FEATURES
|
|
Posted Mar 13, 2009
 Strong CEO commitment and diverse work-force representation makes this company relevant every year. The company also is a leader at comprehensive diversity training. |
 Darden Restaurants is one of the few companies on the DiversityInc Top 50 or specialty lists with a Black CEO. Chairman and CEO Clarence Otis Jr. personally signs off on executive compensation tied to diversity and meets regularly with the company's employee-resource groups. The company's board of directors is 25 percent Black and 8 percent Latino.
Indicative of its industry, Darden Restaurants' work force is very diverse, but the company is more diverse than its counterparts. Forty-two percent of its work force is Black, Asian, Latino and American Indian. Its management is 24 percent Black, Asian, Latino and American Indian.
Sixty-four percent of the company's managers participate in its mentoring program. Mentoring pairs have measurable goals and there is formal follow-up.
The company also offers some untraditional but much sought-after work/life programs, such as floating religious holidays, auto and renters' discounted insurance, electronic banking, student loans, tuition reimbursement, discounted computer purchasing and pet insurance.
Darden Restaurants' diversity training is mandatory for all employees, lasts for more than one day and is offered monthly. The company continues to tweak its training by implementing metrics to measure its success. All employees are also required to participate in mandatory surveys on diversity. |
|
 |
Clarence Otis, Chairman and CEO
"Darden is proud of its legacy of diversity and inclusion. And our commitment remains steadfast. Diversity isn't a program at Darden, it's a way of life. We welcome it and embrace it because we understand its ability to enrich our people and build our business. We're focused on putting that understanding into actions at every level of the organization." |
|
Specialty Lists
- DiversityInc's 25
Noteworthy Companies
|
Industry
Food Services
Main Competitors
Brinker, DineEquity, OSI Restaurant Partners
U.S. headquarters
Orlando, Fla. |
Number of U.S. Employees
170,023
Annual Revenue
$6.6 billion
% of Operations Outside U.S.
0.1 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
