Going on the offensive in the war for talent

ABB looks for the next generation of engineering professionals at the 40th annual meeting of the US National Society of Black Engineers.

ABB is an engineering company. We employ tens of thousands of engineers, and we compete every day not only with our industry rivals but even our own customers in a never ending “war for talent.”

As a leading power and automation technology firm, ABB enjoys a certain amount of brand recognition in elite tech circles, but that is not enough, especially in the US where the company historically has been underrepresented. To attract and retain the best engineers requires aggressive outreach.

This week, the National Society of Black Engineers is holding its annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee and ABB will be there. Manning the booth during the two-day job fair will be Keith Holmes, an engineer in ABB’s Process Automation division and an NSBE member.

What makes organizations like NSBE important for ABB?

“Most Black/African American engineers may not know that ABB is an excellent company with global reach,” explains Holmes. “Conventions such as NSBE provide exposure.”

This is actually Holmes’ first NSBE convention, despite having been a member of the organization since 2004.

“NSBE has been an avenue to network with people with similar cultures and to mentor younger engineers in my profession,” he says. “I’m excited to meet young, talented engineers and open their eyes and minds to the opportunities within ABB.”

NSBE was formed in 1975 and since then has grown to include nearly 30,000 members as well as around 400 college, pre-college and professional chapters within the United States and beyond. The organization’s mission: “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.”

That sounds like the kind of people we want to hire.