Diversity and inclusion at the 10 Best Places to Work in 2022
With the ‘war for talent’ still raging, organizations must provide more of the things employees care about. Research confirms that diversity and inclusion matter more than ever to workers, so how can organizations get their D&I strategy right? Maybe by taking tips from the organizations that lead employee satisfaction polls.
The D&I commitments featured in this post include:
- Nvidia
- Hubspot
- Bain & Company
- eXp Realty
- Box
- Boston Consulting Group
- Veterans United Home Loans
- lululemon
- Salesforce
Diverse organizations are stronger organizations. Backed by tons of research about the power of diversity and inclusion, that statement has become axiomatic in recent years. Despite its glaring obviousness though, progress towards a more equal landscape remains slow. As recently as 2020, Forbes.com outlined just how unequal the private and public sectors in the US are.
12.5% of the US population is Black, yet only 3.2% of senior leadership positions are held by Black people.
In fact, out of the entire Fortune 500, only 4 CEOs are Black (and they’re men)—that’s a whopping .08%— and as of 2018, there have been 1,974 members of the US Senate, but only ten have been Black.
Moreover, 18.3% of the US population is Hispanic, and yet only 4% of company executives are Hispanic.
Source: Forbes
Why does this matter in the workplace? Because most employees care about how well their organization is doing on D&I.
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Workers care about diversity and inclusion: employers should too
Anyone who has been paying attention in recent months will know that the market for talented workers is hyper competitive right now. Spurred on by 2021’s Great Resignation, there are a record number of job vacancies in both the US and the UK. This has led to unprecedented salary rises and a pendulum swing in favor of employees.
Pay isn’t the only thing workers care about though, so if organizations want to attract the best minds, they need to convince job seekers that they offer more than lip service on the issues that matter most.
Research from 2021 suggests that diversity and inclusion are very high on that list of valued topics. In a survey of more than 8,000 US employees, CNBC discovered that 78% of workers consider diversity and inclusion to be important (more than 50% said they are very important), but one in four individuals said that their organization is not doing enough.
How can organizations improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace? One way is to consider the D&I strategies employed by those companies that employees themselves rate as the best places to work. That means turning to the user-generated power of Glassdoor’s annual Best Places to Work report. Check out the following sections for diversity and inclusion ideas from the top ten best places to work in 2022.
#1 Nvidia
Industry: Computing
Diversity and inclusion: Nvidia is not just Glassdoor’s best place to work in 2022 – and one of the Just 100 Best Corporate Citizens for responsible capitalism – but an award-winning champion for D&I too. Winner of a coveted 100% rating by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Nvidia has been named a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.
The company has earned its plaudits through a range of initiatives, including taking a long-term approach to future employees. By working with partners from the ARC Network, LatinX in AI, Queer in AI, Rewriting the Code, and student organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Society of Women Engineers, Nvidia is endeavoring to make its industry more accessible and appealing to underrepresented communities. Working to ensure that the future pipeline of talent entering the doors of your organization is more diverse may be a winner when it comes to company performance.
#2 HubSpot
Industry: Software
Diversity and inclusion: HubSpot is a great example of a company that acknowledges it must do better and then puts that into action. In a very transparent admission that there’s much work to be done, HubSpot has stated, “We aren’t the diverse company we aspire to be yet, but we will continue to hold ourselves accountable to our community. Because we agree with Louis Brandeis: ‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant.’”
The company’s annual report on its own diversity data is proof that it’s keen to improve, as is the presence of active D&I programming taking place within employee resource groups such as People of Color at HubSpot, BLACKHub, Families@HubSpot, Women@HubSpot, and the LGBTQ+ Alliance. In 2021, HubSpot also made a big financial commitment by investing $20 million in the Black Economic Development Fund and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs). Perhaps this kind of proactive approach is why it’s Glassdoor’s second best place to work in 2022.
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#3 Bain & Company
Industry: Consultancy
Diversity and inclusion: Bain & Company has held a perfect score with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation since 2006. How has it held its Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality mantle for so long? The longevity of the company’s Affinity Groups may be part of the answer. In operation since the 1980s, employee community groups such as BGLAD (the LGBTQ network at Bain and Bridgespan) and Blacks at Bain (BABs) receive investment and support so that they can generate a sense of community and connectedness among members of different groups.
Practically speaking, the company runs global inclusivity surveys with all employees and embeds its learnings in “inclusive teaming” resources and training programs for new starters. By placing DE&I skill building opportunities within the onboarding process, Bain supports new joiners to practice inclusive behaviors.
#4 eXp Realty
Industry: Real estate
Diversity and inclusion: Lauded for its innovation in moving real estate brokerage to an entirely cloud-based system, eXp is also Glassdoor’s fourth best place to work in 2022. In terms of its commitment to diversity and inclusion, the company’s ONE eXp initiative is its marquee program. Designed to support career development, promote fair housing principles, and provide networking opportunities with cultural awareness in mind, ONE eXp offers multiple affinity groups, including the Black eXp Network, the eXp Asian Network, eXp Latino, the eXp LGBTQ Network, and the eXp Power Girls.
Chief Operating Officer of the the Black eXp Network (B.E.N.), Melanie Thomas, has spoken of her own desire to “grow a global community of 100,000 Black eXp Network Agents and Allies by 2030.” Thomas added, “I want to emphasize the ‘Allies’ part in that mission because our motto is ‘It’s about Culture, not Color.’ All are welcome to join us in this movement to celebrate our shared culture, build our businesses and help continue to make eXp bigger, stronger and better.”
#5 Box
Industry: Software
Diversity and inclusion: Another Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality – and one of 2019’s 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity – Box publicly recognizes that although it still has some way to travel, it’s begun the journey to equity. One of the company’s banner initiatives is its commitment to equal pay.
Box has achieved pay parity between men and women in the US, and has also signed the California Pay Equity Pledge. Launched by the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and the Office of California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the pledge commits Box to an annual company-wide gender pay analysis and a recurring review of its hiring and promotion processes.
#6 Boston Consulting Group
Industry: Consultancy
Diversity and inclusion: As a global D&I consultant for other organizations, BCG understands that its own commitment to best practice is critical. Winner of multiple awards, including Global Initiatives Accelerating Progress for Women in the Workplace and Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies, BCG has multiple strands to its D&I strategy, including those for racial equity, gender equality, LGBTQ, disability inclusion, and military veterans.
As part of BCG’s LGBTQ inclusion, the Pride@BCG network focuses on expanding access to LGBTQ talent pools and sponsors the recruitment events Reaching Out MBA (US), Eurout (Europe), LGBT Leaders (UK), LGBT Talents (France), and Pride2Be (Brazil). The company also sponsors and works with the World Economic Forum Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, GiveOut, Open for Business, and OUTstanding.
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#7 Google
Industry: Technology
Diversity and inclusion: Given that it has 100,000 employees in nearly 60 countries, Google is likely to be a fairly diverse company by default. How does Google promote D&I in the workplace though? In addition to employee resource groups aimed at fostering community for all, the company is trying to build a diverse talent pool for the future. It provides computer science education at all levels and invests in the next generation of Black and Latinx tech leaders through programs like CS First, Code Next, and Tech Exchange. This investment of time and resource also extends to partnerships with educational institutions, policymakers, and community organizations representing underserved communities. Google’s Digital Coaches program, for example, offers skills training to Black and Latinx small businesses.
#8 Veterans United Home Loans
Industry: Finance
Diversity and inclusion: Provider of mortgages for veterans and military families, Veterans United Home Loans’ diversity motto is “Respect for everyone is a standard not an objective.” That’s a phrase that plays out across the company’s impressive set of initiatives and award wins.
From its Immersion Internship program, which creates opportunities for students of color and student veterans, to a scheme giving every employee $1,000 to contribute towards social justice and equity affecting them, Veterans United has an impressive record. Doubtless this has helped towards its Society for Diversity Innovation + Inclusion Leadership Award, Mortgage Banker Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Residential Leadership Award, and now being included in Glassdoor’s top 10 best places to work in 2022.
#9 lululemon
Industry: Retail
Diversity and inclusion: Although it only launched its Impact Agenda vision for fairness in 2020, the Canadian retailer has invested a great deal in the program in a short time. In 2020, lululemon hired Stacia Jones as Global Head of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action (IDEA) and allocated $5 million in budget per year, with an additional $3 million towards the social impact program, Here to Be. Thus far, the Impact Agenda has reported that 75% of employees, 50% of VPs and above, and 55% of the Board of Directors are women. The company has 100% gender pay equity for all global employees, and full pay equity for all US employees.
Since 2016, the Here to Be program has worked with over 750 nonprofit organizations and granted more than $25 million for causes that recognize the underrepresentation of indigenous peoples, those living with disabilities, young Black leaders, and many more.
#10 Salesforce
Industry: Software
Diversity and inclusion: Like many of the companies mentioned in this list, Salesforce has re-examined itself in light of recent years. While many of Salesforce’s commitments are similar to those already mentioned, it does separate itself in terms of hard commitments to purchasing.
Salesforce is spending $100 million with Black-owned businesses and moving from “counting spend” to “counting impact,” so that Black-owned and minority-owned businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs, will benefit. Salesforce is also increasing investment in its supplier diversity program, offering favorable payment terms to minority-owned businesses, and committing to a goal of 25% YOY growth in spend with minority-owned businesses.
Not all organizations can emulate the biggest
The truth is you may not work for an organization that has tens of millions of dollars to spend. What all of these successful workplaces have in common though is an obvious commitment to D&I through partnership, transparency, and an employee-led culture that supports affinity and holds the organization to account. Hopefully that’s something every business can aspire to when it comes time to create a diversity and inclusion strategy.
