Hewlett-Packard: Diversity and Graduate Recruitment

Adrian Barrett talks to Jo Jeffery, Staffing Director for the EMEA region, about how Hewlett-Packard puts diversity into action, MBA careers and the day to day working lives of the organisation's employees.

Why is diversity so important to a company like HP?

If you take a look at HP's logo, you'll see the single word "invent" right under the letters HP. Invention is what the company's all about and that calls for a constant emphasis on creativity, which, in my view, stems directly from diversity. Diversity gives us a critical business advantage and it drives profitability. It is by embracing the things that make people unique, that we get to understand the needs and desires of all our customers. Our objective is to become the leader in innovation, creativity, problem-solving, inclusion and organisational flexibility. We must have diverse perspectives and talents and put our differences to work to meet this global challenge. For us, this is not a new approach, but something that we've been committed to for decades. And it's something that we see as always being a key part of our corporate culture. As our CEO, Carly Fiorina puts it, diversity is a journey, not a destination.

Can you tell us about your diversity initiatives and what they are designed to achieve?

The key aim of our efforts in the diversity area is to create a workplace that is truly diverse and inclusive and, in doing this, to establish an environment, where we can bring out the best in all our people. Diversity is a constant at HP, not something that gets turned on and off depending on business circumstances. We see diversity as woven into the fabric of the company, into all our processes and practices, creating a mindset that allows our people to think about diversity and inclusion in everything they do.

Invention is what the company's all about and that calls for a constant emphasis on creativity

For instance, you've only got to look at the make-up of our senior management team to see that this is a company with a real commitment to getting women into senior roles. Here in the EMEA region we've been addressing opportunities for women's development through the introduction of the Women in Leadership programme. This aims to increase the number of women in management and leadership positions by developing our internal talent through networking, mentoring and the setting of specific metrics and accountabilities. We've also been putting into place as many tools as possible, which allow for the balance between work and home. We also sponsor a broad spectrum of events and initiatives designed to raise the profile of women in the workplace, both within HP and in the wider world, from educational sessions in schools and universities through to the Women International Networking conference that was held recently in Lausanne. Another way we showcased our commitment to diversity is through our involvement with the European Year of People with Disabilities (EYPD) throughout 2003. Our involvement in EYPD was a very public way of highlighting our long-term commitment to people with disabilities and to creating work environments that actively promote differences. All our products and services are designed so that they can be used by everyone, either on a stand-alone basis or with appropriate assistive devices. In support of this commitment we organised a series of mentoring days, similar to those we've been running in the USA for many years, designed to draw attention to the potential of individuals with disabilities. These events varied from country to country to take into account local culture and circumstances - those held here in the UK, for example, focused on practical career guidance and on exposure to what it's like to be part of the technology industry by allowing potential employees to work-shadow existing members of staff across a variety of different roles and disciplines.

How would the HP's commitment to diversity issues impact on a graduate entering the company?

To start with it's important to realise that we don't have any generic graduate induction programme - we believe in bringing graduates into real specific jobs where they can grow and develop quickly. That doesn't mean you will be thrown in at the deep end - we realise that some new starters will need more help and support than others and that's where our commitment to looking at our people as individuals comes very much into play.

In this context, diversity and inclusion means that the different needs and aims of everyone are addressed individually from the first day the employee joins HP and then on a continuing basis through a well-structured review and development process. For us, inclusion is also about giving employees all the tools necessary to contribute effectively to the organisation's business objectives.

Our emphasis on diversity is rooted in getting the best from each individual

All new employees, whether they are fresh graduates or experienced hires, work in partnership with their manager to develop a 30-day work plan. The aim of the plan is to identify and then supply all the building blocks that you will need to do your job as effectively and quickly as possible and to feel valued as part of the team. It ranges from being part of a team through getting access to our online induction course, "You and HP", to introductions to fellow team members to specific technical training. Training is something that we invest heavily in at HP and we now offer over 1000 courses covering everything from business awareness to inter-personal skills to in-depth technical coaching to valuing diversity. We also have a great emphasis on the development of leadership skills, not just for those who may go on to be the future senior managers of HP, but for everyone who is part of the company. Our view is that leadership skills are not just the province of an elite few but are vital at all levels and across all specialties and disciplines.

What qualities does a graduate need to succeed at HP?

We look for people with a good degree in a relevant subject and ideally some previous work experience. But perhaps the qualities that are most important to us are creativity, flexibility and, above all, what we refer to as a "winning attitude". We are a successful player in highly competitive global markets and to remain so we need people who can make a real contribution to a diverse international team and who are committed to winning, come what may.

Source: QS TopMBA Career Guide