AT&T Tops Ranking Of Most Diverse Employers

AT&T Dominates Ranking Of Most Diverse Companies

Wondering where you may have the best chance of moving up, regardless of gender, race or background? Look no further than AT&T, which topped the list of the “Best Places for Women and Diverse Managers to Work.” AT&T replaces Accenture, last year’s winner, which no longer appears on the list.

This ranking is the work of Diversity MBA Magazine, a quarterly magazine that features business advice in areas like career management, recruiting, and fostering inclusion. The ranking, which is in its ninth year, drew off research on over 600 companies. Companies were evaluated in six areas, including representation (“ensuring women and people of color are represented in the most senior leadership roles”); succession planning (i.e. “formal sponsorship programs, mentoring, executive education,” etc.); workplace inclusion (“blend of cultural competencies and career disciplines resulting in the differences of thoughts, approaches, etc., to getting solutions”); accountability (“recognizes that CEO and board commitment are keys to the success of any organization developing a cultural process for achieving diversity and inclusion”); board diversity (“The Top 10 companies average 55 percent board diversity”); and recruiting (onboarding women and minorities).

“The Best in Class companies have demonstrated their commitment to implementing leading practices that result in significant work place outcomes that advance inclusive diversity,” wrote Pamela McElvane, CEO and Publisher of Diversity MBA Magazine, in a press release. “Recruitment programs for our 50 Out Front companies are a critical part of their diversity strategies. Targeted recruiting efforts to ensure that all groups are represented is where we saw the most impact in companies seeking more robust outcomes.  We continued to expand this area to further understand not just the recruitment strategies, but how they are aligned with talent management.”

Amazingly, AT&T scored the highest ranking on five of these six categories, missing out only on representation (where Colgate-Palmolive ranked first). Carolinas Healthcare System also performed well, finishing second overall, as well as second in recruitment, succession planning, and accountability. Colgate-Palmolive, Clorex, and the Nielsen Company rounded out the top 5.

Several companies also dropped out of this year’s ranking. They include: Hyatt Hotels, Marriott International,, Citi, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, Boston Consulting Group, and Dr. Pepper Snapple.

Although the ranking isn’t specific to MBAs, it does provide a glimpse into companies that potentially have the strongest commitment to diversity at the top levels – and are taking actions to integrate it throughout the organization. To see how the top companies rank, check out the tables below.

Best Place for Women and Diverse Managers to Work

Rank	Company
1	AT&T
2	Carolinas Healthcare System
3	Clorox
4	Colgate-Palmolive
5	The Nielsen Company
6	Horizon BCBS
7	Health Care Service Corporation
8	General Electric
9	Bank of America
10	DIAGEO
11	Verizon Communications
12	A.T. Kearney
13	Blue Cross Blue Shield
14	Xerox
15	Kraft Foods
16	Intel
17	EMC
18	Jones Lang LaSalle
19	Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
20	DePaul University
21	General Mills
22	Ernst & Young
23	American Express
24	PwC
25	AON

Other notable entrants include: Hewlett Packard (27th), Deloitte (30th), IBM (31st), Wells Fargo (32nd), Procter & Gamble (39th), Microsoft (46th) and Dell (48th).

Source: Diversity MBA Magazine

Top Companies in Diversity MBA Categories

Recruitment	Representation	Succession Planning	Workplace Inclusion and Retention	Accountability	Board Diversity
AT&T	Colgate-Palmolive	AT&T	AT&T	AT&T	AT&T
Carolinas Healthcare System	The Nielsen Company	Carolinas Healthcare System	Carolinas Healthcare System	Carolinas Healthcare System	The Clorox Group
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey	Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey	The Clorox Group	Colgate-Palmolive	Intel	General Electric
General Electric	Healthcare Service Corporation	The Nielsen Company	The Nielsen Company	EMC	DIAGEO
Verizon Communications	Bank of America	General Electric	Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey	Jones Lang LaSalle	Verizon Communications

Source: Diversity MBA Magazine

DON’T MISS: GRADING B-SCHOOLS ON THEIR DIVERSITY EFFORTS

Source: Diversity MBA Magazine