The Best Companies For Women, According To The Experts
It's no surprise that women are leading in more ways than one when comes to making boss moves. While some have left the workforce altogether to start businesses, stay at home with their children, or travel, others have taken new, traditional career opportunities to the next level. Women have bagged 57% of the more than 530,000 new jobs that opened up in October, according to reports, and hey, it's always good to know that our savvy, flair and smarts will be dominating into the new year.
Which leads us to this: Where are the jobs, and what companies are putting action behind words to diversify their ranks with opportunities for women to thrive? (There's still work to be done of course, in terms of CEO and board appointments, and equal pay, but that's a whole other story). Let's take a look at the "best" companies for women, according to the experts who put together select elite lists every year. These are companies that have implemented policies, initiatives, and practices that put inclusion, safety, and minority advancement at the forefront.
(A quick note: This list isn't exhaustive nor is it intended to be a ranking of any kind. It's a snapshot, summarized based on inclusion of companies consistently listed on multiple "best" lists that point to not only being great for women, but for Black women specifically, to give you a starting point for research to pursue your career goals.)
1.ADP
If you've ever had to download an app to get your 401K info, tax returns, or digital paystubs, you're probably familiar with ADP. It provides human resource management software and services that are widely used across the globe. AnitaB.org, an online platform, and women computers' community founded in 1987 named ADP among its "2021 Top Companies for Women Technologists" report, in part due to its efforts to "build leadership capabilities to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias in over 2,000 leaders globally through training."
The company also made Seramount's (formally Working Mother Media), "100 Best Companies" list for working mothers, which takes into account whether a company offers inclusive options like flexible work schedules and great childcare benefits.
(A bonus: It's rated highly at 4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, a leading platform that highlights reviews from actual employees, both former and current.)
2.The Hershey Company
This powerhouse chocolate manufacturer made Forbes' list of "The World's Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021," ranking at No. 1. For this list, more than 85,000 women were asked to rate their companies on things like pay equity and parental leave, and they were also asked to describe how the brand's backed gender equality or "perpetuated negative stereotypes." Another reason Hershey reported made the cut was due to an initiative the company launched called the Pathways Project, described as "a five-year plan to make its workplace and communities more inclusive" and their savvy in introducing the HSY Care Connect app which offers transportation, tutoring, childcare and eldercare resources.
3.Hilton
They've got top rankings in the hospitality industry, and they took the No. 1 spot on Fortune's 2021 "Best Large Workplaces For Women" list. In partnership with Great Place to Work, a platform that quantifies employee experiences at companies across the U.S., the feedback of more than 5.6 million U.S. workers was analyzed to gain perspectives on "whether different identities women hold change their experience of the workplace," and insights on the daily experiences of innovation, company values, and leader effectiveness.
It also made the top 50 on Glassdoor's 2021 list of "Best Places to Work," with reviews praising its "flexible work hours" and focus on valuing employee opinions.
4.Navy Federal Credit Union
This banking institution headquartered in Virginia ranked 25 among Fortune's 2021 list for "Best Workplaces for Women," but what stands out, even more, is that the company works with groups including Women in Technology, Achieve Escambia, and HBCUs to advocate for and facilitate career advancement for minority groups. They've also hosted organizations such as the African-American Credit Union Coalition, the Human Rights Coalition, and the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America, and they were once named among Fortune's "10 Best Workplaces for African Americans."
5.Bank of America
Bank of America made both the Forbesand Fortunetop lists this year that are specific to women and their needs in the workplace. And more specifically—for our melanated career women—this company made the top 5 on a recent Glassdoor list that focused on "satisfaction" ratings and other insights directly from Black professionals. On a scale of 1 to 5, it had the second-highest "overall company" rating among Black employees surveyed.
6.Estee Lauder
A popular and super-successful beauty brand with a global reach, Estee Lauder made the top 25 on Forbes female-friendly list, but it's also very telling the recent initiatives this company's gotten behind to provide opportunities specific to Black women. There's the Howard University partnership to empower alumni with a career hub, the recent establishment of the Equity and Engagement Center of Excellence to boost equity, and the more-than-inspiring existence of Black women executives among its ranks like Deirdre Stanley, executive vice president and general counsel, and the amazingly chic Black girl magic of the women of NOBLE, the company's Black employee resource group.
7.Hubspot
Comparably, an online resource that provides culture and compensation data, ranked Hubspot No. 1 for "Best Companies for Women," a list that was compiled from the observations of female employees on management efforts to promote diversity and inclusion and provide a positive environment for women. Women gave the company an "A+" rating overall, and the same rating was given about perks and benefits.
The software company also made FlexJobs' list "28 Best Remote-Friendly Companies for Women" due to its flex work and remote job options.
8.Airbnb
This popular lodging and vacation rental platform made Forbes' list for best companies for women, and Airbnb also made the cut for Parity, a platform that works to close race and gender gaps in business. Their list, "The Best Companies for Women to Advance," includes companies that all have "a zero-tolerance policy for harassment," "safe complaint system for employees," and practices of "regularly" communicating gender-equality values to employees.
9.Spectrum Health
Here's a healthcare company that not only made Forbes' 2021 list of "America's Best Employers By State," but more notably in relation to female professionals made Seramount's 2021 "Best Companies for Multicultural Women," list. Spectrum Health reportedly offers paid maternity and gender-neutral parental leave and responded to the challenges of COVID-19 by offering employees childcare resources, support, and remote work options. The company also also "requires cultural competency training, implicit bias education, and diversity in the interview process."
10.Capital One
With convenient web-based financial service options, this bank also boasted high ratings among Black professionals in Glassdoor's report, "Black At Work, which analyzed satisfaction survey perspectives among employees at 28 companies. It also madeFortune's Best Workplaces for Women and Best Companies for Millennials lists, as well as People Magazine's "Companies That Care" list.
For more job search tips, career advice, and profiles, check out the xoNecole Workin' Girl section here.
Featured image via Getty Images/Shannon Faggan
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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