Motorola is "always on the lookout for great engineers," says Deb Lauer, VP of talent supply.
"We have engineering opportunities, particularly in software, and we're always looking for talent. If you're talented and have the right qualifications, we will absolutely find you," Lauer says.
Motorola is a Fortune 100 company that provides products and solutions for broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. Its products are used in home, auto, workplace and many other communications products. Its four divisions are connected home solutions, government and enterprise mobility solutions, mobile devices and networks.
Lauer notes that since the diversity of the marketplace is important to the corporation, its employees should reflect that diversity. "It is very clear to our recruiters that they must always be on the lookout for top diverse talent," she says.
Victoria Yates, director of global university relations, reports that Motorola's college hiring has been active. Four hundred new grads were hired in 2004, the majority of them EE, ME, CS and computer engineering majors.
The company recruits actively from a list of "tier one" schools. The schools are chosen because of their relevant courses, potential as research partners, and past recruitment track records, Yates says. Diversity of the student body is also important. "We recruit at schools like Georgia Tech, the University of Texas, the University of Illinois and the University of California-San Diego," she reports. "Motorola realizes that talent is everywhere, across the U.S. and around the world."
The conferences of SHPE, SWE, NSBE and AISES are also good recruiting venues for technical folks, and there "We work closely with our diversity team," she adds.
The college recruiting effort is expanding in 2005-06. "We're asking some of our executive officers to go out to the universities, get to know the faculties and explore other collaborative possibilities," Yates reports.
Internships and co-ops are a valuable source of new-grad candidates. Internships are open to undergrads, grad students and even a few selected high schoolers. In 2004, for example, more than a quarter of the company's interns were masters or PhD students. Co-ops are arranged individually.
Some Motorola businesses offer rotation and leadership development programs for new grads, and the company supports continuing education for all employees, Yates says. "The educational assistance program can help with an advanced technical degree, an MBA or whatever an employee needs."
Once you have a job at Motorola you'll find it relatively easy to move around, Lauer notes. "Careers at Motorola" is an internal website for job postings. "If you are interested in being mobile and have an adventurous spirit and are willing to try some new things, I think you'll like it here," Lauer says.
A new program, MentorMoto, was launched this year to expand mentoring across the company. "It's an outreach program to connect more experienced employees with newer ones throughout the company," Yates explains. "We set up some reasonable expectations, provide feedback and allocate time and energy to make sure all the participants succeed."
Lauer says that people who are involved in the company's various business diversity councils have a prime opportunity to network and exchange job information. The business diversity councils are made up of employees who volunteer to help push Motorola's business forward.
They may work from a consumer marketplace perspective or from a customer perspective, Lauer explains. The idea is for "diverse individuals to help us understand our marketplace as well as network with one another."
Councils concentrate on blacks, Asians, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender (GLBT) people, Latin Americans and women. Most of the work is currently focused on the U.S. market, but Motorola is interested in expanding to a global view.
The councils work on a variety of projects. The women's business council, for example, started a peer-to-peer mentoring program last year. Small groups of people from all levels of the organization get together to advise each other.
The women's council also hosts an annual symposium featuring senior execs. The GLBT council staffs a booth at an awareness fair in Chicago, IL.
Motorola offers tools to help employees balance their work and home lives. "We have flexible hours through the summer season, and that's just one example of what we do," Yates says. "As long as work objectives are met, employees can work out arrangements individually with their immediate managers."
The company realizes, Yates says, that "People are our most valuable assets. We understand that it's our people that we need to cultivate."
D/C
www.motorola.com
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Headquarters: |
Schaumburg, IL |
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Employees: |
68,000 |
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Revenues: |
$31.3 billion in 2004 |
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Business: |
Wireless, broadband and automotive communications technologies; embedded electronic products |
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