Forbes Names Andersen a Best Employer for Diversity 2021

Forbes recognized Andersen Corp. as a Forbes Best Employer for Diversity 2021. The honorees were chosen based on an independent survey by Statista Inc. in which respondents answered questions regarding the topics of age, gender equality, ethnicity, disability, LGBTQA+ and general diversity concerning their employer.

"Andersen is committed to demonstrating mutual respect and appreciation for our similarities and differences so that each employee is inspired to achieve their potential and all together we can exceed our customers' expectations," says Tracey Gibson, vice president and chief diversity officer at Andersen. "We are proud to be a special place to work. We value open conversations about diversity and inclusion that lead to meaningful changes as we work to empower our employees to excel every day."
 
Andersen was founded on the principle of working "all together" to deliver on its promises to its customers, communities and one another. The company is committed to building a culture of inclusion, creating a respectful workplace for all employees and removing systemic barriers, according to a statement from Andersen.

Additionally, in 2021 Andersen is for the first time participating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Andersen joins the ranks of 1,142 major U.S. businesses that were also ranked in the 2021 CEI.

"National and local events in 2020 put a spotlight on the systemic racism and inequities that so profoundly impact our society," says Jay Lund, chairman and CEO of Andersen. "These events also strengthened our resolve and reinforced our commitment to denounce all acts of racism, prejudice or injustice and to double down on our work to foster a more equitable and inclusive company and community for all." 

Recent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Andersen also include:

• Participation in the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion initiative.
• Building partnerships with organizations that foster diverse talent, including historic Black colleges and universities, veterans career fairs, LGBTQ+ recruitment events and diverse networking programs.
• Creation of 10 Employee Resource Networks that encourage personal and professional development, promote diversity and drive company and individual growth.
• A comprehensive educational resource hub for employees.
• A founding company of the MN Business Coalition on Racial Equity.
• Efficacy and unconscious bias training including training for human resources professionals and hiring managers to removing bias from our hiring processes and Leading for Inclusion training for people managers.

Andersen also offers employees English language classes, foot-washing stations, quiet rooms that can be used to pray, and floating holidays.