The Bureau of Labor Statistics says employment in the field of logistics is expected to grow 26 percent from 2010 to 2020—faster than average for any profession.
Chairman and CEO Robert Sanchez (center, top) serves as executive sponsor for Ryder’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. Comprising cross-functional leaders, the Council helps ensure that the company’s work environment fosters productivity, enhances its ability to attract, hire, and retain the best talent, and ensures that Ryder can respond to workforce changes and dynamic market conditions.
Attracting and retaining diverse talent is essential to ensuring that Ryder stays ahead of the competition, grows the business, and delivers on its promises to customers. As part of this initiative, Ryder recently partnered with Women in Trucking (WIT) to develop female-friendly vehicle designs. This collaboration is aimed at improving working conditions for female drivers and enhancing safety through ergonomic truck cab designs that address the unique challenges women face when operating today’s commercial heavy-duty vehicles.
Women represent an important talent segment the industry has traditionally done a poor job of attracting and retaining. By working with WIT and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), Ryder’s goal is to give women the tools they need to enter and remain in a growing employment sector. Plus, Ryder’s dedicated transportation solution, which enables drivers to come home daily and work with predictable hours and routes, makes Ryder an attractive career home for women, especially those who have children.
In 2013, Ryder held its second Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF)—a Ryder Diversity and Inclusion Council initiative. The event brought together Ryder’s women directors and above from throughout the company, across the US, UK, Canada, and Mexico. The WLF provides women leaders the opportunity to do the following:
- Network with other executive leaders at Ryder in order to support collaboration and share business insights
- Participate in interactive workshops led by internal and external subject-matter experts
- Leverage new tools to increase personal effectiveness and strategic networking
- Gather new insights and tips on maintaining work/life balance
- Identify additional career development resources
Ryder has also been successful at attracting and retaining military veterans. The distinct logistical, mechanical, and management skills learned through military service are a great asset to Ryder’s organization, and veterans fill a variety of roles important to Ryder’s operations. Since joining Hiring Our Heroes® in 2011, Ryder has increased the percentage of veterans in its almost 23,000 employee US workforce from 8 percent to 10 percent, and also doubled the number of recently separated veterans hired in that same time period. By the end of 2013, Ryder announced it had surpassed its goal to hire 1,000 military veterans—a full 10 months ahead of schedule! The company has also strengthened its 20-plus-member veteran hiring task force by focusing its efforts on customizing onboarding, training, and development practices to better meet the needs of veterans transitioning to civilian jobs.
Finally, in support of Ryder’s ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance an inclusive culture, the company implemented a global employee engagement survey. The survey provides a platform that enables all employees to voice their perspectives on Ryder’s culture, and share their insights regarding how to ensure its inclusive workplace environment continues to meet the evolving needs of a diverse, multigenerationalworkforce. To learn more about careers at Ryder, visit www.ryder.com/careers.
