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What is a noteworthy company and how is it different from a company on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list? The 25 Noteworthy Companies started five years ago as a means for the editors to identify companies that are close to making the Top 50 list and have real potential to be national diversity leaders.
This year, seven companies that were on last year's 25 Noteworthy list jumped to the Top 50, despite increased competition (there were 352 participants this year, up from 317 last year). Often, companies on the Noteworthy list excel in one or two areas but are not yet above average in all four categories we measure (CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity).
What makes them stand out? Well, in a few cases, they even beat the Top 50. Consider these facts:
- Twenty-two percent of their managers are Black, Latino, Asian or American Indian, compared with 25 percent of the Top 50 and 19 percent of the bottom quarter of applicants. The national average for non-white managers is 17 percent, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Sixteen percent of their top-level executives (CEOs and direct reports) are Black, Latino, Asian or American Indian, compared with 14 percent of the Top 50 and 7 percent of the bottom quarter of applicants.
- Ninety-six percent of them have a senior executive as a member of employee groups, compared with 94 percent of the Top 50 and 83 percent of the bottom quarter.
- All of them use employee groups as recruitment tools, compared with 96 percent of the Top 50 and 78 percent of the bottom quarter.
- Their Tier I (direct contractor) percent of procurement spent with minority- and women-owned businesses averages 12 percent, compared with 8.5 percent for the Top 50, 7 percent for the bottom quarter and 2 percent nationwide.
Here are the 25 Noteworthy Companies in alphabetical order with a relevant fact about each:
ADP: The company has mandatory diversity training for its entire work force. Training topics include: Managing Diversity Simulation; Why Diversity Matters; Changing the Corporate Culture; Designing a Diversity Initiative; Diversity in the Future; Stakeholder Interests and Cultural Diversity; and Getting Past Clashes--Valuing Team Diversity.
Allstate: Its long-lasting philanthropic efforts include contributions to the National Council of La Raza, American Indian College Fund, National Urban League and the OCA.
American Airlines: The airline has been a longtime LGBT supporter and has a web site and sales team specifically aimed at the LGBT community. The company also has 15 strong employee-resource groups.
Bausch & Lomb: With 35 percent of its managers participating in mentoring programs, the company has an inclusive corporate culture and emphasizes recruitment and talent development.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina: The company has excellent work/life benefits, including compressed work weeks, educational sabbaticals, onsite nutritionists, an employee-assistance program with onsite counselors for employees and their family members, stress-management classes, and personal concierge services.
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Chrysler: The auto company gets a perfect score for communicating its diversity brand on its web site, including frequent images of people with disabilities and mentions of LGBT employees and customers.
Colgate-Palmolive: The company has mandatory diversity training called Fostering an Inclusive Work Environment and Valuing Colgate People. The training is held for a full day every month and has formal follow-up and metrics attached to measure its effectiveness.
Comerica, also No. 6 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity: Thirty-five percent of its employees are members of its 30 employee groups, which have existed for more than 10 years and have full support of management. The bank also has mandatory diversity training for its entire work force, held every month.
Comcast: Diversity-and-inclusion messaging is included in both onboarding programs and frontline and leadership-development programs. It's also a key factor in HR, programming, purchasing and community-investment decisions.
Darden Restaurants, also No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for African Americans: The restaurant chain spends 20 percent of its marketing budget on multicultural media and has had strong and effective campaigns aimed at traditionally underrepresented groups.
Eastman Kodak Co., also No. 6 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees and No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities: A longtime national diversity leader, the company's board of directors is 27 percent Latino and 18 percent Black. Chairman and CEO Antonio M. Perez is strongly committed to diversity.
Electronic Data System: The company has excellent work/life benefits, including subsidized childcare and adult care; a concierge program; employee discounts; a resource and referral program; an employee-assistance program; auto, home, and renters discount program; tuition reimbursement; group legal services; a national fitness-center network; and care coaches for eldercare issues.
HP, also No. 3 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity:
The computer giant spends 22 percent of its Tier I (direct contractor) procurement budget with minority- and women-owned suppliers. HP also has extremely strong employee-resource groups, which have been in existence for more than 10 years.
Kraft, also No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity:
The company has mandatory diversity training for all its employees, held every month, called the Power of Differences.
MetLife: The company has several diversity committees, six affinity/employee groups and more than 30 employee-led, site-specific diversity teams. MetLife has a first-rate mentoring program, with more than 52 percent of managers participating.
Microsoft: The software company has significant work/life benefits, including near-site childcare, group legal benefit, a 24-hour nurse line, an online health portal, onsite health screenings, flu shots, family backup care, childcare discounts, parenting classes, new-mothers rooms, tuition assistance, employee discounts, employee giving and volunteer matching, onsite convenience services and commuting programs.
MGM MIRAGE: The company has an extensive diversity-training program. Its Diversity Champion workshops are a three-day training focusing on the basic principles of universal respect, inclusion and appreciation of employees.
PNC National Bank: The bank has a deep philanthropic commitment to traditionally underrepresented groups. Its philanthropic contributions include:
Rockwell Collins: Participating for the first time, Rockwell Collins earned our notice because of its strong diversity commitment from Chairman, CEO and President Clayton M. Jones, who has served as chief diversity officer since 2005 when the company created its Office of Diversity.
Ryder System: The company has mandatory diversity training offered every month for its entire work force, with thorough metrics and follow-up. The training is called The Inclusion Journey & Continuing the Journey.
United Technologies Corp. (UTC): The company offers a winter-holiday shutdown. It also has a unique Employee Scholar Program. In 2007, 14,583 UTC employees in 50 countries furthered their education with support from this program, which covers the costs of accredited degree programs and provides paid time off for study. Additionally, upon earning a degree, the employee is awarded between $5,000 and $10,000 in UTC common stock. UTC invested $85 million in the Employee Scholar Program in 2007 and nearly $700 million since its inception in 1996.
Washington Mutual: With a long history of community involvement, Washington Mutual donates to many multicultural organizations, including Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp.; Enterprise Community Partners; The Greenlining Institute; University of Washington Business School (Minority Business Executive Program); National Council of La Raza; the Human Rights Campaign; The Trevor Project; The San Francisco LGBT Community Center; Gay Men's Health Crisis; and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
Whirlpool Corp.: Globally, the company requires all salaried employees to sign its code of ethics annually, defines values to provide a foundation for how employees do business, and also has a supplier code of conduct.
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