Photo of seven Southwest Employees in front of Freedom One

Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

Since the inception of Southwest Airlines®, we’ve had a passion for putting People first. From our revolutionary beginning, through unparalleled growth and great success, we’ve always focused on People.

As Southwest® continues to evolve, we dedicate ourselves again to The Golden Rule—to behave respectfully and to work in ways that reflect and embrace how People want to be treated.

We’re committed to providing our Southwest Family with a work environment where they can be themselves and be recognized for the unique perspectives they each bring forward. Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t just buzzwords—they’re woven into the way we run our business, and they’re reflected in our world-famous Culture.
Read our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Report
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"We’re committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and Leadership Team. The fundamental difference at Southwest is the People we hire. They're kind, they don't take themselves too seriously—but they take our work seriously. Above all, they seek to serve and think of others over self. Being efficient, offering low fares, having a great route network … all of that is part of our DNA, but what really sets us apart is our People."
Image of Bob Jordan, Chief Executive Officer

Bob Jordan
Chief Executive Officer
"A career at Southwest is one where Employees feel welcomed to bring their whole selves to work; where Employees are encouraged to bring their talent, creativity, and individuality and are accepted for what they offer. Our principle of putting People first means we value the unique thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences of our Employees. We recognize the importance of diversity in our hiring efforts and creating equitable opportunities for Candidates to flourish and thrive."
Image of Juan Suarez, Vice President Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Juan Suarez
Vice President Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
"Inclusion has always been at the Heart of who we are at Southwest, and we’re committed to evolving our hiring, training, and development processes to drive progress and change. By engaging, understanding, and drawing on a variety of perspectives we can continue to celebrate our People and further enrich our Culture."
Image of Elizabeth Bryant, Senior Vice President People, Learning, & Development

Elizabeth Bryant
Senior Vice President People, Learning, & Development
"Our greatest asset has always been our People—our Southwest Family. You are what makes Southwest a Company that is admired around the world. Your collective and diverse talents, backgrounds, and perspectives are what lead to innovative ideas and the competitive edge that sets us apart."
Image of Gary Kelly

Gary Kelly
Executive Chairman

Our commitment to inclusion

To strengthen and improve our efforts in creating more diverse, equitable, and inclusive opportunities, Candidate pipelines, and to champion an inclusive environment and experience for all Employees:

  • Hiring and development practices: evolving hiring and development practices to support diversity goals, including posting all open Leadership positions (Supervisor to Vice President).
  • Senior Leadership diversity: measuring progress in increasing diversity in Senior Leadership.
  • Senior Management Committee diversity: doubling the percentage of racial diversity and increasing gender diversity of our Senior Management Committee by 2025.
  • Community partners: engaging a breadth of community partners to leverage the Company’s relationships as it sources diverse talent.
Read more about our commitment to inclusion

Employee stories
Adopt-A-Pilot Captain Atif Fareed teaches a class
Adopt-A-Pilot Captain Atif Fareed
Captain Atif Fareed inspires the next generation through lessons in aviation for our Adopt-A-Pilot program.
Photo of Eureka Drayden, Southwest Airlines Sr. Technology Project Manage
Eureka Drayden's HBCU story
Senior Technology Project Manager, Eureka, shares how Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, “chose her” due to an Army scholarship.
Photo of Jen Morgan
A career that sparks a thousand questions
Aircraft Quality Control Inspector Jen Morgan’s advice? “Go after what you actually want to do in life … don’t settle!”

Diversity Council
The Southwest Airlines Diversity Council—comprised of a diverse group of Employees with various job roles, in locations across the country, and with varying levels of experience—was founded more than 10 years ago. It serves as an asset, dedicated to a purpose that promotes a work environment that celebrates differences, fosters inclusion, and leverages diversity to enhance performance and shape Company strategy.
Image of Southwest's Diversity Council group

Hiring pipelines and programs
With a focus on bringing diverse talent to Southwest Airlines, our Talent Acquisition Teams developed hiring pipelines and programs that fuel
careers for People from a variety of backgrounds.

Campus Reach
Our Campus Reach program identifies and engages future Southwest Employees at an early age, hopefully inspiring an interest in a career in aviation.
Learn more
Destination 225°®
On a compass rose, 225° is the southwest heading, and we developed Destination 225° to lead aspiring pilots to Southwest Airlines.
Learn more

Military
We have a huge Heart for our military. Our colors may be red, yellow, and blue, but our support is for the red, white, and blue.
Learn more

Disability Outreach


At Southwest Airlines, we take pride in our outreach and commitment to the Disability community. We have community partnerships with a variety of local and national organizations who are dedicated to disability inclusion and related causes and initiatives. Whether in the air or on the ground, we believe community is more than a place - it’s at the heart of what brings us together. 
Southwest Employee with prosthetic leg working on the ramp

Accommodations

Southwest Airlines is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer that provides reasonable accommodations in its application process for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you have difficulty using our online careers page or participating in the hiring process due to your disability and need an accommodation, you may email us.

Please use "Accommodation Request" as the subject line of your email or call us at (877) 792-4792.

For more information on Southwest's hiring practices, please see the following policies:​​​​​​​
Southwest Employee with prosthetic leg working on the ramp