Nestled in the heart of downtown Detroit, mortgage-lending company Quicken Loans is all about employee satisfaction. Women can take up to three months of maternity leave, communication and openness is encouraged throughout the workplace hierarchy—new employees are given the founders’ cell phone numbers and are encouraged to contact them with any questions they may have—and each week, workers are given “Bullet Time,” four hours of brainstorming time in which they can develop ideas, even if they aren’t Quicken Loans-related. What’s more, the company is committed to revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods, offering monetary incentives to employees who live downtown. “It’s one thing to go out and seek out diverse talent with diverse skill sets, but it’s also about creating an environment of inclusion where all of these diverse perspectives and these diverse backgrounds really feel like they have an opportunity to have their voices heard and have a seat at the table,” said divisional vice-president of business consulting LaShandra Sartor, who has been with the company for 11 years. “[Diversity] is important enough to us that we actually put a specific focus on it because great culture doesn’t just happen by chance…that’s the commitment that we’ve made.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Financial Services & Insurance
Industry Sector: Banking/Credit Services
HQ Location: Detroit
Company Type: Private
Year Founded: 1985
Website: www.quickenloans.com
Total Number of Employees: 11,504
Total Number of African-American Employees: 1,358
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 16%
2. Credit Acceptance
Michigan-based Credit Acceptance team members are offered flexible scheduling, compressed work weeks (which enables employees to work 40-hour weeks in fewer than five days) and telecommuter options. New mothers are given two months for maternity leave, and parents who adopt receive a $10,000 benefit reimbursing them for adoption costs. The office dress code is casual, and employees have weekly opportunities to win tickets for shows at local music venues. The average salary for market area managers at each of the company’s outposts hovers around $100,000. Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Financial Services & Insurance
Industry Sector: Banking/Credit Services
HQ Location: Southfield, Mich.
Company Type: Public
Year Founded: 1972
Revenue: $723.5 million
Website: www.creditacceptance.com
Total Number of Employees: 1,334
Total Number of African-American Employees: 570
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 43%
Upon accepting a full-time job at this cloud-based money management firm, employees are flown to Ultimate Software’s headquarters in Weston, Fla., for a two-day training. New hires are also given stock units, which they can access after reaching certain career achievements. The company pays 100 percent of medical coverage for full-time employees and part-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week, and full-time employees can expect a 35 percent 401(k) match. However, for Tina Brown, director for consulting management for global services delivery division, it is the organization’s diversity that has kept her there for 20 years. “Being an African-American woman, it’s hard in a workplace,” she said. “For me to come to this environment and feel so welcomed and have my ideas and thoughts heard and not stolen was huge for me.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Information Technology
HQ Location: Weston, Fla.
Company Type: Public
Year Founded: 1990
Revenue: $492.91 million
Website: www.ultimatesoftware.com
Total Number of U.S. Employees: 2,286
Total Number of African-American Employees: 245
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 12%
Though this Texas-based marketing firm hired 2,500 new associates last year, employees say that the company has retained its small-office feel. Alliance Data, which provides marketing solutions to various corporate clients, offers stock-matching options, the ability to work from home, college tuition reimbursement programs and on-site health screenings at its 55 offices across the country. “My site is highly diversified, between Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Anglos,” says senior director of operations Bev McMillan, who has been with the company for 27 years. “We are about learning different cultures and making sure that we’re working together for a common goal and taking care of the customer. That’s the reason we’re here.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Advertising & Marketing
Industry Sector: Direct Marketing
HQ Location: Plano, Texas
Company Type: Public
Year Founded: 1996
Revenue: $3.3 billion
Website: www.alliancedata.com
Total Number of U.S. Employees: 12,223
Total Number of African-American Employees: 1,423
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 14%
Navy Federal, which has 252 outposts nationwide that cater to military personnel and their families, offers its employees performance-based bonuses, and both full- and part-time employees are eligible to receive benefits and retirement packages. Health screenings are available at on-site wellness centers, and team members can receive subsidized gym memberships. “I think Navy Federal differs in that it’s an organization that has been accessible to a variety of different cultures for quite some time,” said Tammie Wiley, assistant vice president of financial systems and who has been with the company for 29 years. “Specifically within my team, there are a lot of different cultural backgrounds. There is not any one segment of people.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Financial Services & Insurance
HQ Location: Vienne, Virginia
Company Type: Non-Profit
Year Founded: 1933
Revenue: $4,171.57 million
Website: www.navyfederal.org
Total Number of Employees: 12,829
Total Number of African-American Employees: 2,495
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 20%
The largest used car dealership in the U.S., CarMax operates 155 various locations. The automotive retailer makes giving back to communities a priority, sponsoring a volunteer program that employees can participate in—and have their monetary donations matched by company funds. Through various awards ceremonies, executives recognize and reward anyone who goes above and beyond their official job duties, and staff members receive discounts on all of the stores’ inventory and services. “CarMax is inherently a diverse company,” said Houston assistant store manager Angela Fahie, who has been with the company for four years. “We have a diverse culture. Our core values are respect, integrity and transparency. We live the values every day. It drives how we treat our customers and our associates.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Retail
Industry Sector: Specialty
HQ Location: Richmond, Va.
Company Type: Public
Year Founded: 1993
Revenue: $1,4268.7 million
Website: www.carmax.com
Total Number of Employees: 20,000
Total Number of African-American Employees: 4,074
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 22%
Twelve complimentary trips to a number of U.S. cities is one of the many perks that this Chicago-based hotel chain offers. Employees at the hotel’s 155 U.S. locations have access to personal concierge services, rest and relaxation lounges and a 20 percent discount for hotel spa treatments. The corporation matches 100 percent of workers’ 401(k) contributions on the first 4 percent contributed, and its insurance offerings cover subsidized prescription drug costs and fertility treatments. “Our culture embraces all individuals who want to grow and elevate their careers with Hyatt,” said Washington, D.C. general manager Gail Smith-Howard, who has been with the company for 35 years. “You don’t have to worry that you’re female or a certain age or African-American or Hispanic. You just have to come to the table every day wanting to give your 100 percent.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Hospitality
Industry Sector: Hotel/Resort
HQ Location: Chicago
Company Type: Public
Year Founded: 1957
Revenue: $3476 million
Website: www.hyatt.com
Total Number of U.S. Employees: 41,340
Total Number of African-American Employees: 7,014
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 17%
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this Midwest- and Southern-based convenience store. “Because it’s a convenience store, sometimes it has a negative connotation,” said Jen Yates, Dallas division area supervisor who has been working for the company for 15 years. “But organizationally, we do a really good job of taking care of our employees.” QuikTrip employees are offered a 50 percent 401(k) match and up to $4,400 through the company’s college reimbursement program if employees choose to enroll in classes while employed at the company. The company enlists private doctors who exclusively treat QuikTrip employees and their families, and for every five years spent at the organization, workers receive a compounding monetary gift. Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Retail
Industry Sector: Food/Grocery
HQ Location: Tulsa, Okla.
Company Type: Private
Year Founded: 1958
Website: www.quiktrip.com
Total Number of Employees: 20,342
Total Number of African-American Employees: 3,018
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 18%
Toyota distributor JM Family Enterprises Inc. puts an emphasis on community. Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, the corporation donates $50 to the organization of an employee’s choice for every five hours that they volunteer at company-sponsored events. Executives recently instituted a $16/hr. minimum wage for all employees, and beginning on a staffer’s 10th anniversary—and every five years thereafter—they are flown to a Florida resort for a celebratory getaway. “As an African-American woman, I can say that I feel extremely welcome here,” said Tanesha Clarke, the company’s counsel who has been with the company for three years. “This is my first job out of law school, which is rare. It’s rare that a company would hire a young attorney out of law school. But they recognize talent, and they make you feel appreciated.” Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Manufacturing & Production
Industry Sector: Automotive
HQ Location: Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Company Type: Private
Year Founded: 1968
Revenue: $13,100 million
Website: www.jmfamily.com
Total Number of U.S. Employees: 4,005
Total Number of African-American Employees: 618
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 16%
Sprawled across a 63-acre campus in Memphis, this internationally recognized hospital offers treatment to children suffering from cancer. Staff members are regularly treated to live music, office parties, golf tournaments and fresh produce grown in on-site gardens. The company pays for 90 percent of employee dependent coverage and offers exceptional leave policies—staffers can use their colleagues’ unwanted vacation days through a leave-sharing program. Additionally, team members praise the hospital for valuing diversity. “They try to get the best person for the job, and it just so happens that they considered a lot of the best people for the job to be African-American,” said St. Jude administrative director Charlette M. Hill, who has been with the company for 19 years. Learn more at Great Places to Work.
Industry: Health Care
Industry Sector: Hospital
HQ Location: Memphis
Company Type: Non-Profit
Year Founded: 1962
Revenue: $696.2 million
Website: www.stjude.org
Total Number of Employees: 3,951
Total Number of African-American Employees: 984
Percent of African-Americans in the Company: 25%
To read the full list of Best Workplaces for diversity, visit Fortune.com.
