Forbes has announced its annual list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity.
The list was compiled with the assistance of Statista, a market research company, and created under the backdrop of two years of racial reckoning in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the disparities highlighted and exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Forbes notes that Statista surveyed 60,000 Americans who work for organizations employing at least 1,000 people. The company asked participants to rate their organizations on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation equality, as well as that of general diversity.
Additionally, respondents who identify as members of underrepresented groups were asked to nominate other companies they think do diversity well.
The 2022 list features a significant number of companies in banking and financial services, the health care and social sector and in education.
Forbes shared that each sector increased its presence on the 500-company list, with each making up 8% of the list, versus 6% last year.
“The impact of Covid-19 took the world by storm and revealed the magnitude of inequalities that exist in communities of color, especially Black- and minority-owned businesses,” John Patton, head of U.S. diversity and inclusion at TD Bank, told Forbes in an email. “To stay on track and continue on our path to diversify talent across the organization, we’ve enhanced our focus on diversity and inclusion and we report on our progress annually as part of our Environment, Social and Governance Reporting suite.”
TD Bank ranks ninth on the Forbes list. Insurance giant Progressive takes the top spot, with technology company VMware coming in second. Progressive shot atop the roster from No. 20 due to its diversity efforts, which include a workshop called “Dare to Disagree.”
Story Credit: Forbes/Thegrio Staff
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