Now more than ever, corporate leaders are taking a proactive stand in recognizing the importance of promoting diversity in the workplace and creating an inclusive work environment. Meanwhile, an increasing number of companies are putting in a lot of effort into being true champions of DE&I.
And some of that can be attributed to the rising workforce of Gen Z. In a RippleMatch survey, we found that 75% of Gen-Zers would think twice before applying for a job at an organization if they weren't pleased with their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
To help early career talent looking for opportunities at companies with outstanding diversity and inclusion efforts, we've compiled a list of 15 companies that have gone above and beyond to foster a workplace environment that welcomes everyone.
(Many of these employers were winners of our 2023 Campus Forward Awards, an award that recognizes companies dedicated to supporting internship and entry-level talent. Many of the D&I efforts listed below are highlighted through our Campus Forward Awards.)
RippleMatch Partner
McMaster-Carr, the innovative industrial supplier leveraging technology to elevate customers' buying experiences, places paramount importance on creating an inclusive workplace culture. With a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, the company embraces a multifaceted approach in how it creates and supports its team. In recruitment, McMaster-Carr proactively seeks diverse perspectives and backgrounds for various roles, deliberately reaching out to students beyond traditional computer science majors to promote gender balance, as well as academic diversity, in its tech positions. Encouraging a sense of belonging, employees are invited to engage with McMaster-Carr's employee resource groups for underrepresented communities and can benefit from a formal mentorship program, ensuring everyone has equitable access to a supportive network. Recognizing the value of creating a safe and inclusive space, the company offers all-gender restrooms, prayer and meditation spaces, and inclusive, all-gender benefits. For more insights into McMaster-Carr's empowering environment, explore more here.
RippleMatch Partner
Rubrik is on a mission to secure the world's data and their mission is deeply guided by a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). They strive to build and sustain an inclusive culture where individuals from all backgrounds are not only valued, but feel a true sense of belonging and confidence they can grow with the company. At Rubrik, diversity is embraced by actively seeking and supporting talent from different backgrounds, cultures, and genders, all possessing diverse experiences, skills, and ideas. Equity is a fundamental principle and Rubrik actively works to ensure everyone is treated fairly, eliminating barriers to success while offering equitable opportunities for all. Inclusion is celebrated, encouraging employees to bring their whole, authentic selves to work. This commitment extends across the entire company, from the building of a diverse global workforce to cultivating an inclusive culture where every employee can thrive. Employee communities like Rubrik Asian Pacific Professionals, Women@Rubrik, Veterans, Allies & Leaders of Rubrik, Prism LGBTQ+ Community, Black and African American Professionals, and the Hispanic and LatinX Community further demonstrate Rubrik's dedication to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all. Learn more about Rubrik's unstoppable journey here.
RippleMatch Partner
Educational Testing Service serves a diverse range of individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education. With a strong commitment to promoting equity in global education, ETS has ingrained diversity, inclusion, and belonging as foundational principles. In fact, ETS has established an Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), dedicated to fostering a culture where every team member can feel a true sense of community and acceptance.
One way the Office of DEIB does so is by creating and supporting psychologically safe spaces for employees through Business Resource Groups. These groups not only provide platforms for open dialogue, but also contribute to a work environment where diverse perspectives are actively sought and equally respected. For ETS, the journey toward a more inclusive workplace doesn't stop at mere initiatives. It's a commitment to evolving the organizational landscape into one where different backgrounds and viewpoints are celebrated. Learn more about ETS here.
RippleMatch Partner
Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity leader that provides network security, cloud security, endpoint protection, and various cloud-delivered security services, has worked hard to establish itself as an employer of choice for candidates from all backgrounds. In fact, Palo Alto Networks has won numerous awards for its focus on DE&I, including the Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, InHerSight’s Best Company, Comparably’s Best Company for Diversity, and Comparably’s Best CEO for Women and Diversity. However, Palo Alto Networks' dedication to fostering a diverse workforce, including facilitating the advancement of women in the industry, goes beyond awards. The company is committed to short-, mid- and long-term strategic investments in K-12 cybersecurity education programs and targeted measures to address financial disparities among college students. Palo Alto Networks also offers employee engagement and growth programs (e.g. mentoring, employee network groups, etc.) and commits to diversifying leadership up to the Board of Directors level. Moreover, Palo Alto Networks has forged valuable partnerships with several prominent diversity-focused organizations, including Afrotech, Hispanic Technology Executive Council, DisabilityIN, VetsIntech, and more. Learn more about Palo Alto Networks here.
RippleMatch Partner
Intelsat, an innovative multinational satellite services provider, is truly invested in moving the needle on representation. To ensure an inclusive and diverse workplace, they are deeply committed to fostering the success of every team member. Their core values revolve around celebrating diversity and their unwavering dedication to nurturing an inclusive environment, where each employee is not only recognized but also appreciated for the distinctive qualities they contribute to their work community. In fact, the Intelsat D&I Council, consisting of 15 to 18 volunteer employees, is dedicated to cultivating a sense of belonging and improving the workplace experience for all staff by identifying and rectifying hiring process disparities and leading diversity and inclusion initiatives! More recently, in 2022, Intelsat introduced Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to promote cultural diversity and understanding throughout the company with the ongoing aim of fostering a more inclusive and collaborative workplace by offering career, cultural, social, and networking opportunities that contribute to the growth and preservation of employee diversity. Currently, Intelsat promotes diversity and inclusion through four employee resource groups: HOLA@Intelsat, which supports Hispanic origin and Latin American employees; BE@Intelsat, dedicated to celebrating the Black experience; WIN@Intelsat, a Women’s initiative network; and PRIDE@Intelsat, providing a supportive space for LGBTQ+ employees. You can learn more about Intelsat here.
Affirm is using today’s technology to bring significant, disruptive innovation to the financial industry. Affirm believes that the financial industry works better for everyone when it’s fair, honest, and inclusive — which is why the University Recruiting team is passionate about connecting with diverse talent. Rather than targeting specific schools, the team engages with underrepresented students through on-campus organizations from schools across the country. The team has been investing in relationships year-round with diversity-focused organizations like Rewriting the Code, the Hidden Genius Project, and CUNY Tech Prep while engaging its communities with Affirm’s Employee Resource Groups through Hackathons and mentorship opportunities. Efforts have increased in creating a more inclusive and equitable hiring process by reevaluating interview questions, ensuring prep materials and resources are accessible to all students, and connecting candidates with Affirmers of similar backgrounds. Learn more about Affirm here.
Box is the leading Content Cloud, a single platform that empowers organizations to manage the entire content lifecycle, work securely from anywhere, and integrate across best-of-breed apps. Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging is at the heart of Box’s recruiting and programming for early career talent. Box has company-wide initiatives for a “diverse tech pipeline,” and it all begins with employment branding.The company hosts the Box Business Fellowship each year, bringing in students from underrepresented groups to learn about the business side of how a tech company operates. Each year, the team hires fellows either as interns or new grads throughout the business. The team also runs an apprenticeship program for those who have not attended college to learn and grow as engineers within the company. Learn more about Affirm here.
Elastic is the leading platform for search-powered solutions that helps everyone — organizations, their employees, and their customers — find what they need faster, while keeping applications running smoothly, and protecting against cyber threats. Elastic celebrates the limitless dimensions inherent to Elasticians, and aspires to build a team with a wide breadth and depth of diversity that reflects the diversity of its customers and communities around the globe. Within ElastiGrad, Elastic works closely with schools that align with its diverse strategy and goals. Some examples include partnering with Campus Philly, working with women student groups, and partnering with first-generation college student organizations. Once the ElastiGrad is at Elastic, this effort does not stop. Learn more about Elastic here.
RippleMatch Partner
Figma is a design platform for teams who build products together. Born on the Web, Figma helps teams brainstorm, design, and build better products — from start to finish. Figma is extremely passionate about representation efforts and views early career hires as the future leaders of the company. Figma invests in three URG-focused partnerships, which all include a month over month strategy to build trust and excitement amongst their student communities. It’s important that these efforts are met with ensuring the interview process is inclusive, fair, and supportive for all, which is one important reason why Figma implements Byteboard as the first step in the process to help mitigate any bias. Figma also invests in L&D events, which include dedicating time with the Executive team, involving ERGs and ways for recent hires to get involved, and gathering feedback from student hires on programs, their support teams, and overall areas of improvement — which is critical for retention. Learn more about Figma here.
RippleMatch Partner
HubSpot is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides software and support to help companies grow better. HubSpot takes a thoughtful approach to its strategic partnerships, and is intentional about including many minority-serving institutions (HBCUs, HSIs, community colleges) and partnering with several non-traditional educational institutions, such as ColorStack. HubSpot has built the Center of Digital Business on Howard University’s campus, and partners with Code First Girls, which is aimed at helping female computer science students boost their resumes with projects. HubSpot also supports college and university professors through its Education Partner Program, which provides educators with everything they need to teach leading courses in marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, and communications. Learn more about HubSpot here.
On March 24th, 1868, a company dedicated to providing working-class Americans with financial protection opened its doors for business. While the team does maintain several partnerships with HBCU and HSI institutions through either sponsorships or direct interaction with students, it has been the digital approach that has led the team to find ways to locate diverse students all over the United States. The team's DEI initiatives expand even beyond traditional HBCU and HSI institutions, and the team will continue to engage underrepresented populations within technology. Learn more about MetLife here.
Ogilvy has been growing brands and businesses since 1948. The company continues that rich legacy through borderless creativity — operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities. The Early Talent Development team acts as an extension of the larger organization in its commitment to fostering an inclusive environment to prioritize D&I through recruitment processes and the broader employee experience. The team works to recruit from HBCUs, MSIs, and a representative slate of public and private institutions to reach a broad group of underrepresented students. Additionally, the team partners with programs such as the 4As MAIP Program, The One Club’s ‘Where Are All the Black People’, and other diverse talent organizations. For the last 15+ years, Ogilvy has prioritized D&I through Super Saturday, the bespoke strategy for Ogilvy’s Associates Program. The Early Talent team invites 50+ students to an in-person interview experience with strict processes to eliminate bias and spotlight D&I. Learn more about Oglivy here.
Strava is the leading platform for movement where you can record and track over 30 types of activities with features to help you explore, connect with friends and measure your progress. It is the leading app for recording physical activities and the largest global social network for athletes. Strava partners with HBCUs and other programs to recruit and retain diverse talent. Some of these programs include engineering bootcamps, fellowship programs like Code2040, and a veteran program, Hiring Our Heroes.In addition, Strava supports employee resource groups, early career talent cohorts, mentorship programs, and training for new employees. Learn more about Strava here.
RippleMatch Partner
Anheuser-Busch, a global beer and beverage company, always dreams big — it's in its culture and heritage. The Anheuser-Busch Early Career team worked closely with the DEI team to develop a strategy focused on bringing in talent representative of diverse backgrounds and experiences. This included partnering with HBCUs and HSIs across the US. The team has continued its engagement with several partner organizations, including the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where AB sponsored 9 interns from HSF this past summer in the marketing team. It’s important for AB to not only attract but also retain talent, so AB has 6 ERGs that employees across the company can join for additional mentorship and support. Learn more about Anheuser-Busch here.
RippleMatch Partner
MongoDB, the leading modern data platform and the first database provider to IPO in over 20 years, fosters a culture where employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. The Early Talent team partnered with MongoDB’s Affinity Group, ‘The Underrepresented People of Color,’ to host a virtual summit open to students from underrepresented groups who wanted to learn about MongoDB and how to navigate starting a career in tech. MongoDB has committed to support Affinity Groups to advance its diversity and inclusion initiatives, and early talent is encouraged to join the groups. MongoDB also partners with underrepresented organizations on campus to make early connections, and ensures its interview panels are diverse. Learn more about MongoDB here.
While these companies listed here are just a handful of examples of exceptional organizations actively seeking to empower the underrepresented and nurture early talent, there are many more out there. It's important to recognize the impact that companies like MongoDB and Elastic have had and encourage their tech industry peers to follow suit and strive for higher levels of diversity & inclusion within their operations. With more and more companies continuing to implement DE&I initiatives, there are opportunities for early talent to become involved in the technology industry regardless of their background or experience.
If you are interested in discovering such unique opportunities and getting connected with companies that align with your values, RippleMatch is your go-to platform. Visit RippleMatch.com to get started and get matched with a career that suits your interests and skillset!