Three Traits of Successful Diversity Companies

What makes a successful company? And what does it take for a company leader to be able to command such fierce loyalty from his/her employees?

The recently concluded saga of Market Basket, wherein its 25,000 workers walked out from their jobs in support of their beleaguered ousted president, Arthur T. Demoulas, showed the business world and the rest of the country what Shirley Leung of Boston Globe wrote in their report something remarkable about the power of workers and customers, and the importance of being a benevolent CEO when too often big business trumps all.

Martha Teichner of CBS News tackles the question of whether there is a connection between workers feeling well-treated by their employers, and the bottom line, and she shares the examples of 3 big companies, including Market Basket, providing evidence that there is indeed a link between treating employees well, putting people over profit, and company success.

The following are the top 3 common traits of successful companies that diversity companies do share as well:

1. Company Culture: For successful companies, culture is about attracting and hiring the people who would be most successful in that specific organization. And it's about driving the behavior that makes the company successful. (Entrepreneur.com) 

For diversity companies, diversity is inherent in their culture. One such diversity company is Nestlé Purina. Nestlé Purina is deeply committed to cultivating a culturally diverse and inclusive workplace, for a diverse workforce that reflects their consumer base is an essentail. For its diversity efforts, Nestlé Purina has been consistently recognized. This year, it is named as St. Louis Business Journal Best Places to Work, for the 7^th consecutive year. It has also been named as one of the 25 Best Places to Work for Recent Grads by Experience, a ConnectEDU company. This award honors employers around the country that offer a team-oriented company culture, employee benefits that promote work/life balance, extraordinary opportunities for career growth and are a best-fit for young professionals. It also received from the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association a Corporate Diversity Award in 2012.

2. Leadership: People who run an organization set the tone for the company's culture, attitude and values, which can either lead to success or derail the business. As part of the company culture, knowledge, beliefs and behavior determine who gets hired, which goals are a priority and how business decisions are made. Successful organizations have leadership that hires people who are a good fit for the company's goals. The attitude of leaders obviously needs to be on the positive side for them to bring the organization to success. An organization that values taking responsibility and making necessary changes when circumstances call for them also is more likely to be successful. (HoustonChronicle) 

Diversity companies are likewise run by strong leadership steering their people towards success.

Microsoft, one of the country's diversity leaders, is well-recognized for its diversity leadership. In 2013, it was named No. 2 on Best Companies for Leadership List, by the Hay Group, and America’s Most Inspiring Companies List, by Performance Inspired, Inc. In 2014, it is names Best Multinational Workplace in Europe for 7^th consecutive year, by Great Place to Work Institute, and Top 50 Best Places to Work in STEM fields for Native Americans and Alaska Natives for 2^ndconsecutive year, Winds of ChangeMagazine. These are only some of a long list of prestigious recognition and awards given to Microsoft, year after year.

3. Audience Knowledge: The best brands have a thorough understanding of the demographics of their target market, what their interests are, and how they communicate. Understanding the target market is critical because it provides direction for the tone and reach of a marketing campaign, along with the overall identity of a brand, while helping to create an organic, human connection between a business and its audience.(Forbes.com)

Diversity companies reflect the communties they serve and as such have great understanding of their target markets. By bringing different perspectives, sound judgment and extensive cross-border collaboration, KPMG professionals help to enable clients’ informed decision-making wherever they do business and no matter how far-reaching their operations. It is among this year's Fortune's Best Companies to Work For.

Diversity companies care for their people. A culture of workplace diversity with a strong leadership that supports diversity forges a binding trust between the company, its people, customers and business associates, thus ringing in success in every way.