AT&T Tops Ranking Of Most Diverse Employers by: Jeff Schmitt on June 20, 2015 | 1,765 Views June 20, 2015 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit AT&T Headquarters in Dallas 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 Continue ReadingPage 1 of 5 1 2 3 4 5