New York, N.Y. (May 25, 2010) – Fortunes have fluctuated at U.S. companies recently, but Working Mother magazine’s Best Companies for Multicultural Women have held steady through the turmoil. Recognizing that it’s not bad times but a strong workforce that lasts, the Working Mother 2010 Best Companies for Multicultural Women are joined by a common bond: an unwavering commitment to preserving diversity programs that create a better working environment and a healthier bottom line. ?
“Keeping cultural inclusiveness top of mind during the economic downturn was a business imperative to the Working Mother Best Companies for Multicultural Women, and as a result, they are reaping the benefits,” said Carol Evans, President, Working Mother Media. “Our winners retain star staffers by recognizing that top talent comes from different backgrounds, and it is these diverse perspectives that bring different skills to leadership and fresh solutions to business needs.”
In an age when women of color still face significant professional obstacles, our winning companies dedicate themselves to getting more perspectives to the decision-making table. The Working Mother 2010 Best Companies for Multicultural Women boast the following initiatives to promote multicultural women’s advancement:
• Formal mentoring offering professional guidance to female multicultural employees
• Active support networks providing a sense of community
• Recruitment and retention programs targeting multicultural women
• Regular reviews of progress on annual diversity goals
• Diversity and inclusion goals built into managers’ performance objectives
• Networking opportunities with senior leaders, including company CEOs
“We applaud the senior leaders at our winning companies who demonstrate a powerful commitment to creating a diverse workforce,” says Suzanne Riss, Editor in Chief, Working Mother magazine. “But the reason the Working Mother Best Companies for Multicultural Women succeed is that they mesh that commitment with concrete policies, business strategies and work-life initiatives – as well as manager accountability – to create a welcoming environment for multicultural women at all levels.
“There is still a long way to go,” added Riss. “Now is the time for all companies to accelerate their efforts to use diversity as a key tool in moving their businesses ahead.”
The 2010 Best Companies for Multicultural Women (in alphabetical order):
• Allstate Insurance – Northbrook, IL
• American Electric Power – Columbus, OH
• American Express – New York, NY
• Burger King – Miami, FL
• *Cisco – San Jose, CA
• Citi – New York, NY
• *Deloitte – New York, NY
• *General Mills – Minneapolis, MN
• Goldman Sachs – New York, NY
• Heath Care Service Corp. – Chicago, IL
• IBM – Armonk, NY
• JPMorgan Chase – New York, NY
• *KPMG – New York, NY
• Kraft Foods – Northfield, IL
• McDonald’s USA – Oak Brook, IL
• MetLife – New York, NY
• PepsiCo – Purchase, NY
• PricewaterhouseCoopers – New York, NY
• Procter & Gamble – Cincinnati, OH
• Sodexo – Gaithersburg, MD
• State Farm Insurance – Bloomington, IL
• *Verizon Communications – New York, NY
• Walmart – Bentonville, AR
*Denotes a member of the Top 5 Best Companies for Multicultural Women
The Working Mother Best Companies for Multicultural Women is chronicled in the June/July 2010 issue of the magazine. Extended coverage of Best Companies can be found at workingmother.com.
Best Companies for Multicultural Women Methodology: To be considered for Best Companies for Multicultural Women, each company applied and supplied Working Mother with 2009 data about the hiring, pay and promotion of multicultural employees. Applications focus on representation of multicultural women; recruitment; retention and advancement programs; and company culture. This year, equal weight was given to all segments of the 350-question survey. An independent survey research firm tabulated the scores.
About Working Mother Media
Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com brings to the Web home and career information, advice and a broad range of solutions daily. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Working Mother’s signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America. Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp. (www.bonnier.com), includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE, www.nafe.com), Diversity Best Practices (www.diversitybestpractices.com), the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women’s Conference and Leadership Summits. Working Mother Media’s mission is to serve as a champion of culture change.
