Awards, Ratings & Rankings

GM Named One of the Top Companies Globally for Gender Equality

Oct 1, 2019 11:30 AM ET
Campaign: GM Diversity

October 1, 2019 /3BL Media/ - General Motors has once again been recognized as one of the top companies globally for gender equality. GM is ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and 11 in the world. GM remains the only automotive company ranked in the top 100. The study was conducted by Equileap, an organization aiming to accelerate progress towards gender equality in the workplace.

Analyzing thousands of companies based on 19 in-depth criteria, the research not only identified the top 100 companies, but also looked at the data by country and sector. U.S.-based companies represent 20% of the top 100, with three companies in the top 20 including Bank of America (3), General Motors (11) and Johnson & Johnson (17). Global key findings include:

  • More than half (58%) of companies globally still do not have an anti-sexual harassment policy, which indicates a clear margin for improvement.
  • Less than 1% of the companies (29 companies) have no pay gap (e.g. published an overall mean pay gap of less than 3%).
  • Representation is still low across all levels in companies, and while more women are employed at more junior levels, women represent 36% of the workforce and only 22% of board level positions globally.
  • Only one company achieves gender balance at the board, executive, senior management and workforce levels.
  • Australia, France and Sweden, remain the best performing countries on gender equality overall.

According to research report, the findings indicate that legislation, such as boardroom targets and pay gap reporting, achieve results. However, overall, transparency is low. 88% of the companies researched did not publish any information on differences between the salaries of male and female employees.

For the 2019 report, 3,519 companies in 23 developed economies representing 98 million employees were evaluated and ranked based on 19 gender equality criteria. These criteria include gender balance across the workforce, the gender pay gap, paid parental leave and anti-sexual harassment policies. Companies are publicly listed and have a market capitalization of more than USD 2 billion. 

At GM, women currently comprise 55% of the company's Board of Directors, and women and minorities represent 40% of GM corporate officers. GM is recognized as a top 25 company for multicultural women and one in every three employees is involved in an employee resource group.

GM is creating a future of Zero crashes, Zero emissions and Zero congestion with a diverse, inclusive team that brings wide-ranging perspectives and experiences to solving transportation challenges. The company publishes an annual report indexing data and information about its goals, initiatives and progress. GM has proactively taken steps to ensure it provides an inclusive culture for all employees. This includes more robust training that addresses sexual harassment, racism, unconscious bias and physical and psychological safety. Every employee (salary, hourly and contract) is required to undergo training in these areas. Additionally, the company has enhanced reporting tools to help identify and resolve issues quickly. As a workplace of choice, it is GM's desire to maintain a safe and inclusive environment consistent with values that promote diversity, empathy, innovation and productivity.

Download GM's Diversity & Inclusion Report to learn more about how GM draws upon unique perspectives to help drive innovation.

Visit equileap.org for information about the top 100 companies leading the way in gender equality.