Todd Mohr
President, Aerotek Inc.
Headquarters: Hanover, Maryland
Education: University of Washington’s Michael G. Foster School of Business
First Job: Selling dictation equipment for Pitney Bowes
What I’m Reading: Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks by August Turakr
My Philosophy: Be comfortable being uncomfortable
Best Advice: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard
Taking a top-down approach
At Aerotek, in addition to our more than 5,500 internal employees, we put more than 100,000 people to work every day, and we partner with more than 14,000 companies to find the candidates they need. We are a leading staffing company in the U.S. for a variety of industries, including engineering and technical, clinical and scientific, industrial, office and clerical, and finance and accounting (Staffing Industry Analysts, 2013). In this position, we see firsthand the changing demands associated with attracting and retaining a highly skilled workforce in today’s competitive market. However, we know that our ability to meet these challenges and recruit top talent is critical to our success and importantly, the success of our customers.
As we continue to expand to new markets nationally and internationally, we must build diverse teams that are reflective of the communities where we operate. But building diverse teams is not enough in itself. Our priority is creating and fostering an inclusive environment where all of our employees have the opportunity to realize their full potential. In line with our founders’ belief that the greatness of someone is within their character and not just on a resume, we aim to bring out the best in our employees by building trusted relationships that produce great teams, inspire creativity, and create opportunity. By doing so, we leverage our talent’s unique experiences, skills, and perspectives to redirect their passion and ideas back into business to drive innovation.
As the President of Aerotek, I recognize my responsibility in achieving these goals as I believe that leadership plays a fundamental role in setting, modeling, and upholding expectations that promote and enforce inclusiveness. We have taken this top down approach at Aerotek—starting in our executive office and spreading to all regions, offices, and departments. Leaders at all levels do not single out, but encourage, embrace, and celebrate diversity. Since launching our Office of Diversity & Inclusion, we’ve been able to expand and strengthen our diversity and inclusion education and awareness efforts to emphasize that these principles are every individual’s responsibility, and are necessary in order to grow personally and professionally, and succeed at Aerotek, as well as in today’s global economy.
Great article. Very inspiring.