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This list, started three years ago, measures the diversity-management performance of regional utility companies in the same four areas as The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity.
We created this list because the demographics of these utilities are very specific to their footprints and, therefore, their results should be assessed in their geographic framework. Utilities also have a commonality in the type of suppliers they have, as well as strong ties to their local communities.
With more than 20 utilities participating in the DiversityInc Top 50 survey, these five emerge through the data as the strongest in diversity management.
Here are a few facts about these five companies in aggregate, plus individual facts about why each is a leader:
- All of their CEOs make sure the corporate mission statement includes diversity
- All of their CEOs personally sign off on supplier-diversity goals and metrics
- They all have active programs to recruit people with disabilities
- They all offer a variety of benefits for lesbian and gay employees, including in most cases spousal/partner relocation assistance and automatic 401(k) beneficiary designation for same-sex domestic partners
- They all have mandatory diversity training for managers, and four of the five have mandatory diversity training for the entire workforce
- They all require diversity information on supplier requests for proposals
- They all mentor and offer financial assistance/education to minority- and women-owned suppliers
Here is the list and a pertinent fact about each utility:
No. 1: Southern California Edison
This company has strong community roots, with more than half of its philanthropy going to multicultural nonprofits, including the NAACP, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California and UNCF. In addition, this utility directs almost half its marketing/advertising efforts at multicultural media.
No. 2: PG&E Corp.
Also No. 8 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity, No. 9 in The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos
PG&E has an extremely diverse board of directors: 16.7 percent Black, 16.7 percent female, 8.3 percent Latino and 8.3 percent Asian. The company is also a supplier-diversity leader.
No. 3: Consolidated Edison Co. of New York
Con Edison, by virtue of being in New York City, has a workforce that’s very racially diverse. What’s impressive about this company is that the diversity transcends into first promotions into management, management promotions and all levels of management.
No. 4: Sempra Energy
A long-time supplier-diversity leader, Sempra has strong community roots as well. The company spends 20.2 percent of its Tier I (direct contractor) procurement with minority-owned suppliers and 6.9 percent with women-owned suppliers. Multicultural philanthropy is very high, with allocations to such organizations as Mexican-American Opportunity Foundation, Golden State Minority Foundation and the NAACP Los Angeles.
No. 5: Ameren
Chairman, President and CEO Thomas Voss is a true diversity champion, signing off on executive compensation tied to diversity, meeting regularly with employee-resource groups, and chairing the executive diversity council. Ameren’s employee groups have really taken off in the last year and are increasingly contributing to the company’s business goals.
