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.