Diversity & Inclusion
As a global community, Abt celebrates and thrives on different perspectives, cultures, expertise, and points of view. We go beyond making a positive impact through our work; we seek to make a positive impact at work, where staff are encouraged to contribute and grow personally as well as professionally.
Diversity as a Core Value
A diverse staff enriches Abt's ability to fulfill our mission, and diversity is now explicitly identified as a core company value. We are each responsible for living our Diversity value and are guided by the following statements:
I value individuals of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexes, sexual orientations and identities, ages, mental and physical abilities, and nationalities.
I actively build a diverse Abt community that collaborates with and reflects those we serve.
I empower and create opportunity so all voices are heard regardless of background and experiences.
Enriching the Employee Experience at Work
In January 2020, Abt announced the launch of Employee Networking Groups (ENGs) to support and strengthen our diversity and inclusion efforts. ENGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that focus on shared identities and life experiences. ENGs provide personal and professional development through knowledge-sharing, mentoring, networking, leadership development, and community involvement. They foster an environment of belonging and generate ideas to improve the employee experience for everyone. Abt’s established ENGs include Black@Abt, PRISM for LGBTQIA+, Wellbeing@Abt, and Emerging Leaders for Young Professionals.
Achieving Gender Equality
We are committed to realizing a world of gender equality through our projects around the world and through the way we operate our own company.
In June 2019, Abt became the first U.S. government implementing partner to achieve Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification, one of just 20 EDGE-certified organization in the country. Abt achieved global EDGE certification in the fall of 2019, following the certification of Abt Australia. This certification includes both Abt's Australia and Britain entities, and made Abt the first Australian government implementing partner to achieve EDGE certification.
All of Abt's entities, One Global Abt, are certified at the Assess level.
EDGE is the leading global assessment and business certification for gender equality in the workplace.
The EDGE process included an intensive audit—validated by a third party—of our gender equity practices, policies, and employee perceptions. Attaining EDGE certification signals our commitment to raising the standards of gender equality, not only through our work with marginalized and vulnerable populations, but at every level in our workplace.
We aim to reach a higher level of EDGE certification in 2021 and beyond and have a targeted action plan based on the results of our assessment.
The Global Health 50/50 Report
The annual Global Health 50/50 Report rated Abt one of the world’s leading health organizations in its commitment to gender equality again in 2020. The ranking of 200 organizations with 4.5 million employees takes into consideration organizational commitments, policies, workplace gender parity, and gender-responsiveness of health policies and programs. Abt was named as one of the 27 high scorers and recognized as one of two highest scorers in the private sector based on performance.
New hire and turnover rates are calculated using averages and therefore do not add up to 100. For more information on the method of calculation, please refer to Abt's GRI Index.
Learning & Development
Growth from within is an important principle at Abt, and we are dedicated to the development and success of our staff. From continuous performance feedback to guided career paths, learning opportunities, and mentoring, we continue to take a comprehensive approach to nurturing our talent.
Owning Leadership Development and Feedback
In October 2019, we updated our feedback and performance improvement process by launching a new Continuous Performance Management tool, which establishes regular check-ins and feedback and tracks employee goals and activities over the course of the year. The process allows staff to document achievements as they occur, request or give timely feedback, and take ownership of their development paths at Abt.
Learning Accounts
The opportunity to learn ignites curiosity and sparks innovation. At Abt, our colleagues around the world balance work and their pursuit of learning and professional development. Through Learning Accounts, Abt employees may receive up to 40 hours a year to use toward development opportunities, such as attendance at optional in-house trainings, seminars, and conferences, and taking courses on LinkedIn Learning. In the second year of this program, employees expanded use of their accounts to participate in project management and ArcGIS training, language classes, and Abt’s fellowship programs.
Global Market & Capability Centers
Crossing disciplines, methodologies, and geographies, Abt's Market and Capability Centers were established to be catalysts of innovation and collaboration, drivers of growth, and stewards of Abt's institutional knowledge. The Centers enable us to bring the breadth of our capabilities to all clients in all markets we serve. In addition to working closely with divisions to attract new and exciting work, Abt Centers organize forums for staff to engage with one another, share knowledge, and develop professionally across projects and geographies. This year, Abt’s Centers held 62 technical training and learning events covering topics ranging from digital solutions to service delivery challenges to perspectives on race and evaluation.
In-House Fellowship Programs
We actively invest in honing the skills of our employees in high-demand fields, allowing us to offer new capabilities to our clients while creating opportunities for internal career mobility.
Data Science Fellowship
In 2019, Abt launched our Data Science Fellowship program with an inaugural cohort of 14 fellows. The Data Science Fellowship has served as an opportunity for many people at Abt to learn about and code in artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The program saw significant growth in FY20, with three cohorts and 60 new fellows.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Fellowship
This year, Abt launched the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Fellowship. A cohort of 13 was invited to grow their skills in systematically measuring program performance and results. Abt has substantial MEL expertise and an impressive portfolio of MEL-related projects. We foresee future growth opportunities for this work and are expanding staff MEL capabilities to contribute to current and future project demands.
Mobility Marketplace
Abt launched our Mobility Marketplace in 2018 to connect staff to new professional opportunities across the organization through short-term assignments. This program continues to flourish and has become ingrained in the culture of Abt. A total of 247 mobility assignments were posted in FY20, representing a 42 percent increase from the previous year. This exchange of talent and ideas across the organization boosts staff engagement and learning, and enhances our efficiency.
Recognition as “A Best Employer”
In June 2019, the Abt Fort Myers call center was recognized by Forbes as a Best-in-State Employer in Florida. Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to identify organizations liked best by their employees in this first-ever ranking. We’re especially proud that our staff ranked us as one of Florida’s best employers.
Five Years of Abterns
Each summer we welcome interns, or “Abterns,” from schools all across the United States. In 2019 we celebrated the fifth year of the formal Abternship program with 15 impressive individuals selected from more than 3,000 applicants. The Abternship is a great opportunity for interns to apply their skills to both client-facing projects and internal operations. Twenty-seven percent of our 2019 Abterns joined Abt following their graduation.
