How Sodexo, Pega and Medtronic Empower Managers to Boost Engagement, Innovation and Customer Satisfaction

HR Leaders on Empowering Managers to Boost Employee Engagement

Managers are the core of employee engagement, especially in hybrid work settings where teams can be on-site, remote, or distributed. They directly influence how employees connect with company culture, purpose, and performance expectations. HR leaders at Sodexo, Pega, and Medtronic demonstrate that empowering managers leads to stronger engagement, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Building Engagement with Communication, Capabilities, and Connections

At Sodexo, where most employees work on-site, engagement starts by empowering mid-level managers to translate company purpose into daily actions. Prachi Kulkarni, HR Director at Sodexo India, highlights the focus on three key areas: communication, capabilities, and connections.

• Communication: Sodexo uses unique formats to share its three-year growth plans, encouraging input from the ground up. Voice and pulse surveys provide valuable feedback that helps shape policies and benefits.
• Capabilities: Automation reduces managerial workload on administrative tasks, allowing leaders to focus on people. Customized leadership programs offer scenario-based coaching and tools to develop skills in problem-solving, client management, and team leadership.
• Connections: Senior leaders frequently visit sites to listen to managers and reinforce their autonomy. Recognition goes beyond results to how managers lead—with empathy and confidence.

Immersive Learning and AI-Driven Engagement

At Pegasystems, manager development is hands-on and collaborative, supported by technology. Smriti Mathur, Head of Human Resources, shares how their “Leading at Pega” program combines coaching pods, peer learning groups, and real-time feedback to build leadership skills.

Managers participate in “manager offices,” safe spaces for sharing challenges and successes. Toolkits and playbooks help them navigate hybrid work. Pega’s AI product, Pega Blueprint, supports managers by co-creating workflows and deliverables, fostering accountability and clarity.

Innovation drives engagement at Pega, with Gen AI hackathons and intelligent tools encouraging employees to solve problems collaboratively and deliver personalized customer experiences. This approach links employee engagement directly with business success.

Purpose, Development, and Community at Medtronic

Smitha Yadav, HR Program Manager at Medtronic Engineering and Innovation Centre, explains their three-part approach to manager-led engagement: purpose, development, and community.

• Purpose: Managers connect their teams’ work to Medtronic’s mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.
• Development: Leadership programs like Elevate and Everyday Coaching focus on care, inspiration, and delivery to help managers build trust and drive performance.
• Community: Regular forums offer managers a space to connect, share experiences, and grow together.

When managers thrive in these areas, their teams naturally stay engaged.

Engagement’s Impact on Business Results

Across Sodexo, Pega, and Medtronic, engaged managers lead to more engaged employees—and that drives better outcomes.

• At Sodexo, higher engagement means reduced attrition, improved safety, and stronger customer satisfaction. Employees behave like owners, turning challenges into opportunities.
• At Pega, engagement supports faster, more personalized customer support, reflected in better retention and service scores.
• At Medtronic, purpose-driven leadership builds commitment that supports long-term growth.

The Manager Mandate: From Middle Layer to Strategic Driver

Whether through AI-supported coaching, mission-aligned leadership, or on-site autonomy, these companies show that empowering managers is essential. It’s a foundational step for any organization seeking to improve engagement and business performance.

For HR professionals interested in leveraging AI tools to support manager development and engagement, exploring practical AI training can be a valuable step. Resources such as those offered at Complete AI Training provide insights into how AI can streamline workflows and enhance leadership capabilities.