Kaiser Permanente No. 1 in The 2011 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2011 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list was announced at a sold-out dinner in Washington, D.C., at DiversityInc's two-day event March 2-3. Kaiser Permanente was named the No. 1 company.

This year, 535 companies participated in the DiversityInc Top 50 competition, up 19 percent from last year and up 70 percent in the past four years. DiversityInc fine-tuned its methodology this year to more thoroughly assess consistency of diversity-management efforts across the four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity.

"Our metrics-driven, objective editorial process enables us to measure a company's cultural ability to relate to employees, customers, community and suppliers," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc. "There is a direct correlation between best practices in diversity management and human-capital results, but we feel our list is really about measuring a company's cultural ability to relate to a rapidly developing marketplace – not only in composition but in its ability to immediately reward companies that have demonstrated respect."

No. 1 Company

Kaiser Permanente made it to the top spot, according to DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti, because CEO George Halvorson is driving business results by aligning core values, workplace diversity and community outreach. "Kaiser's Chairman and CEO George Halvorson is a remarkable visionary who understands that his organization's sustainability depends on delivering effective healthcare to the changing population," Visconti said.

Rounding out the top 10 were Sodexo, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AT&T, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Deloitte, Kraft and Colgate-Palmolive.

Applicants fill out a survey divided into four parts: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. The same application is used to determine placement on the 13 other lists: The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Blacks; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities; DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Global Diversity; The DiversityInc Top 10 Regional Companies; The DiversityInc Top 5 Utility Companies; and The DiversityInc Top 5 Hospital Systems.

DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies list is the only one not based solely on metrics. Our senior editorial staff chooses companies for this list that have potential to make the DiversityInc Top 50 next year because their diversity-management initiatives show significant improvement.

There has been significant movement on the list this year:

• Twenty-eight companies moved up on the list; 20 moved down
• Seven companies moved up on to the list after being on the 25 Noteworthy Companies list last year
• Seven companies made the list for the first time; one is a first-time participant

Key Findings

Aggregate data from the 2011 DiversityInc Top 50 shows an escalation in diversity best practices in the last five years.

• There has been an improved alignment of diversity-management initiatives
• There is increased consistent excellence across ALL four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity
• There has been a progression of points of top-ranked companies as diversity-management initiatives improve
• Companies have more tools in place for improved accuracy in reporting data

Methodology

How is the DiversityInc Top 50 determined? Surveys are sent out in October to all interested companies that have at least 1,000 employees, with a due date for an online submission in early February. There is no fee to enter and companies that have business relationships with DiversityInc get no preference. Every company that fills out the survey receives a free report card assessing performance in those four areas measured: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity.

The survey consists of more than 300 empirical questions (no subjective or qualitative information), which have predetermined weightings. Ratios between key factors, such as demographics of managers compared with managers who received promotions and demographics of the workforce compared with people promoted into their first management positions, play a significant factor in determining point scores. Companies must score above average in all four areas to earn a spot on the list and demonstrate strong consistency across the board in their diversity-management initiatives. Companies are measured within their industry classifications.

Any company that does not offer same-sex domestic-partner benefits is automatically disqualified from the DiversityInc Top 50 and any of the 13 other lists.

This year, the questions were more detailed and nuanced to best measure the corporate culture and the human-capital results, which are the key indicator of progress. For example, companies were evaluated on whether their employee-resource groups and cross-cultural mentoring programs were available across the entire organization.

For information or interviews with Luke Visconti, contact [email protected]

SOURCE DiversityInc