28% of all employees hired at Allstate last year were women of color.

This insurance giant relies on a diverse workforce that understands the needs of its multicultural clientele, for whom it is the second biggest provider of auto coverage in the United States. In 2008, Allstate demonstrated its commitment to female employees of color by launching a new mentoring program designed to help them climb the corporate ladder. In addition, four multicultural employee networks give women a place in which to discuss their career challenges and successes and gather advice from colleagues. Such initiatives seem to be working: Within the past year alone, the number of female employees and executives of color here has already risen by 5%. Going forward, the company hopes to foster more mentoring relationships among members of the next generation and is providing funding for the University of Buffalo’s Allstate Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs Program.

Multicultural Women: 21%

Multicultural Women Managers/Execs: 11%

Chief Diversity Officer: Anise Wiley-Little

Hires who are multicultural women: 28%

Hires who are multicultural men: 16%

Multicultural women managers/execs: 11%

Multicultural men managers/execs: 9%

Top 20% of earners who are multicultural women: 7%

Top 20% of earners who are multicultural men: 11%

Multicultural women on board of directors: 0%

Offers formal compensation program to reward managers who specifically help multicultural women advance: NO

Rates managers on the number of multicultural women employees advancing: NO

Uses outside recruiter to focus on finding multicultural women candidates: YES

Offers support groups specifically for multicultural women: YES

Offers mentoring programs specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO

Offers sponsorship program specifically geared toward multicultural women early in their careers: NO