DiversityInc released The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list today.

In its sixth year, The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is the most objective, empirical arbitrator of national standards for diversity-management success. A total of 256 companies participated, a 100 percent increase over the last three years and a 26 percent increase from last year. Of those, 48 percent were participating for the first time.  

"Companies are realizing the importance and the credibility of the only business list for diversity in the marketplace," said ke Visconti, partner and cofounder of DiversityInc.

Each year, DiversityInc improves on the methodology used to determine which companies are on the Top 50. For 2006, DiversityInc gave heavier emphasis to the most important aspect of diversity management—CEO commitment—and evaluated each company against its own industry and employee skills sets. In addition, new this year was the requirement that companies on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list demonstrate consistent strength in the four areas the survey measures: human capital, corporate communications, supplier development and CEO commitment.

In human capital, DiversityInc evaluated retention across all racial/ethnic/gender categories, looking for consistency that proves a company has unbiased retention for all groups. In corporate communications, DiversityInc refined questions on diversity training, employee-resource groups, mentoring and multicultural marketing. In supplier diversity, DiversityInc, for the first time, separated data on women- and minority-owned businesses. And in CEO commitment, DiversityInc sought proof of the chief executive's direct involvement in diversity initiatives.

And the top five companies on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list are:

1. Verizon
2. Consolidated Edison Co. of NY
3. The Coca-Cola Co.
4. Health Care Service Corp.
5. HBO

Click here to see the list in its entirety.

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