Also:

• No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees
• No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities
• No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Global Diversity

The company’s strong moral values, which it adheres to everywhere around the world, have made it a leader in LGBT rights as well as a strong advocate for the rights of other underrepresented groups. Yet it still manages to tailor its diversity efforts to the local needs across the globe.

With 77 percent of its employees outside of the United States, IBM has pioneered effective use of employee groups and mentoring globally. The company’s mentoring program involves a variety of mentoring initiatives and includes the top three layers of the organization. The mentoring relationships and successes are evaluated annually, and IBM strongly encourages its executives to participate and value mentoring, especially cross-cultural mentoring.

All employees in the United States can join its resource groups, which are used for talent and leadership development, as well as community outreach. All groups are encouraged to hold informational/cultural events about their community, including forums, blogs, face-to-face meetings and virtual meetings.

IBM also has strong supplier diversity in the United States, with more than 10 percent of its Tier I (direct contractor) procurement going to minority-owned suppliers.

IBM received DiversityInc’s Top Company for Working Families special award in 2011.

U.S. Headquarters: Armonk, N.Y.

Global Employees: 426,751

U.S. Employees: 101,535

Last Year’s DiversityInc Top 50 Ranking: No. 7