Diversity In Action

John Deere looks for engineers and
IT pros

The company hires hundreds of new graduates every year. Mentoring, job coaching and career advisor programs are available to all new hires

John Deere plans to hire 340 new graduates in 2008, with half of its recruiting effort focused on engineering. There are also needs in IT and supply management.

“We’re specifically looking for computer scientists and computer engineers,” says Amy Wagner, manager of college recruiting. “When we recruit new grads for IT positions, we typically want people with a management information systems background that aligns well with our business analyst positions. That’s true for IT interns too.”

New engineering hires are often brought into development programs that provide exposure to the entire company via rotation assignments. “These programs are somewhat divisional. They can deal with agricultural equipment, forestry equipment or power systems,” says Wagner. “In power systems we manufacture our own engines for all our equipment and also supply engines for a number of other industries.”

A similar IT development program lasts for three years and is enterprise-wide, she adds. “It’s not divisional, but more centralized. Employees can work in architecture, infrastructure, application development or data security.”

The company has a strong internship and co-op program that leads to full-time positions. “We invite over 90 percent of our interns to consider a second internship or become full-time employees,” says Wagner.

John Deere is becoming a more global company. Reporting relationships may cross geographies. “Employees like process managers and product managers who are based in different countries are working together on a particular product line or executing a particular process,” says Wagner. After a few years with the company, she adds, employees may have the opportunity to take short- or long-term international assignments.

There are a number of mentoring and job coaching programs for new grads, who are matched with a new-employee advisor to help acclimate them to the company. There is also a career advisor program for those who want to investigate resources for further career development.

“And we have a support system for females and minorities, through targeted employee networks,” notes Wagner.

“At John Deere we believe that a diverse workforce encourages creativity and innovation and helps build a stimulating work environment,” says Deb Taylor, director of global diversity. “Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the best global talent from all backgrounds in forming the strongest John Deere team. We want to maximize diversity within an inclusive work environment that capitalizes on our differences, drives high performance, and enables people to realize their highest potential.”

“It is an exciting time for us,” Wagner says. “There are many examples of employees moving around and moving up, which is especially great for people with a long career ahead of them.”

D/C