AT&T Ranks No. 3 on The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity List

DALLAS, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T* today announced that it has been named to The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity for its demonstrated use of measurable diversity management best practices and results – and longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion across its global operations. AT&T is also included on four of DiversityInc's Top 10 specialty lists, ranking No. 6 among the Top 10 Companies for Recruitment and Retention; No. 6 among the Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity; No. 2 among the Top 10 Companies for Blacks; and No. 9 for LGBT Employees.  

This is the tenth year that DiversityInc has administered the Top 50 Companies survey – a total of 449 companies participated this year, up 12 percent from last year. Ranked No. 3 out of 449 companies, AT&T has demonstrated strength in the four areas measured – CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications and Supplier Diversity.

"AT&T's rich past and promising future is the story of individuals from all walks of life coming together to improve lives through relentless innovation ... of a culture rooted in the belief that our differences make us better," said Cindy Brinkley, AT&T's senior vice president of talent development and chief diversity officer. "At AT&T, we're way beyond just talking about diversity and inclusion. We live it. And that's why all of our 283,000 employees are so gratified when that commitment is recognized by leading organizations like DiversityInc."

Last year AT&T nearly topped the Top 50 list, ranking No. 2 on the overall list and making several of DiversityInc's specialty lists, including the DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention, Top 10 Companies for African Americans and Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees.  

AT&T has been a diversity management leader for more than a century. Its diverse and premier customer base allows the company to attract the best technology alliances, while its diverse workforce helps AT&T drive innovation, create business solutions and deliver world-class products and services.

That's why AT&T has been consistently recognized over the last several years for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, which includes its world-class supplier diversity programs designed to promote, increase, and improve the quality of the overall participation of minority, women, and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs and DVBEs) in its supply chain.

The AT&T Global Supplier Diversity team coaches diverse suppliers to include global strategies as part of their overall business planning in order to remain viable in today's marketplace:  

• AT&T's Supplier Diversity Programs began in 1968; since this time, AT&T has spent more than $50 billion dollars with minority, women and disabled veteran businesses.
• AT&T has achieved some of the highest supplier diversity spending results in the country.
• AT&T increased its supplier diversity spending by $2 billion dollars from 2007 through 2009. In 2009, AT&T spent $7 billion dollars, or 14 percent of its total procurement with diversity suppliers. In the past ten years, AT&T has spent $37 billion dollars with diversity owned companies, representing 14 percent of its total procurement dollars.  

AT&T's inclusive work environment – where differences of opinion, thoughts and backgrounds are highly valued – makes AT&T an employer of choice. AT&T's 50-state workforce is 41 percent female and 38 percent people of color. People of color make up 30 percent of AT&T's managers, versus a national figure of 22 percent of managers, professionals and related occupations, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

As part of its commitment to the communities where it lives and works, AT&T announced in 2008 the largest education initiative in company history – AT&T Aspire – a $100 million commitment focused on high school success and workforce readiness. The program supports teachers and administrators by funding nonprofit and school programs that help students succeed in the classroom and beyond.

To qualify for the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity, participating companies must have more than 1,000 employees and must complete a detailed questionnaire based completely on empirical questions.

The announcement of the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the 12 specialty lists* occurred on Tuesday, March 9th at a gala in Washington, D.C., and AT&T will be featured in the June 2010 issue of DiversityInc Magazine. The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 List was unveiled after a daylong learning event: "How Global Diversity Impacts the Domestic Diversity Agenda," where AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson served as keynote speaker.

DiversityInc was founded in 1998 as a web-based publication, and a print magazine was launched in 2002. To see the full ranking of the 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity as well as more information on the methodology, visit: DiversityInc.com/Top50.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About DiversityInc

Launched in 1997, DiversityInc is the leading business publication connecting diversity and the bottom line, with 1 million unique monthly visitors. DiversityInc.com includes the largest diversity job board in the nation. DiversityInc also produces events and conducts benchmarking, custom research and consulting.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T |  DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T's Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing and advertising sales. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine's list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.

© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.