Also read: DiversityInc Top 50, DiversityInc Specialty Lists
Why They Stand Out: Of all the 401 applicants to The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list, the companies on this specialty list have demonstrated a long-term commitment to hiring, retaining, compensating and promoting African Americans. They do this through building strong community relationships, establishing pipelines to schools and professional organizations, and maintaining deep relationships with Black-owned suppliers.
Methodology: To determine this list, we examined several ratios showing how companies are increasing the presence and role of Black employees, including their percentage of the work force versus new hires, management versus promotions in management, and in different levels of management versus the top 10 percent highest-paid employees. We also looked at the strength and purpose of the company's employee-resource groups for Blacks, its mentoring program, its philanthropic and scholarship efforts in the Black community, and its relationships with MBEs (minority business enterprises) as suppliers.
Here are the top 10 and a reason why each of them made the list:
No. 1: AT&T, No. 2 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also, No. 7 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention and No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees
This company has a long and deep-rooted relationship with the Black community. Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson is chairperson of the NAACP Centennial Corporate Campaign. The company has a strong employee-resource group for Blacks, called community NETwork - African American Telecommunications Professionals of AT&T. A couple of statistics show AT&T's commitment to Blacks--almost 30 percent of its female work force and 19 percent of its female managers are Black.
No. 2: Target Corp., a DiversityInc 25 Noteworthy Company. Also No. 5 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention
Target's 11-member board of directors includes two Black members. Representing their marketplace, Blacks also are 18.2 percent of the work force and 25.2 percent of new hires. Target also has an extremely strong mentoring program, with 90 percent of managers participating.
No. 3: Sodexo, No. 6 in the Diversityinc Top 50. Also, No. 3 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; No. 2 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos; No. 1 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women; No. 9 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities; and No. 7 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees
CEO and President George Chavel is co-chair of the National Urban League's Equal Opportunity Dinner. The board of directors is one-third Black. The work force is 26 percent Black while new hires are 30 percent Black.
No. 4: JPMorgan Chase, No. 15 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also, No. 6 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention
The bank has a strong philanthropic commitment to the Black community, including the UNCF, the Sphinx Organization, the NAACP, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, INROADS, 100 Black Men, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and The PhD Project.
No. 5: CSX, No. 49 in the DiversityInc Top 50
The railroad company has made a major effort in recent years to increase Black recruitment, retention and talent development. It is paying off; 17.9 percent of management promotions go to Blacks and 13 percent of the top 10 percent highest-paid employees are Black.
No. 6: Verizon Communications, No. 12 in the DiversityInc Top 50
A long-time work-force diversity leader, Verizon reported that Black women receive 27.6 percent of all management promotions. The company also has a successful Black Managers' Leadership Development Workshop.
No. 7: Altria Group
Altria has a long history of strong relationships with the Black community through philanthropy and supplier diversity. The company reports that 10 percent of its managers are Black but 12 percent of management promotions go to Blacks.
No. 8: AARP, No. 37 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women
In its first year competing, AARP has demonstrated a strong multicultural presence, especially for Blacks. Three members of its board of directors are Black as well as 25.5 percent of its work force and 14 percent of its management.
No. 9: Marriott International, No. 4 in the Diversityinc Top 50. Also No. 4 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity and No. 10 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women
The hotel giant has a long history of strong supplier diversity and minority-owned hotel franchises. Its belief in building community wealth is unsurpassed. Chairman and CEO J.W. (Bill) Marriott Jr. is a member of the executive leadership cabinet for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project. Philanthropic donations include the Urban League, INROADS, Minority Corporate Counsel Association, NAACP, National Association of Black Accountants, National Black MBA Association and National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.
No. 10: Health Care Service Corp., No. 22 in the DiversityInc Top 50. Also No. 6 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity
The company reports that 17.5 percent of managers are Black and 18.1 percent of management promotions go to Blacks, showing progress. In addition, 5.6 percent of Tier I (direct contractor) vendors are minority-owned businesses.
