entity that has built and maintained a strong reputation over time, encouraging them to work towards growth and development in the organisation.

Q: And how does workplace respect nurture admiration for an organisation as an ‘employer of choice’?
A: At Sysco LABS, we believe people are our most precious resource. Once respect is nurtured despite constraints, your organisation will thrive as you are fostering and empowering a workforce that is valued for its contributions. People’s ideas are heard and acknowledged, their needs met and suggestions taken aboard.

Inculcating and encouraging respect in the organisation through implementation of a sound ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity’ (DEI) strategy is also paramount. Inspired by the example Sysco has set for us, we launched our strategy a year ago and have since seen changes in the way employees conduct themselves within and outside the organisation. This allows them to build more respect for their job roles, colleagues, customers and society.

Sysco LABS is also an equal opportunity employer. By inculcating these values and encouraging our associates to be more open, inviting and inclusive, we are able to create and sustain a culture with respect at its core.

Q: In what ways does social responsibility continue to be a part of ‘corporate respect’?
A: CSR is very much a part of the corporate respect equation – especially if it’s carried out with a clear purpose to accomplish set goals.

At Sysco LABS, we have aligned ourselves with the Sysco purpose of ‘connecting the world to share food and care for one another.’ This purpose is deeply rooted not only in giving back to our employees but also the communities in which we operate.

In 2020, we launched our flagship corporate social responsibility initiative ‘Share a Meal, Share a Moment,’ which – inspired by Sysco’s 30 million meals programme – hopes to tackle the issue of hunger through the donation of warm meals and dry rations to families in need. We recently concluded phase four of this initiative and it is a project we have pledged to continue throughout the coming years.

 

Q: How does an organisation’s commitment to continuous innovation help it to accrue respect?
A: Any organisation hoping to move successfully into the future must keep innovation at the core of everything it does. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was the value of innovating and pushing the boundaries of what we know and are familiar with.

It is businesses that decided to bite the bullet, and invest in continuous innovation and digital transformation, which have continued to thrive. It is also these entities that continue to grow. They may have the domain specific knowledge and experience; however, they remain stuck and unable to make it to the next stage of growth without innovation.

Commitment to innovation is also vital from a recruitment perspective when recruiting gen Z and millennial associates. To them, innovation in their day-to-day is a must, and an entity that can allow them to innovate and push the envelope is sure to make an impression, thereby garnering respect.

It’s important that businesses build, sustain and grow a corporate culture that contributes to brand image in the long run. Entities such as Sysco LABS have forged ahead in cultivating unique corporate cultures that entice prospective employees to take up roles in these organisations and contribute to the nation’s economy.

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Three recommendations to revive Sri Lanka’s economy
Social stability is crucial; people need to have access to basic necessities.
Build a corruption free country with a meritocracy-based leadership.
Develop and promote export lead industries across the board.

Three most admired global business leaders
Elon Musk
Lee Kuan Yew
Steve Jobs

Telephone 2024500  |  Email slcareers@syscolabs.com  |  Website www.syscolabs.lk