| Diversity
in Action All
aboard Amtrak! As
the National Railroad Passenger Corp gears up for massive infrastructure renovation,
diverse engineers are sought to match the diverse ridership
 | | Gerri
Mason Hall: diversity is part of the business at every level. |
It's
not just about doing a nice thing. Diversity has a strong impact on the bottom
line," declares Gerri Mason Hall, VP of business diversity and strategic
initiatives at Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. "Our
primary goal is to ensure that diversity is part of our business at every level." Amtrak
is mostly owned by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and funded extensively
by government dollars. More than 23 million passengers ride the rails annually
in routes that take them through forty-six states. Escalating
traffic congestion across the nation spurs the need for high-speed railways. Amtrak
is preparing by improving its basic infrastructure across the country - converting
from wooden to concrete ties, adding thousands of miles of welded rail, bringing
stations up to ADA compliance and replacing communication cables with fiber optics.
"Most
of our technical needs are in the mechanical engineering area," Hall says.
In railroading, the ME field actually encompasses a wide range of expertise. "You
draw on a broad base of experience - mechanical, electrical and even chemical
engineering," Hall explains.  | | Acela
races between Boston, New York and Washington, DC at speeds up to 125 mph. |
"People
don't tend to think of rail transportation as a career path, so we have to be
creative in reaching out and recruiting," Hall declares. She notes that Amtrak
execs attend conferences of the Women's Transportation Seminar and NSBE to explore
opportunities beyond job-fair recruiting. Besides
hiring diversity, Amtrak works diligently through its supplier diversity program
to select women-owned and minority-owned businesses that can provide needed services
to the company. Hall's team also helps match the small businesses with larger
firms to establish strategic alliances. "In this type of environment, where
we are cutting our expenses, you have to be creative to ensure inclusion,"
she says.
National Railroad
Passenger Corp (Amtrak)
www.amtrak.com
| Headquarters:
|
Washington, DC | |
Employees:
|
21,900 | |
Sales: |
$2.1 billion (2001) | |
Business: |
Intercity passenger railroad | | |
The
company's first diversity training programs took place three years ago. "We
went over the legal aspects of diversity, but we also stressed the business case,"
Hall explains. "Now
we're concluding a refresher course for all our non-union employees. We're focusing
on the responsibilities of the manager, like ensuring inclusion and reinforcing
the bottom line. We're helping them focus on what they can do, rather than harping
on what they can't." The
program, says Hall, has raised expectations for personal conduct across the company.
Her staff also tries to make sure that departments understand that diversity concerns
don't end with hiring. "Just because you didn't have a chance to hire anyone
in the last six months doesn't mean you didn't have a chance to address diversity,"
says Hall.  | | An
Amtrak journey through some scenic canyons of the golden West. |
Though
the company does not currently have any affinity groups, Hall's staff travels
to various rail hubs to meet with groups of employees and explore their concerns
early on. "Filling
openings in technical areas with diverse candidates is still a challenge for us,
but I'm optimistic," says Hall. "We've made quantum leaps in other tough
areas in the past. Our marketing approach today shows diversity of thought and
targeting - and we see the benefits directly in our changing ridership." As
Amtrak reorganizes its engineering departments, Hall hopes to find new ways to
bring in diverse candidates. "I'm really looking forward to taking advantage
of that opportunity," she says. D/C | 
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