Gen Z business students say these are the 50 best global companies for diversity and inclusion

Andy KierszDec 5, 2019, 19:49 IST

GettyApple was one of the top-ranked employers for diversity and inclusion, according to Universum's survey of business students around the world.

Diversity and inclusion is an increasingly important driver of business success.
Employer branding specialist Universum just released a Diversity and Inclusion index based on a survey of tens of thousands of college students around the world, asking what the next generation of talent is looking for from their future employers.
Big tech companies and consumer goods are widely viewed by business students as being champions of diversity and inclusion.
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Diversity and inclusion is an increasingly important driver of business success, and the world's top companies are competing to attract talent from a wide array of backgrounds.

And initiatives to push for a more open and inclusive workplace could be particularly important to Gen Z, the most diverse generation in history. Gen Z students who identify as LGBT and Latino in particular have prioritized a commitment to diversity and inclusion as an important feature of their ideal future employers.

Employer branding specialist Universum annually surveys tens of thousands of college students around the world to determine what the next generation of talent is looking for from their future employers. The survey asks respondents about which companies or organizations they view as ideal places to work, and asks them to evaluate those companies across a wide range of 40 workplace attributes.

Universum has now constructed a Diversity and Inclusion index based on the survey results for three of those attributes: support for gender equality, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and respect for the company's people. The index is calculated for companies ranked on Universum's World's Most Attractive Employers list, and gives a sense of which major companies and organizations are viewed as welcoming and inclusive workplaces.

Here are the 50 best companies for diversity and inclusion, based on Universum's survey responses from business students:

See Gen Z business students say these are the 50 best global companies for diversity and inclusion >>

50. Allianz

Allianz is aiming for 25% of their management boards and 40% of their talent pools to be women by 2021, according to the company's website.

49. Huawei

Huawei scored very highly among respondents on Universum's survey for the company's respect for its people.

48. Intel

According to Intel's website, at the company "we believe that a workforce made up of people with unique experiences, varied points of view, and diverse skills makes us a stronger company."

47. Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank's website says, "We foster an inclusive and respectful work environment where every employee can contribute his or her best work, succeed based on merit, and be rewarded appropriately."

46. Barclays

A Barclays spokesperson told Universum that the bank's "employee diversity networks support and enable inclusion through their awareness and engagement activities, all while helping create a sense of community in the workplace. We focus on five key areas: disability, gender, LGBTQ+, multicultural and multigenerational."

45. Dell

Dell's website touts the company's 13 employee resource groups, which provide communities for Dell employees from different backgrounds.

44. Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise's website includes a timeline of major diversity and inclusion milestones over the company's history.

43. Toyota

Toyota's website includes an extensive report on the company's diversity and inclusion initiatives.

42. DHL

DHL's website notes that about 22% of the company's executives and managers are women, and that the company is working to increase that number.

41. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton

The luxury company's website notes that a full 73% of its 156,000 global employees are women.

40. Oracle

Oracle's website highlights many of the company's efforts to making an inclusive and welcoming workplace.

39. Ford Motor Company

Ford's website notes several of its policies for a more inclusive workplace, including work-life flexibility programs.

38. Samsung

Samsung's website notes that as of 2017, about 45% of the company's global workforce was female.

T-36. Danone

Danone provides several diversity and inclusion training and support initiatives, according to the company's website.

T-36. Ferrero

Ferrero's website includes a breakdown of the company's global workforce by age. Slightly more than half of the company's employees are between the ages of 30 and 50.

35. Heineken

According to the company's website, half of Heineken's board is female.

34. Mondelēz International

Jennifer Candee, global head of talent acquisition at Mondelēz, told Universum that diversity and inclusion "is an area in which we are concentrating now more than ever. We have a culture in which we encourage our employees to fully bring themselves to work." Candee also emphasized the company's "very positive standing amongst our peers for gender diversity up to first line executive levels."

33. Volvo Car Corporation

One student in Universum's survey said, "I hear really good things about Volvo Cars from friends that work there. They have flexible working [hours] and take care of their employees. I have seen passionate people who want to be better every day."

32. BMW Group

BMW's website emphasized several diversity and inclusion initiatives, including accommodations for workers with disabilities.

31. Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen's website emphasizes the business benefits to having a strong culture of diversity and inclusion, noting that "numerous studies have shown that mixed teams achieve better results, generate higher returns and are more innovative."

30. Bosch

Heidi Stock, Bosch's vice president for talent acquisition and diversity, told Universum, "We will need the right talents for the future of our company, and we want them to be able to bring in their full potential and come as they are. This is only possible in an open and inclusive working culture."

29. McKinsey & Company

McKinsey scored highly among Universum's survey respondents for its respect for its people and commitment to diversity and inclusion. One respondent wrote, "McKinsey has a great reputation of merit-based promotions and the inclusion of diverse backgrounds."

28. Grant Thornton

Grant Thornton International CEO Peter Bodin told Universum that "the responsibility to build an inclusive culture is in the hands of us as leaders, and I truly believe all businesses need to consider this to be sustainable. From a global perspective, Grant Thornton is connecting our leaders from across the world at every possible opportunity to discuss the business case for diversity and inclusion as well as the importance of psychological safety and unconscious bias."

27. Sony

According to Sony's website, the company held a Diversity Week celebration in September.

26. Daimler/Mercedes-Benz

Daimler's website notes a commitment to bringing together teams from different nations, genders, and generations to work together.

25. GE

GE's website highlights the company's diversity affinity networks.

24. Boston Consulting Group

BCG's website highlights the company's efforts at inclusive hiring, including undergraduate recruitment programs targeted toward black and Latino students.

23. Bain & Company

Bain & Company's website features several affinity groups and inclusion-focused conferences at the company.

22. The Coca-Cola Company

One of the respondents to Universum's survey wrote, "Coca-Cola is a mainstay in pop culture. The brand sets the trend that others follow. They are a hugely influential company with the capacity to instigate and further create social change. I like the idea of being a part of a larger team that can positively impact local communities."

21. Nike

According to Nike's website, 36% of executives at the vice president level in 2018 were women.

20. Siemens

Siemens' website touts the industrial conglomerate's "culture of acceptance and openness."

19. PepsiCo

A respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "PepsiCo has a great culture and invests in its younger employees. People come from extremely different backgrounds and there is a real diversity of thinking in this company."

18. KPMG

One student wrote in Universum's survey, "best practice in diversity to me includes clear procedures of recruitment and the recruitment process such as companies like EY, KPMG or PwC."

17. PwC

PwC has been one of the main forces behind CEO Action, a business-driven coalition to advance diversity and inclusion at work.

16. Deloitte

A student wrote in Universum's survey, "Deloitte is one of the largest accounting firms, but they take the time to visit students. It seems to be a friendly and diverse culture that focuses on both the big and small picture."

15. IBM

A student respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "IBM has a lot of opportunities, seems like a positive workplace, and focuses on inclusion of all cultural backgrounds."

14. Facebook

Miranda Kalinowski, vice president of global recruiting at Facebook, told Universum, "we're committed to building a workforce as diverse as the people and communities we serve, and we have been on this journey for several years now. While at times, I feel we are still in the starter blocks, I am optimistic. We are proud of our partnerships and investments and are beginning to see considerable impact. Today, there are more people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, more people of color, more women in both technical and business roles, and more underrepresented people in leadership."

13. IKEA

A student wrote in Universum's survey, "I have heard a lot of good things about IKEA from their employees. They are a market leader, innovative and have an accepting company culture."

12. Nestlé

Nestlé's website touts the company's values of respect for others and for diversity.

11. Accenture

One student wrote in Universum's survey, "Accenture really attracted me because of the company culture and their diversity and inclusion, as well as the type of work they do."

10. Amazon

Amazon was ranked highly on Universum's survey for its respect for its people and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. One student wrote, "Amazon seems to provide a dynamic work environment with lots of opportunities, growth, and diverse culture."

9. EY

A student wrote in Universum's survey, "Diversity is very evident in the way companies run their campus presence and the people the represent them, such as EY."

8. Johnson & Johnson

One respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "Johnson & Johnson has a commitment to serving the whole patient and considering the whole employee, with a commitment to value, inclusion, excellence, and social responsibility."

7. Adidas

A student respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "I really appreciate how creatively inspiring and inclusive this brand is."

6. Apple

A respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "Apple is known for its innovation, inclusion, and being an all around great company to work for."

5. Procter & Gamble

A student responding to Universum's survey wrote, "as a company, P&G is on the leading edge of their fields, constantly designing for the future. They seem to have a great dedication to innovation, leadership and diversity. I have always felt they care for their employees."

4. L'Oréal Group

Eva Azoulay, L'Oréal Group's global head of talent acquisition, told Universum: "When it comes to talent acquisition, we strongly encourage our recruitment teams all over the world to attract and hire the most diversified talents. At L'Oréal, uniformity is precisely what we want to avoid, we value differences, and we aim at creating the most inclusive environment to make the best out of our diverse teams."

3. Unilever

Leena Nair, Unilever's chief human resources officer, told Universum, "we take pride in ensuring that everyone can bring their full authentic self to work that creates a great workplace culture."

2. Microsoft

Diego Rejtman, head of Microsoft university recruitment, told Universum: "We are proud to be fostering an environment where people can be themselves, bring all of who they are into the workplace and ultimately leverage the company as a platform to pursue their passions. We still have a lot of work to do but I am glad that our efforts are being recognized as diversifying our workforce has been and continues to be a top priority for the company."

1. Google

A student respondent to Universum's survey wrote, "Google has a reputation when it comes to diversity. They have a lot of programs to attract and engage high school students around the world and from different backgrounds, and they have a very inclusive recruitment process."

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