Building strong human relationships
Khun Sukanya Songsakul has had a hearing disability all her life. She has a degree in Business Administration from Mahidol University and works at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Let’s follow her through five key moments of her workday at Sodexo!
8 am: Clocking into work
I arrive every morning at 8 am and I have done so since I started working working as an Administrative Officer for Sodexo at the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in June 2009. This is my second job, which I found by visiting the Sodexo website. After I was hired, the Human Resources department and my manager were very supportive. They encouraged me to attend small working groups to learn more about my job and take part in various team building activities to help me become a true member of the team.
9 am: Answering my emails
My daily responsibilities include verifying staff attendance. I check employee social security information and make sure it is updated and accurate. In addition, when the HR department needs other specific information from employees, I help them get it. Every day, there are many challenges to take on, but I am lucky! My manager and colleagues are always ready to help me whenever I need them.
11 am: Teamwork
I work closely with my colleague on specific projects. One of these projects is an internal survey the Human Resources department does every year. They send a questionnaire to all employees and ask them to fill in key information such as name, date of birth, etc. My colleagues and I then receive all the questionnaires and make sure staff profiles match the information listed. This is very time consuming and requires strong focus. But because this is a team effort, it’s not stressful at all!
1 pm: Staying connected with colleagues
My co-workers speak with me by using body language and hand gestures. Some of them also speak sign language, which Sodexo actively encourages. I have never felt put aside, I am always included in conversations and activities!
3 pm: Touching base with my team
In the afternoon, I meet with the rest of my team to discuss the day’s work and share key information. This is a good way for all of us to know what the others are doing and give advice and suggestions if one of us is having difficulty.
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