Employers that take a proactive approach to diversity and inclusion aim to create a work environment where people of varying backgrounds and identities are valued. They actively seek out job applicants from underrepresented groups and establish initiatives that give all employees a fair shot at career advancement. We’ve put together an overview of some companies with the best diversity and inclusion programs, ranging from leadership development and mentorship to training programs that combat biases in the workplace.
Companies With the Best Diversity and Inclusion Programs
- dbt Labs
- SharkNinja
- ADP
- Ally Financial
- UL Solutions
- Accenture
- Autodesk
Companies With the Best Diversity and Inclusion Programs
EPAM Systems offers software engineering and digital transformation services for clients in spaces like financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and consumer services. The company, which employs nearly 55,000 team members, seeks to prioritize DEI throughout its culture and policies. Its in-house, executive-sponsored initiatives include a variety of employee resource groups to support and build community among team members in addition to company-wide celebrations and gatherings for events like Black History Month and International Women’s Day.
Data teams look to dbt Labs for tools that make developing and deploying analytics code a quick and collaborative process. The company’s efforts to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion have led to multiple initiatives, including internal transparency for salary bands and a Conscientious Objection policy that gives team members a way to pull out of projects that conflict with their values. The company says its goal “is to make sure everyone has a sense of belonging, and the support they need to succeed.”
SharkNinja is a product development and e-commerce company that makes popular blenders, grills, kitchen gadgets and cleaning tools. It prides itself on being a healthy, equitable and inclusive workplace, which it accomplishes via hiring practices that promote diversity, a global DEI advisory board along with subcommittees, training and education, multiple employee resource groups and other initiatives.
ADP gives its customers tools to handle human resources activities like payroll, recruitment, managing employee benefits plans and overseeing time-off requests. ADP belongs to a coalition known as OneTen, which is composed of employers working to facilitate upskilling and career opportunities for Black talent. The company’s other diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives include several employee-led business resource groups, unconscious bias training and a Diversity & Inclusion Talent Task Force to promote recruiting and hiring among underrepresented groups.
Ally Financial provides millions of customers with savings accounts, credit cards, auto loans and wealth management services. The company has taken several actions to demonstrate its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. For example, it implemented training to help leadership identify cognitive bias, and it has its minimum wage set at $23 while also routinely reviewing pay across positions to ensure equity. Ally’s data shows more than 40 percent of employees have gotten involved with the company’s employee resource groups designed to build connections and promote positive change.
UL Solutions specializes in what it refers to as “safety science,” collaborating with clients worldwide to help them build safer and more sustainable workplaces. As part of its diversity and inclusion efforts, the company has eight business resources groups for employees, such as the Disability Alliance Business Resource Group, ULatino Business Resource Group and Women in Leadership Business Resource Group. UL Solutions also has a Diversity + Inclusion Executive Council made up of senior leaders tasked with guiding strategy, along with a Diversity + Inclusion Leadership Council that “serves as the voice of the employee and aligns to the Diversity + Inclusion priorities, initiatives and programs,” according to the company.
Accenture is a consulting firm that provides services like analytics and AI to business clients in more than 120 different countries. Its steps to enhance diversity and inclusion have included mandatory employee training on antiracism and unconscious bias, as well as equal access to medical coverage for employees who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and their partners. Accenture is also striving to have a gender-balanced workforce, reporting that approximately 47 percent of its global employees are women.
Software company Autodesk offers platforms that can be used for tasks such as managing construction projects or designing visual effects for movies and games. Diversity and inclusion at Autodesk has resulted in multiple community partnerships with groups like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and AfroTech, which have helped the company further its inclusive recruiting efforts. Autodesk also created the NEXT LEVEL program to provide coaching and mentorship to prepare people of color for promotions to leadership roles. The company has seen a 40 percent increase in employee resource groups, launching two new groups in fiscal year 2023 to continue promoting belonging at work, according to Autodesk’s yearly report on diversity and inclusion.