The FINANCIAL — The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has been named to Fortune and Great Place to Work’s first-ever 50 Best Workplaces for Diversity list, ranking near the top at number five.
“We are honored to be included on this list and appreciate the recognition,” said Rich Lesser, BCG’s President and CEO. “At BCG, diversity is more than a goal. It’s been a core value since the founding of the firm. We believe that passionate, open-minded people of all backgrounds ensure that BCG approaches problems from a broader perspective and challenges established ways of thinking.”
In its profile of BCG, Fortune wrote: “Employees are constantly surrounded by a ‘quirky, smart, and ambitious set of individuals’ at the Boston-based consulting firm, says principal Cortina McCurry. BCG helps grow these type-As’ careers through learning programs and diversity networks. The diversity ‘cadres’ allow women, African-Americans, veterans, and other groups to connect, develop mentorships, and work on programs to improve BCG. And since they’re consultants working out of various client offices throughout the year, the cadres have annual events so everyone can reunite.”
Fortune and Great Place to Work partnered with Essence and People en Español to determine which companies have made diversity a top priority. “The winners come from a universe of approximately 630 companies with published Great Place to Work reviews, meaning they are serious about creating a great workplace and comfortable with transparency,” according to Fortune.
“The companies on this list are leaders who recognize the strategic importance of creating workplaces that attract and support the best talent in their industries,” said Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work United States. “The best companies are focused on creating great workplaces for all.”
To determine the winners, Great Place to Work surveyed 128,000 women and nearly 70,000 minorities at 630 companies who answered a detailed questionnaire considering everything from how comfortable they are being themselves; the degree of favoritism or insider politics they observe in the workplace; the fairness of promotions; the feeling of honest connection with coworkers; their access to senior leadership; and who receives information and professional development and who doesn’t. Employees answered 58 questions in total, including an overall assessment of whether the company is a great place to work, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
The survey results are the biggest reason companies appear on the ranking, since two-thirds of each company’s score is based on women’s and minorities’ reports. The remaining third of each company’s score takes into account how well-represented women and minorities are within the workforce, management and executive positions; how positively they experience their workplace on an index of factors where women and minorities tend to have a less positive experience than their colleagues; and how favorably women and minorities’ experiences compared to the 139,000 men and 184,000 Caucasians also surveyed.
Fortune noted that women represent 45 percent of BCG’s U.S. employees, 44 percent of management positions, and 26 percent of executive positions. Ethnic minorities represent 28 percent of employees, 23 percent of management positions, and 15 percent of executive positions in the U.S.
“Our diversity and inclusion journey is ongoing—we continue to work with unwavering focus on increased progress,” said Tom Reichert, BCG’s Chairman of North America. “Our goal is to be a place where all individuals have an opportunity to be successful, no matter their background, culture, or beliefs.”
“This honor is a result of the continued efforts and collaboration of so many leaders, partners, employees, and our diversity networks,” commented Michael Sherman, a partner who serves as the African-American Ethnic Diversity Lead. “The networks have been able to help drive greater diversity and opportunity within the firm, and through different programs, we must continue to build a firm that mirrors the society in which we live and do business.”
BCG’s ranking on Fortune and Great Place to Work’s inaugural 50 Best Workplaces for Diversity list follows its earning the top spot on Consulting magazine’s Best Firms to Work For poll for the second consecutive year, as well as its number-two ranking on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list in March. BCG has placed in the top five on Fortune’s list for five straight years and is one of only two companies to have made the top dozen every year since the firm began participating in 2006. Working Mother named BCG one of its “100 Best Companies” list for the eighth time last month.
“The work that the Women@BCG network is doing and the steps we are taking today will help fuel the firm’s future growth and success,” said Michelle Russell, a partner who leads Women@BCG in North America. “As we continue to recruit and empower women within the firm, we aim to achieve a 50:50 male to female workforce representation.”
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