America's Best Employers for Diversity
EDITED BY RACHEL RABKIN PEACHMAN
The Supreme Court's ruling last year in the Students for Fair Admissions case rocked the trajectory of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States. Not only did the Court's landmark decision deem race-based affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional, it also ushered in a wave of bills at the state level that are challenging DEI programs in public schools and in the workplace.
As a result, employers are facing increasing pushback against programs aimed at leveling the playing field for workers who historically have been underrepresented and underpaid. But that hasn't stopped many companies from holding steady in their commitment to improving access and increasing opportunities for employees who haven't always benefited from either.
As Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN, a global nonprofit that collaborates with corporations to promote business disability inclusion, says: "You can't legislate attitudes. And business has the power to really change the world."
To recognize employers that have continued to prioritize DEI this past year, Forbes has ranked America's Best Employers For Diversity 2024. This seventh annual list— created in partnership with market research firm Statista—is based in part on survey results from 170,000 people working for organizations with at least 1,000 employees within the United States. The participants were asked to anonymously rate their own employers, in addition to companies they knew well either through their industry or through friends and family members employed there. Respondents evaluated the organization's approach to DEI as it pertains to such criteria as age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation.
The analysis included survey responses from 2023 as well as responses given over the course of the last three years, with a higher weight placed on recent survey data. Higher weight was also given to responses from employees themselves and from respondents who self-identified as being part of a relevant underrepresented group.
To round out the analysis, more than 1,300 companies were researched and assessed on their DEI practices—such as the presence of employee resource groups, the publication of employee demographic data, the percentage of women in leadership roles, and supplier diversity. Ultimately, all of these factors were incorporated into a scoring model, and the 500 companies with the highest scores made the final list.
Co-founded in 1990 by David Steward and Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology, based in St. Louis, Missouri, provides digital strategy, innovative technology and supply chain solutions to large public and private organizations around the globe. While most companies talk about delivering business and technology outcomes, WWT does it. With thousands of IT engineers, hundreds of application developers and unmatched labs for testing and deploying technology at scale, WWT helps customers bridge the gap between IT and the business. By bringing leading technology companies together in a physical yet virtualized environment through its Advanced Technology Center, WWT integrates individually impressive technologies to produce game-changing solutions.
#379 Best Employers for Diversity (2024)
Recent rankings on other Forbes' lists:
#92 America's Best Midsize Employers (2024)
#23 America's Largest Private Companies (2023)