How Sodexo delivers reliable staffing for exceptional events at Novartis

Jennifer Reinstein, Catering Manager at Sodexo, was responsible for staffing a high-profile holiday event requiring over 100 shifts across three days. The campus-wide celebration for 3,000 employees spanned multiple tented outdoor areas and buildings with 12 bars and 12 food stations—a complex, high-visibility operation where service quality would directly reflect on the Sodexo team. 

The previous year's experience with another staffing agency had been frustrating:

• Email-only communication with no platform access meant Jennifer couldn't see who was coming or communicate changes and logistics to workers in advance.
• No structured feedback system meant inconsistent quality and professionalism from temporary workers.
• Jennifer fielded 100+ phone calls on event day from lost workers trying to navigate the complex campus.
• The agency didn't disclose language barriers, leaving workers unable to communicate with internal staff or guests on event day

This year, Sodexo partnered with Instawork to provide comprehensive staffing support for their holiday event. For a high-stakes VIP event like this, success required:

• Operational control and visibility: A platform that provided real-time oversight of fill rates and worker profiles, easy schedule adjustments, and direct communication channels to all scheduled Instawork Professionals.
• Accountability and quality assurance: A rating system that creates accountability and motivates Professionals to deliver high quality service worthy of a premier corporate event.
• Effective team coordination: Experienced Professionals, called Captains, serve as on-site points of contact for their teams on-site, allowing management to focus on the guest experience.

The multi-day event ran smoothly from start to finish, marking a dramatic turnaround from the previous year's challenges. Together, Instawork and Sodexo delivered: 

• 100+ shifts filled seamlessly across three days with consistent, reliable Professionals.
• Peace of mind with clear visibility into who was scheduled to work and how to reach them
• Smooth day-of operations which allowed Jennifer to focus on managing the experience 
• Positive feedback from the Novartis team on service quality 

"The Novartis team gave us incredible feedback on the service quality, especially the bartenders and guest-facing staff—which after last year's experience was great to hear." - Jennifer

Beyond the operational wins, Jennifer noticed a built-in sense of community within the Instawork team. Many Professionals already knew each other from past shifts, creating natural teamwork. Her captains, Sagheer and Marc, had worked with her before, and that trust made scaling up for this celebration easy. “They know the location, they know me,” Jennifer says. That familiarity helped them coordinate smoothly and anticipate needs. Pros didn’t arrive as individual temps—they showed up as a team.

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Looking ahead

By integrating Instawork as a strategic staffing partner, Sodexo can:

• Scale with confidence: As event demands fluctuate throughout the year, they can instantly access verified Professionals who consistently deliver quality service.
• Build service excellence: With access to the same high-performing Professionals across multiple events, they build institutional knowledge and consistency.
• Focus on core operations: By eliminating staffing concerns for special events, management can dedicate more attention to enhancing the overall dining experience.

This partnership shows how forward-thinking operations are recognizing temporary staffing not as a last resort, but as a strategic advantage that enhances flexibility while maintaining quality.