Company: APT, Inc., Darien, CT
Company Description: APT, Inc. is an international consulting firm that works with Fortune® 100 employers and others on the design and implementation of fair, efficient and legally defensible human resource processes. Founded in 1995 by Drs. Kathleen Kappy Lundquist, CEO, and John C.Scott, COO, APT employs 50 people. Our clients range from multinational corporations to government and nonprofit employers.
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Overall Company of the Year – Service Businesses – up to 100 Employees

Nomination Title: APT, Inc.

1. Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated company during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):

APT, Inc. is a market leader in creating innovative approaches that help clients
execute company-wide talent management processes that are fair, legally
defensible, and achieve significant business results. Two recent engagements:

* Marriott International: A portion of Marriott’s workforce neither requires, nor
necessarily has, literacy skills. Globally, they screen candidates for such hourly
positions as housekeeper, kitchen staff, technical/maintenance worker,
reservationist, and front desk clerk across their brands, including Fairfield Inn,
Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and the Marriott Vacation Club
International. In the past, the company had difficulty using assessment
instruments to screen these candidates because a test that required a candidate
to read the questions might screen out those with low literacy skills--even if they
were fully qualified to perform the job. Often these candidates were not
proficient in English, as well as in the written expression of their native languages.

We created and implemented a customized employment testing program for
Marriott’s use in selecting hourly employees worldwide. This scientifically-
validated, online testing program uses multi-media, video and computer technology
to realistically simulate work environments. The new testing program will be
delivered in 40 languages to 1.5 million Marriott applicants in the coming year.

For the first time, Marriott can easily and inexpensively screen millions of
candidates for hourly jobs across all of its global properties and thus select
employees from a larger candidate pool. The tool, which accurately measures
candidates’ knowledge, skills and abilities relative to the job without low
literacy interfering with their test scores, creates greater economic opportunity for those
candidates who would otherwise be screened out due to low literacy.

* Google: This past year we helped Google to continually hire the best and the
brightest by measuring candidates for what they call their “Googliness.” Of course,
first we had to operationally define “Googliness” and explain how it relates to
each job.

To meet this challenge, we used our Internet-based job analysis tool,
JobMetrics®, to begin the process of identifying what tasks are performed and
what it takes to perform them across a range of jobs at Google. We then trained
internal Google staff to conduct future job analyses on all the jobs through out
the company. Google will be using our software product JobMetrics to study the jobs
of the more than 12,000 Google employees worldwide.

The quality of APT’s products and services have been widely recognized. Most
recently, APT was the recipient of a 2009 Connecticut Quality Improvement Award
for our new, online supervisory test for the electric utility industry.

Internally, APT, Inc. cultivates a culture that encourages employees to participate
in decisions that impact all aspects of their work life, from their support of
charitable causes, to their creation of flexible work sites and arrangements, to
their participation in long-term strategic planning. As an example, a volunteer
committee was recently formed to establish APT’s corporate social responsibility
mission and develop concrete actions that we can take as a company to produce
an overall positive impact on society and the environment.

2. List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:

http://www.diversity-executive.com/article.php?article=427
http://www.diversity-executive.com/article.php?article=634
http://www.aptmetrics.com/consulting/webinar/TestingTes_files/frame.htm
http://webex.com/web-seminars/enroll_recording/666442522?sid=TM091509rec
http://thestevies.com/SAWIB09Attachments/APT/

3. Provide a brief biography of the person or persons who lead the nominated company (up to 100 words):

Kathleen K. Lundquist, Ph.D., APT’s CEO, has grown the firm from a small start-
up in 1995 with six employees to its current form with 50 employees in 12 U.S.
locations. Professionally, Dr. Lundquist is a nationally-recognized organizational
psychologist who testifies frequently as an expert witness in employment
discrimination class-action lawsuits. She also consults with Fortune 100
organizations to implement legally defensible human resources processes and
integrate diversity into ongoing business practices. Her interest in closing the
skills gap for ethnic minority children has led to her volunteer Board
activities with outreach education programs through the CBIA and The Maritime Aquarium.