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Attracting Talent With Technology
According to a report by Fortune Personnel Consultants
of New York City, the top reasons people remain loyal to their work
are allegiance to their bosses, the vision and integrity of the
company, and the intrigue of the work. Money is merely an emotional
response to these factors, according to most recruiting experts.
 Northrop
Grumman uses integrated product teams to facilitate teamwork
among individuals working on its high-tech projects.
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Gregory Ford, senior staffing manager of Annapolis,
Md.-based ARINC, said, "We are seeing software engineers returning
from dot-coms to the ‘stability' of companies such as ARINC."
There are those who point to aerospace and aviation
as mature industries, where major advances are a thing of the past.
But the technological challenges in aerospace and aviation continue
to expand. In fact, aerospace and aviation companies around the
world continue to attract those who dream about conquering new frontiers.
In the area of space exploration, for example,
Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems employees are working on water
processing and oxygen generation systems for the International Space
Station. Hamilton Sundstrand people also are working with NASA to
develop sixth-generation space suit gloves that will improve dexterity,
allowing astronauts to work more comfortably and with less fatigue.
Northrop Grumman offers a range of cutting-edge
projects, including development of software-intensive sensors, C4I
suites and cyberwar simulations.
This work involves testing to determine the
potential impact of a series of coordinated and organized attacks
on computer systems and deciding how best to restore any data that
might be corrupted or compromised.
Rockwell Collins, which produces avionics suites
for business and regional jets, is focusing on increasingly complex
inflight electronics, including avionics, entertainment systems
and office-in-the-sky products.
Bell Helicopter Textron is moving toward production
of an all-new type of civil aircraft—the Model 609 tilt rotor. P.D.
Shabay, executive vice president for administration and human resources,
said, "The manufacturing and logistics efficiency is part of the
new technology, too."
Brazil's Embraer has established a virtual reality
center to assess aircraft designs, manufacturing processes and final
assembly practices.
TRW continues to make breakthroughs in its high-energy
laser weapons programs. In 2000, TRW demonstrated its tactical high-energy
laser weapon system.
"We are also leveraging our expertise in advanced
indium phosphide semiconductors to become a high-volume supplier
of chips for a wide range of commercial fiberoptic applications
and consumer wireless communications devices," said Dwight Streit,
vice president and executive director for advanced semiconductors.
Incubators of aerospace innovation are the so-called
"ideation" programs, in which new concepts are tested for market
feasibility. Employees who come up with a novel idea that is deemed
worthy of further consideration can take a leave of absence from
their regular jobs in order to explore their concepts further.
To promote the development of innovations, Honeywell's
aerospace business has established the Grow Fund. Boeing has the
Chairman's Innovation Initiative, which is supported by a stand-alone
business called Boeing Ventures. Funded with $200 million in seed
money, the program allows employees to submit ideas and then develop
a business case for the idea with the help of internal mentors and
experts. The result may be a new product, but the process also helps
individuals develop business skills.
The first product to come out of Boeing's Innovation
Initiative is a suite of underwater exploration services for oil
and gas exploration and telecommunications companies. Employees
at the company's Space Communications business in Anaheim, Calif.,
developed the ideas, and the company is now selling a new product
designed to cut the cycle times and improve the accuracy of deep-water
surveys.
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