FEATURES
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Posted Mar 13, 2009
 Ernst & Young has moved up the list substantially this year from No. 17 last year. The reason is its clear focus on embedding diversity and inclusion in all of its global lines of business. The company's emphasis on strong talent development has paid off in a dedicated managerial/professional work force with a substantial pipeline to senior leadership. |
 Steve Howe, Americas area managing partner, is a very public diversity advocate. The appointment last year of Billie Williamson as Americas inclusiveness officer has brought new depths to the diversity programs based on her history of advocating within the company for traditionally underrepresented groups.
Ernst & Young has a remarkable mentoring program, and all of its managers are involved as mentors/mentees in some way. Williamson has been involved in the development of several programs that add substantially to the company's ability to nurture talent. They include the Executive Mentoring Program that pairs high-potential Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian partners and principals with members of the firm's Americas Executive Board; Learning Partnerships, which provides Black, Latino, Asian and American Indian professionals access to senior leaders in both a structured and informal setup; Pathways to Meaningful Partnership, a training program for women, Blacks, Latinos, Asians and American Indians; and Minority and Women's Leadership Conferences. In addition, Ernst & Young gets perfect scores for its work/life benefits and the benefits it offers same-sex domestic partners of employees. And the firm has strong and innovative programs for its employees with disabilities.
Ernst & Young makes full use of its 10 employee-resource groups, which include a Working Parents Network, a Network for Caregivers, and a Parents Network for Children of Special Needs. Fifty percent of the firm's employees are members of these 10 groups.
Diversity training is mandatory for the entire work force, lasts more than a full day and is held every month. And 20 percent of the firms' philanthropy goes to multicultural organizations, including the National Association of Black Accountants, the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, the Human Rights Campaign, and Acend, formerly the National Asian American Society of Accountants. |
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Steve Howe, Americas Area Managing Partner
"Our clients expect us to bring diverse teams and thinking to help solve their problems. Given the challenges companies are facing in the current economy, they need those diverse perspectives now more than ever. Our diversity and inclusiveness efforts have remained front and center, and that is not going to change. Our competitiveness now, and in the years to come, depends on it." |
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Billie Williamson, Americas Inclusiveness Officer
"In a down economy, concern grows that diversity initiatives will be negatively impacted. At Ernst & Young, our leaders have been communicating regularly with our people about the financial crisis. In those communications--via voicemail, webcasts, and meetings--they have clearly said that inclusiveness remains a top priority. Now more than ever, we need people who think about familiar problems in new ways and who reject groupthink. We know that harnessing the strength of our inclusive culture is a competitive advantage." |
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Specialty Lists
- No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10
Companies for People With Disabilities
- No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10
Companies for LGBT Employees
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Industry
Professional Services
Main Competitors
Deloitte, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers
U.S. Headquarters
New York |
Number of U.S. Employees
26,220
Annual Revenue
$24.5 billion
% of Operations Outside U.S.
81 |
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