Aerotek's Achievement in Promoting Diversity Initiative at Workplace

            Aerotek has invested a notable amount of time and money into its diversity initiative. While the awareness of diversity has become an integral part of many organizations, Aerotek’s tactics for attracting diverse candidates, companies, and internal recruiters are unique and innovative. Aerotek provides a bevy of internal training procedures to both promote diversity awareness, and also to explicate the positive effects of a diversified company.
 
      Recent research has shown that overtime, culturally and demographically diverse groups may perform better, if they can get over their initial conflicts (Robbins, 120).  At Aerotek, each office and department has one or two diversity champions, and 60 to 70 percent of the entire organization has attended the day-long diversity training class; eventually the number will be 100 percent. In addition, every director, VP and senior member of the company participates in a three-day diversity training class. “Aerotek has 200 to 400 “diversity champions” at all levels, nominated by their team leaders.” Aerotek has a team of 18 internal recruiters that are responsible for hiring internal candidates in all 160 offices. The 19th member of that team, though, owns the title of the Internal Diversity Coordinator. The job entails seeking outlets for diversity, be it among universities, diversity-specific programs, or others. For example, one program, Prep for Prep, identifies young, intelligent diverse students in the New York City Metropolitan Area. Aerotek financially supported the program, and has already hired a couple of students from it. With this enterprise, Aerotek ensures that its own workforce resembles the same type of diverse candidates they offer to its clients.  To increase external diversity, Aerotek has created many different strategies for targeting, attracting, and placing diverse candidates.  Aerotek not only promotes diversity within the organization but also work to help client companies achieve their own diversity.

      Most notably, Aerotek crafted its own MVP Program (Most Valued Partner). This program helps companies meet their minority spend goals and promote diversity within their own workforce.  According to Jason DeShields, an African American account manager with Aeortek, the MVP program provides excellent partnership opportunities for minority groups to have an equal playing field in the job market.  He also feels that the diversity within Aerotek helps to promote this aspect of the business by attracting potential customers and future employees due to mutual cultural understandings.  The program offers partnership opportunities for companies who are interested in teaming with minority staffing suppliers. These suppliers include, but are not limited to, racial, gender, economic, veteran, age, and disability diversity.  As a result of their efforts to promote a diverse work environment, Aerotek has been awarded with many awards, including the Best Diversity Company as awarded by the Diversity Careers Magazine.  We believe the diverse workforce at Aerotek makes it a positive environment to work because it creates a positive organizational culture.  Due to the ethical organizational culture, Aerotek increases its work performance.

Robbins. (2012). Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 120.

Introduction to Aerotek Staffing Agency

        Aerotek is a member of the Allegis Group, a family of hiring companies. It is the largest, privately-held staffing provider in the United States, specializing in commercial, industrial, and technical staffing. It is a fortune 500 company that works with about 95% of other fortune companies, and to date, they have about 160 offices throughout the U.S.

        Aerotek was established in 1983 by two cousins, Steve Bisciotti and Jim Davis. Soon thereafter, John Carey joined the nascent company as another co-founder. Initially, the company was run out of Bisciotti’s Mother’s basement in Severna Park, Maryland.  Since those humble beginnings, Aerotek has grown significantly. Grossing an average of over $6 Billion dollars a year, the company has been named “the class of the growing staffing industry.” It is headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, and Aerotek clearly has strong ties to the Mid-Atlantic Region. However, the aforementioned office indicates the company’s national impact. Aerotek was recently named the “best place to work for recent college graduates” as reported by the Baltimore Business Journal. Given its dedication to its mission, its employees, and its customers, it is no secret why Aerotek’s positively deviant practices have made them so successful.

Utilizing these practices Aerotek has also become the number one, technical engineering staffing agency, the second largest US provider of scientific and clinical staffing, the third largest provider of industrial staffing and a top ten US provider of office and clerical staffing.  As a result of their strong performance they have been awarded numerous accolades in the industry.  Some of these include the best diversity company 2008 by Diversity Careers Magazine, Pinnacle award for supplier excellence in 2008 by Delphi, and the top supplier and global supplier award in 2007.

We believe that Aerotek is positively deviant in the staffing industry for many reasons.  For one, they are able to motivate their employees very well even in an industry that requires repetitive calls to pitch the advantages of their staffing agency to prospective clients.  They are also a very socially responsible and philanthropic company that puts an emphasis on the community and developing a positive and diverse workplace environment.  Aerotek also offers a flexible contractor benefit plan that separates them from the rest of their competition in the industry.  Through an incentive based pay-scale employees are reward for their great work which helps to maintain a healthy, yet competitive work environment.  The Perfect fit program helps to foster lasting relationships through good lines of communication with potential clients and creates a team oriented environment and allows for each employee to feel appreciated and valued by catering to their specific needs.

     Hypothesis:  As a result of Aerotek’s ability to create an encouraging workplace environment and socially responsible culture, communicate well with employees and clients, successfully motivate employees, and promote diversity has allowed Aerotek to separate themselves in the staffing industry.  Aerotek serves as not only a financially successful organization, but a company for which you would want to work.

Welcome!

Welcome!

               You have unfolded the learning journal of Team Unity. Our members include Connor Alcide, Jeffrey Bogle, Michael Cassidy, Xizi Liao and Benjamin Lincoln.
           
               We apply various OB “lenses” to the organization Aerotek as we go through the course. Thank you for reading our journal. Your comments and suggestions are highly valued by us.

               To be continued…