Reference no: EM132228262
Case study Booz Allen Hamilton: Does social good matter in recruiting?
Did you know that each day in the U.S., 1,500 people are diagnosed with heart failure? A key early indicator of heart disease is a decline in cardiac function. What do those two facts have to do with employee recruiting? For Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., a management consulting, technology, and engineering services firm, a lot. Along with co-sponsor Kaggle, the world’s largest online data science competition community, Booz Allen Hamilton invited data scientists from around the globe to help change how heart disease is diagnosed by participating in the second annual Data Science Bowl in 2015-2016. Participants used data from the National Institutes of Health and Children’s National Medical Center to create algorithms to automate the process of assessing heart function. Three teams took home $200,000 total as a result of their participation in the 90-day competition. Creating competitions such as this one addresses a recognized motivator for millennials: making an impact on their world. In fact, the idea at Booz Allen Hamilton started with a competition at one university focused on using analytics to address social issues. Expecting a few dozen participants, Booz Allen Hamilton was surprised when over 150 participants from 11 universities showed up. Now, the competition is global with the help of Kaggle, and the top team takes home $125,000. In 2015, the first year of the competition, more than 1,000 teams from 70 countries signed up. The focus that year was on developing an algorithm to use underwater photos to monitor ocean health. The client was the Hatfield Marine Science Center.Booz Allen Hamilton has found that the competition not only helps a social cause but also attracts high-quality applicants to the firm. Participants in the Data Science Bowl are encouraged to apply for jobs at the company, resulting in hundreds of qualified applicants sending in their resumes. The company believes that the competition sets it apart from its competitors. Participants recognize that the company believes in making a difference and that provides a competitive advantage in recruiting data scientists in a highly competitive marketplace for such employees.
1. Based on the Booz Allen Hamilton case, critique the use of this competition as a recruiting strategy. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Are there any possible EEO issues with such a recruiting strategy?
2. Besides the opportunity to obtain a job with Booz Allen Hamilton, why do you think the competition has such worldwide appeal, especially for millennials?
3. Discuss whether you would participate in an activity such as this one in order to obtain a job at a company.
4. Find an additional example of how a company is engaged in corporate social responsibility activities that would attract millennials and Generation Z to apply for jobs at the company.