Cox Communications rose to the upper tier of the 2008 version of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity List, published annually by DiversityInc, jumping to No. 6 on the list.
Other communications companies on the list included Verizon (1), AT&T (22), Turner Broadcasting (23) and Sprint (35).
“This year, we formed local employee diversity and inclusion councils in each of Cox’s operating systems, continued our efforts to improve measurement of appropriate metrics for diversity, which are tied to incentives, and endeavored to better communicate our commitment to diversity to both internal and external audiences, including those companies with whom we do business,” said Pat Esser, Cox’s president.
Luke Visconti, partner and co-founder of DiversityInc, said: “Cox’s big move from No. 25 last year to No. 6 this year underscores the commitment of President Pat Esser. Cox received a perfect score in our ranking for communicating its diversity message on its Web site. This reflects what I personally witnessed when presenting information to Cox’s top executives and system general managers. The entire leadership of this company is passionate about diversity management and serving their communities.”
A total of 352 companies participated in The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity ranking, now in its eighth year. The list is determined solely from a comprehensive survey of diversity management that measures CEO commitment, human capital, corporate communications and supplier diversity.
“We are thrilled that Cox has excelled in the DiversityInc Top 50 listing, particularly in light of increasing competition for this prestigious recognition,” Esser said. “With more than 350 companies vying for the coveted 50 spots, our progress in the ranking is all the more impressive. Everyone at Cox understands that inclusiveness and the active promotion of diversity are business imperatives that are key ingredients to our ongoing success, as well as reflections of our core values. To best serve our customers, we must be a diverse organization that is a mirror of our communities, and we are very proud to be a leader among companies making this commitment.”
In its citation for Cox, DiversityInc said: “Cox gets points for having unbiased retention throughout its management and entire work force, meaning employees are retained at level rates regardless of race/ethnicity and gender. This is demonstrated by the company’s management, which is 27 percent Black, Asian, Latino and Native American, and management remains at 27 percent for even the most senior managers (direct reports to the CEO) and has 28 percent of managers promoted from these same groups.”
The citation also said: “The company offers financial assistance in the form of loans and external training to its minority- and women-owned suppliers (MBEs and WBEs). Cox also has strong supplier-diversity metrics, including diversity as a percentage of total spend, the revenue growth of MBEs and WBEs, and recognition received from external sources for supplier-diversity achievements.”
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