Jeryl Ann Wilson

 

THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERS MORE MAIL TO MORE ADDRESSES IN A LARGER GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THAN ANY OTHER POST IN THE WORLD. EVERYONE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES AND ITS TERRITORIES HAS ACCESS TO POSTAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AND PAYS THE SAME POSTAGE REGARDLESS OF THEIR LOCATION. THE POSTAL SERVICE IS THE CORE OF THE MORE THAN $1 TRILLION MAILING INDUSTRY THAT EMPLOYS MORE THAN 8 MILLION PEOPLE. THE POSTAL SERVICE RECEIVES NO TAX DOLLARS FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, RELYING INSTEAD ON THE SALE OF POSTAGE, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES TO FUND ITS OPERATIONS.

 

JERYL ANN WILSON WAS HIRED BY USPS ON JULY 14, 2008 AS SENIOR RECRUITER FOR THE TALENT ACQUISITION AND RETENTION GROUP, AND PROMOTED THREE YEARS LATER TO MANAGER OF THE TALENT GROUP. A NATIVE OF NEW ORLEANS, SHE RETIRED AS CHIEF HOSPITAL CORPSMAN IN THE U.S. NAVY AFTER 21 YEARS OF SERVICE. SINCE ARRIVING AT THE POSTAL SERVICE, WILSON HAS DEVELOPED AND STREAMLINED THE RECRUITMENT PROCESSES FOR THE TALENT TEAM. SHE DEVELOPED AND ANALYZED METRICS TO DETERMINE RECRUITER EFFECTIVENESS AND CRITICAL HIRING METRICS AND WORKED WITH THE FIELD TO DEVELOP RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES FOR HIGH VOLUME FIELD-RECRUITMENT.

 

WILSON NOW SERVES AS DIRECTOR, DIVERSITY AND TALENT ACQUISITION WHERE SHE HAS CREATED INNOVATIVE, INFORMATIVE, AND ENGAGING PROGRAMS TO INCREASE CULTURAL AWARENESS, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, AND AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT.

 

Woman Engineer: How is diversity part of your company culture?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: The United States Postal Service’s commitment to diversity is a core part of our success.

 

Diversity is one of a number of powerful strategies at the Postal Service to better engage employees.

 

Our commitment to diversity is part of how we strive to maintain our reputation as an employer of choice by constantly upgrading our employees’ experiences at work. We do that through embracing diversity; providing safe and healthy work environments; developing and strengthening employees’ skills; offering attractive pay and benefits; and empowering employees with broad and interesting career opportunities. These strategies help us attract and leverage our workforce to include diversity in culture, thought and experience.

 

The talents of our diverse workforce are represented and reflective of the services we provide and the customers we serve.

 

Our diversity mission — on which we work each day — is to recruit, engage, and retain diverse talent to build and sustain the workforce of the present and future.

 

Another example of the Postal Service’s commitment to diversity is demonstrated in our structure. Our diversity and inclusion function reports to the Employee Resource Management (ERM) department, which is responsible for positioning the USPS to meet our current and future business objectives by providing and retaining a skilled and ready workforce that is diverse, engaged, efficient, and safe. A cutting-edge organization, ERM leads change management practices through organizational development and the delivery of innovative and responsive human re - source services that permit the Postal Service to remain an employer of choice.

 

The Postmaster General and CEO sign - ed a diversity and inclusion statement, a key tenet that is posted in nearly 32,000 postal facilities across the country.

 

To further our commitment to diversity, the Postal Service developed the Executive Diversity Council, which is chaired by the Postmaster General, and company officers serve as members. Our commitment to diversity is further demonstrated by a Diversity Steering Committee, Local Diversity Councils, and 40 Inclusiveness Diversity Advisory Committees at postal facilities around the country. These committees are comprised of senior leadership, and other postal employees at virtually all levels.

 

We recently hosted our first Multi - cultural Day at our headquarters location. Engaging, informative, well-attended, and reviewed, this event will become an annual, national event.

 

Woman Engineer: How does your company recruit and attract a diverse workforce? Jeryl Ann Wilson:When the Postal Service creates displays, brochures, and our career website, we demonstrate the diversity in our workforce in the images we use on this material. The USPS is proud to showcase the remarkable diversity in our workforce.

 

At the beginning of each fiscal year, we develop a strategic event recruitment plan to attract and recruit diverse talent. A number of the events from which we recruit include:

 

• National Hispanic MBA, National Black MBA, National Women MBA, and Reaching Out MBA

 

• Society of Women Engineers, Society of Asian Scientist & Engineers, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

 

• EOP –CAREERS & the disABLED Career Expo

 

• National Society for Hispanic Professionals and National Society Black Engineers

 

• Society of American Indian Government Annual Conference and Career Fair

 

• LGBT Career Fair

 

• Recruit Military Career Events

 

We have a comprehensive strategic plan to recruit at colleges and universities with diverse student populations. We also focus on ensuring we reach colleges with students from EEO-protected backgrounds, including Hispanic-American, African- American, and disabled Americans.

 

Woman Engineer: Does the Postal Office have in place support systems specifically for women?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: The Postal Service has a long and proud history of success in developing and promoting postal employees, including women.

 

Our current Postmaster General and CEO, Megan Brennan, is a woman who successfully advanced from an entry-level position to the highest level in our company. The visibility of women in leadership roles evidences the Postal Service’s commitment to supporting women in the workplace.

 

Woman Engineer:What qualities and skills do you look for in a new hire?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: We seek the following professional qualities and skills in new hires. We seek employees who are, or have flexibility, integrity, innovative, team player, initiative, passion for their work, engaged, and technical proficiency across many disciplines (IT, sales, engineering, accounting, etc.).

 

Woman Engineer: What is the best piece of advice you can offer to help others achieve their professional goals?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: Be consistent. Set goals and stay focused. There may be road blocks from time to time, but just keep pushing and view the obstacles as opportunities for growth. Learn from every situation. Stay positive in thought and action, and remember to find joy and have fun at work.

 

Woman Engineer: Please describe your company culture, and why it’s a great place to work.

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: The Postal Service is large, fast paced, demanding, and diverse.

 

Our 600,000 employees take great pride in being part of this great company, and are driven to meet and exceed expectations. We are in the midst of great change, which is an exciting time to be with our company, a leader in innovation and creativity as we continue to work towards actualization. Employees who realize they are on the ground floor of that change find it amazing. The size, scope, and ubiquity of the work we do at the Postal Service — binding the nation together through the U.S. Mail — is unique, unmatched, and very satisfying. More than in any other position in my career, I have learned and grown so much since joining the Postal Service.

 

Woman Engineer: What types of jobs are you looking to fill?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: We are hiring for many disciplines. We hire professionals, management foundation trainees, and summer interns for roles in engineering, industrial engineering, attorneys, accountants, IT professionals, sales, human resources, marketing, and many other disciplines. We are currently hiring city carrier assistants, also known as CCAs, mail handler assistants (MHA), postal support employees (PSE), auto mechanics, and truck drivers.

 

Woman Engineer: How can our readers post their resumes online for career opportunities at the USPS?

 

Jeryl Ann Wilson: Your readers can visit www.usps.com/careers to build a profile, search for jobs, and apply for positions.

 

Thank you for your time and interest in the U.S. Postal Service.