What: United Commits to Hiring, Promoting and Advancing Black Talent in Collaboration With OneTen
United Airlines is committing itself to diverse hiring and career advancement practices. The airline has announced a collaboration with OneTen, a coalition of chief executives and their companies dedicated to increasing Black talent in the workplace. The organization’s mission is to hire, promote and advance 1 million Black individuals without four-year degrees into family-sustaining careers over the next 10 years. United is one of more than 60 companies that have committed to the undertaking, which includes adopting skills-first hiring and promotion practices.
Why It Matters: These Measures Will Help Create a More Equitable and Diverse Travel Industry
A skills-based approach to career advancement is one way to address the economic and systemic barriers that Black talent may face in the workforce, helping to build a more equitable working environment. By joining forces with OneTen, United Airlines has a chance to create thousands of meaningful career paths and help diversify the travel industry — and now is the ideal time for this commitment, as the airline builds back from the COVID-19 pandemic (after hiring 6,000 people since January, United plans to hire another 8,000 this year and add 50,000 employees in the next five years).
What They Are Saying: United and OneTen Are Working to Close the Opportunity Gap for Black Talent
“Joining OneTen will build on our current practices to further develop, retain and advance diverse talent to positions across the airline, better reflecting the customers and communities United serves," said Scott Kirby, CEO of United. "I look forward to learning from and working with other companies to close the opportunity gap for Black talent and increase opportunities for underrepresented groups in our workforce."
"OneTen is taking a different approach to job creation by challenging the status quo and barriers that have impeded Black talent,” added Maurice Jones, CEO of OneTen. “It can be difficult to think differently about recruiting talent based on their skills, not just their college degree, but that is exactly what we need to do. We are delighted that United has taken on that challenge. Together, we will work to create a new hiring ecosystem that will advance Black talent in the airline industry."
The Details
OneTen
United Airlines
