GM’s Mary Barra Engages with Potential New Hires at Harvard
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GM has been on a hiring spree. The company has hired 9,000 new employees since 2016, and 40 percent of its current staff are new personnel. CEO Marry Barra’s recent trip to Harvard indicates that the automaker will continue this hiring trend.
Engaging with Harvard students
Barra visited the campus to participate in the “Gear Up: The Future of Transportation” seminar. The event focused on the latest news and updates on the autonomous and electric car front, as well as on the future job outlook for the industry.
Barry emphasized the unique strength of GM, as a potential employer to students interested in pursuing a career in science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. “We’re the only company working on autonomous that has everything under one roof.”
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Photo: The Mobility House
Seeking out future industry leaders
Students asked for Barra’s take on whether or not autonomous vehicles (AVs) will eliminate human jobs at some point in the future. She articulated her stance that the new technology would create new job openings associated with it. She then elaborated on GM’s focus on equipping students with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to take part in and lead this new industry.
Barra’s Harvard visit is just one small step toward acquiring future talent for the manufacturer, however. She articulated the challenge of steering potential new hires away from rival automakers with similar goals. “There is very capable competition, and that’s why we have been so aggressive on moving quickly.”
We anticipate more news on GM’s recruitment efforts in the days ahead. In light of its ambitious, emission-reducing goals, the automaker is definitely going to need all of the brilliant employees it can get, as it pursues its electric future.
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News Sources: GM Authority, Detroit Free Press
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