Last year we debuted our first ever Member Awards Competition to highlight Members’ initiatives in the areas of recruitment, technology and OFCCP compliance.
As the award submissions began to roll in, we were impressed by the innovative programs and unique successes of Members’ various campaigns. One such submission, and winner in the Recruitment Tier 2 category*, came from Member company Schlumberger. Dubbed “Stilettos to Steel Toes,” this initiative focuses on gender diversity and encourages female engineering students to consider non-traditional career paths.
As the world’s leading supplier of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to worldwide customers in the oil and gas industry, Schlumberger created this program to highlight opportunities for female engineers in non-office based job assignments. Their target audience was comprised of female engineering students who were members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at 25 of the target universities with which they have standing relationships.
The contest was run through SWE chapters at each of the 25 target universities and challenged entrants to get creative and have fun with a short 350-word essay submission. At the end of the contest, one national winner was chosen to receive a scholarship of $2,000, as well as airfare and accommodations to the SWE National Conference. Individual, section and region winners were also selected to win prizes.
In place since 2009, “Stilettos to Steel Toes” has yielded Schlumberger phenomenal results and raised the profile of the company as an employer of choice for female engineering candidates ,with the added bonus of helping the gender balance of their workforce. The results over time are as follows:
| Year | Total Field Engineers Hired | % of Female Field Engineers |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 |
432
|
18%
|
| 2008 |
526
|
24.6%
|
| 2009 |
354
|
20.6%
|
| 2010 |
478
|
37.6%
|
| 2011 |
546
|
33.6%
|
| 2012 |
574
|
32.3%
|
| 2013 |
(YTD)
|
33.9%
|
We want to give a major pat on the back to Schlumberger for their unique and innovative program! Ready to share your successful initiative? The DirectEmployers 2014 Member Awards call for entries was just announced, and we’d love for you to throw your hat in the ring and stake your claim as “best in class.” Visit the website to learn more and be on the lookout for more posts featuring past award winners.
