As the leader of Human Resources at United, it is my responsibility, along with my team, to support our people as they come to work every day to provide a great customer experience for you, our loyal customers.
One of the ways we do that is by developing teams that are as diverse as the communities we serve around the globe. Our hope is that each person who boards our flights is reflected in the crew working to get them to their destination safely and on time.
It was with this in mind that we unveiled our first brand campaign in over a decade: “Good Leads the Way.” Together, these four simple words define our story, from everything we do to everything we say.
Being a force for good includes taking action to diversify the aviation industry. That’s why we’re embarking on a historic hiring effort. In the next five years, United plans to hire 50,000 people. Our aim is not just to create jobs, but rather to create lifelong careers. This is no easy task, but one that is essential for our airline and the industry at large.
We have seen that airline careers are highly sought after. Even in a fiercely competitive job market, we are making substantial progress toward our hiring goal. In fact, we’ve already hired more than 11,000 new employees this year alone.
United is partnering with incredible organizations to develop, strengthen, and diversify our talent pipeline. This includes our collaboration with Year Up, which offers talented young professionals their first corporate internship experience at United, and it is our hope that these professionals find long-term opportunities within the company.
We also recently started working with OneTen, a coalition of chief executives committed to creating careers for Black talent, in order to build on our current talent practices and to help further develop, retain, and advance diverse people in positions across the airline. By working with OneTen, we will significantly increase the hiring of talent who may not have traditional four-year college degrees into family-sustaining jobs.
Additionally, last year we opened the only U.S. airline–owned flight school, United Aviate Academy. We welcomed a historic inaugural class of future pilots, 80 percent of whom are women or people of color. United Aviate Academy will train 5,000 new pilots by 2030, with a goal of at least half being women or people of color. This commitment will better reflect the diversity of our global community and dramatically expand access to rewarding careers, all while upholding our world-class safety standards.
Our employees are here to serve you and ensure that you have the best flight experience possible. That’s why our entire airline is dedicated to driving toward a more equitable workplace by creating greater access to lucrative, lifelong careers. You, our customers, are at the heart of everything we do, so we are committed to creating a culture in which our customers and employees feel welcomed, respected, valued, and heard—now and in the future.
Thank you for choosing to fly with United.
Inclusively,
Kate Gebo
Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Labor Relations
Next Up: Pilot Program: Welcoming United’s First All-Aviate Pilot Class
