In the tumultuous year of 2020, the issue of inclusion and diversity has become an increasingly important one for organizations and individuals.
In the new 2020 Aon Impact Report, Aon outlines its route to becoming a more inclusive organization.
“Our Inclusion and Diversity priorities allow us to question traditional mindsets and create a new better workforce for colleagues and clients,” said Lisa Stevens, Chief People Officer at Aon.
How to get there? Stronger recruitment strategies are a powerful way to prioritize diversity and inclusion as a key component of workplace culture. Aon is focusing on three key areas:
Partnerships in the Communities
Teaming up with leading organizations and initiatives is an important way to ensure that companies are using proven methods for recruitment, while supporting greater communities. With that in mind, Aon partners with:
- Professional Organizations. The roster of partnerships includes 50 organizations in the field, including the International Association of Black Actuaries and National African American Insurance Association.
- Historically Black colleges and universities. Aon is building on existing relationships with historically Black colleges and universities including Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College. By recruiting a more diverse talent pool, organizations access a broader range of talented individuals, which ultimately makes a better business.
- Aon joined the challenge laid down by OneTen, a coalition of leading executives committed to seeing one million Black Americans, in 10 years, hired into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. The aim of the OneTen coalition is to connect employers with employees of color to bridge the diversity divide.
Investing in Diverse Workforce Development
Reaching candidates ready for hiring is one thing. But by investing in young people — and helping them gain opportunities they may not have had access to — Aon prioritizes building a future pipeline of diverse talent. This includes:
- Expanding Apprenticeship Programs. Aon’s Apprenticeship program provides opportunities for diverse professionals to develop vital skills in the workplace while earning as they learn. In 2020, Aon announced that the firm is expanding the Apprenticeship program with an investment of $30 million over the next five years. Aon will lead the formation of new local Apprentice Networks in six additional cities across the United States, building on the proven approach of existing programs in the Chicago area and London.
- Growing Summer Intern Programs. Aon Early Careers is a 10-week summer intern program dedicated to equipping students with an understanding of what it means to work in a fast-paced environment focused on exceeding client expectations. This year, the Early Careers program shifted to a regional model to execute recruitment strategies at the local level, enabling closer relationships with local universities, partner organizations and business leaders.
Building Around Technology
Finally, connecting candidates to hiring professionals, and ensuring an equitable experience, is a major challenge. Technology may help.
Aon has embraced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help evaluate candidates’ and employees’ skills, experience and other criteria while excluding elements in the hiring process that could incite bias.
Using AI models to predict or infer fair market pay reduces compensation bias in the workplace, creating a fairer pay environment. The technology can also be used to provide quality control to an organization’s talent assessment process. Leveraging Aon’s proprietary Artificial Intelligence Talent Assessment Solution helps take the risk and bias out of our hiring practices.
Read more about Aon’s approach to increasing diversity through recruitment in the 2020 Aon Impact Report.
