The corporate jungle is no place for the meek at heart; those seeking to enter its depths must be prepared for a variety of organizational structures that are associated with different corporations. Minorities must be even more conscious, especially when it comes to a company?s stance on employment diversity. There are companies that are noteworthy for their efforts to maintain a diverse workplace. They are aware that to get the best and brightest you have to search among all ethnic groups and ensure that the company?s environment is one that is conducive to the success of all employees.
Dr. Shirley Davis, Chief Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Society for Human Resource Management, relays the following advice:
?Job hunters should conduct their own research into a company?s employment diversity efforts. Just because a company ranks well on DiversityInc.com or related sites doesn?t mean you should stop your inquiry. Check out their annual reports, their website?s strategies, vision, and core values pages. Connect with current employees via social media, and get a personal take on the company?s view on minority development?i.e. the available opportunities for growth and development, whether or not there are diverse employees at all levels of management, as well as mentor opportunities.??
The companies that rank at the top for organizational culture have made their commitment to diversity evident; at one point or another, a person of color has been at the helm of the ship. For instance Darden, American Express, Aetna, and Xerox all currently have African-American Chief Executive Officers. DiversityInc?s Top Fifty Companies for Diversity are assessed in four major areas: CEO commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. Empirical information about the companies is gathered through the use of surveys and then analyzed. The following companies represent the top ten on DiversityInc?s Top Fifty Companies for Diversity List:
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Forward-thinking companies realize they are only as good as their workforce. These companies understand that their success is directly tied to melding different ideas from varying schools of thought and demographic backgrounds. Creating a work environment that represents not only their customer base, but also America itself, has become an essential priority and a key to their success.
