HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Co. has been ranked sixth on DiversityInc’s 2022 list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity. The candy company was recognized for its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
“Being recognized on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity list amongst such prestigious peers reaffirms that our commitments to DEI go beyond words and promises, and our actions create measurable change,” said Alicia Petross, chief diversity officer at The Hershey Co. “That change is felt in our workplace and communities, and we're not stopping here.”
Hershey's DEI commitments can be seen through The Pathways Project, the company's five-year DEI engagement plan, as well as its global Celebrate She campaign.
The Pathways Project
Hershey’s Pathways Project is a five-year plan for inclusivity in the workplace. To start out, the company assessed its methods of attracting and recruiting talent.
“To support our pathways to join pillar, today, the goal is that every externally sourced role has a diverse slate before we move to interviews, with a goal of 50% candidate diversity before the beginning of the interview process,” said Alicia Petross, chief diversity officer at The Hershey Co. “Furthermore, we have a goal that Hershey’s interview teams consist of at least 50% diverse employees to ensure the fair assessment of each candidate.”
The project also initiated pathways towards diverse community partnerships and success for underserved communities. Training employees is another way the company is working towards making an impact.
Another goal that Hershey’s strategy includes is achieving pay equity for similar job categories across its global salaried workforce by 2025.
Celebrate She Campaign
The Celebrate She campaign honored girls and women globally with new packaging, public relations and a social influencer campaign. Hershey also provided Girls on the Run with financial support as well as a platform to show off the importance of the organization’s purpose.
“I hope the Celebrate She campaign will raise awareness, drive conversations around recognizing the women in our lives and spark celebrations,” said Alyssa Smith, brand manager at the Hershey Co.
DiversityInc named Hershey on numerous Top Companies specialty lists:
- Top Companies for Asian American Executives
- Top Companies for Black Executives
- Top Companies for Employee Resource Groups
- Top Companies for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
- Top Companies for Executive Diversity Councils
- Top Companies for Latino Executives
- Top Companies for People with Disabilities (PWD)
- Top Companies for Sponsorship
- Top Companies for Talent Acquisition for Women of Color
- Top Companies for Veterans
Click here to view DiversityInc’s Top 50 list and specialty lists.
DiversityInc Media, based in Palm Beach, Fla., aims to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. Launched in 2001, the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is empirically driven and based on 2021 company-submitted data in six key areas: leadership accountability, human capital diversity metrics, talent programs, workforce practices, supplier diversity and philanthropy.
The Hershey Co., Hershey, Pa., has more than 80 brands around the world that drive $8 billion in annual revenues, including Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, SkinnyPop and Pirate’s Booty.
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