Also:

• No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention
• No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Blacks
• No. 7 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

On the DiversityInc Top 50 list for the 12th consecutive year, Prudential has moved up seven spots into the top 10 as it continues to evolve the practices that have made it a diversity-management leader in the face of increased competition and more nuanced evaluation.

Prudential particularly stands out for its involvement in the community, directing 68 percent of its philanthropic spending to multicultural nonprofits. Groups it helps include the Children’s Defense Fund, ASPIRA, Boys & Girls Clubs, and YouthBuild of Newark, where the company is headquartered. For these remarkable efforts, Prudential was honored as DiversityInc’s Top Company for Community Development in 2011, with Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld accepting the award. See the video of his acceptance at www.DiversityInc.com/2011-special-awards.

This isn’t just about writing checks. Strangfeld is chairman of the board of trustees at Susquehanna University, a school that boasts a “cross-cultural experience for all students,” and nearly 70 percent of the top Prudential executives sit on boards of multicultural organizations. He also has spearheaded a remarkable effort to hire and successfully on-board veterans. In fact, during 2011, 26 percent of new hires were veterans.

The company educates managers through comprehensive curriculum offerings in fostering a respectful workplace, effectively leading a diverse workforce, effective performance management, harassment prevention, philosophy and practice of flexibility.

Its executives have their compensation linked to diversity through their performance reviews. They are measured on: representation; the Employee Opinion Survey relative to reviewing more than 50 core survey items by race/ethnicity, rank and gender; organizational leadership (such as diverse market segments); and personal leadership (such as being on the board of a multicultural nonprofit or being the sponsor of a resource group).

The company has been emphasizing talent development of traditionally underrepresented groups. For vacancies at every rank in the organization, including the most senior positions, Prudential requires a diverse slate of candidates. The company also sponsors internships that support external “feeder” programs, such as INROADS, that prepare students for entering its business and investment areas.

Prudential leverages its eight resource groups for community outreach as well. The groups, which include a fifth of the employees, are reviewed biannually on performance in professional development, business integration, community outreach, and diversity awareness and education.

Prudential Financial received DiversityInc’s Top Company for Community Development special award in 2011.

U.S. Headquarters: Newark, N.J.

Global Employees: 41,044

U.S. Employees: 18,866

Last Year’s DiversityInc Top 50 Ranking: No. 16