With the support of the Schultz Family Foundation, Grads of Life took a closer look at how employers like Delta and Verizon are moving the needle on economic opportunity and mobility.
In 2022, the Burning Glass Institute, Harvard Business School’s Managing the Future of Work Project and the Schultz Family Foundation launched the American Opportunity Index (AOI) — an ambitious effort to evaluate the 250 largest public companies in the U.S. and identify which ones create the most opportunities for their workers. The top 50 companies were recognized for their leadership on job access, wages, and professional mobility.
Among that inaugural leading class were Delta Air Lines and Verizon, which also used Grads of Life’s Opportunity Identifier (OI) tool to assess their maturity in adopting inclusive talent practices.
With the support of the Schultz Family Foundation, Grads of Life took a deep dive into the full cross-section of organizations that both led on the AOI and scored high on our OI inventory of practices. What we found is that companies who center skills in their talent management practices are setting themselves up for success on the AOI.
As the AOI celebrates its second annual release, our case studies on Verizon, Delta and other leading AOI organizations powerfully underscore the key actions top employers take: centering employee voice and feedback, taking skills-based practices beyond hiring, investing in career pathway development, and, importantly, building the technology that helps employees access those opportunities. We hope they can offer valuable insights for corporate leaders not just to elevate their ranking, but to reimagine their talent practices and reshape their workforces with opportunity and equity in mind.
Building an Inclusive Culture to Support Retention: A Delta Air Lines Case Study
Embracing a Skills-First Approach to Career Mobility: A Verizon Communications Case Study
Skills-First Practices to Support Access & Mobility: A Case Study of Four AOI Top Performers
