Ford Motor Company
Submitted by David de Steiger, MBA 2007
Ford Motor Company is a publicly-traded stock, however the majority is owned privately
by the Ford family. Sales for the company have increased from $164.3 billion in 2003 to $171.6
billion in 2004. This is primarily due to product differentiation and innovation. One such
product is the new F-150 redesigned truck. The majority of Ford’s business is automotive,
bringing in $147.1 billion in 2004. There is also a Financial Services division, which is currently
the most profitable and brought in $24.5 billion last year. Ford sells 8 brands of automobiles,
which include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Land Rover.
In the U.S. this makes up 18% of the market share for automobiles. Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury
are U.S. based, but have plants all over the world (South America, Mexico, Africa, etc.). Ford
also owns Hertz Rent-A-Car.
One of the big incentives with Ford Motor Company currently is the employee discount.
This greatly boosted sales the month of July, clearing 2005 stock. One negative issue with the
company recently is a recall on all 1997-2003 F-150’s and Expeditions for a speed control
switch, which can cause fire in vehicles. Recalls on product can cause major quality concerns
with customers, as well as put a dent in the bottom line from warranty costs. On a brighter note,
Ford is a company who prides itself in corporate responsibility, allowing employees to use 16
working hours per year for community service. One of their biggest philanthropy events is
Habitat for Humanity. Ford is also a major advocate of recycling, using rubber from old tires to
cushion artificial football fields. Ford bought back 24 plants from Visteon recently, which has
caused the company a loss, but the supplier’s health is crucial to Ford’s success. The most
important and most emphasized component to Ford’s strategy is Quality.
Ford recruits and hires MBA’s from Michigan State University. For direct hires, MBA’s
with a B.A. degree would likely work in Ford Credit, while those with B.S. degrees would likely
work in Product Development, Product Planning, or Project Management. Most students coming
into Ford will start out in the Ford College Graduate (FCG) rotational program. This is a 36month program with six 6-month rotations. Employees in this role are paid at a General Salary
Role (GSR). Through this program, employees have the opportunity to choose the rotations they
will take, based on a template for their particular field. They will also have a mentor in the
company to guide them through this process. Supervisors at Ford are generally very flexible
with their reports, allowing flexible work hours and alternate work schedules. Foreign
assignments are available through Ford, but likely won’t occur until after the rotational program.
Travel in this program varies and is primarily around the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Campus recruiting is one of Ford’s primary tools for hiring college graduates. They do
this through career fairs and websites. Some of the main school’s they recruit from are
Princeton, Virginia Tech, Michigan Tech, Michigan State, Michigan, and Carnegie Melon. Ford
has two primary hiring cycles per year: one in the winter and one in the spring. The spring is
generally bigger because most students tend to graduate then. One recruiting opportunity is the
Leadership Conference for new hires. This is for students recruited on campus to talk with
different people in the company, participate in team building activities, and partake in several
interviews. Ford hires internally for most jobs in their organization, giving an advantage to
interns in the case of graduates seeking employment.