How Newsweek Determined America's Greatest Workplaces for Women

Over the past few decades, women have made significant strides in the workforce. But even in 2024, there are still a number of challenges that place an unequal burden on female employees.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 57.1 percent of all women participated in the country's labor force at the end of 2023. Despite making up more than half of the overall workforce, female employees working full time only made 83.7 percent of what their male counterparts made, the U.S. Labor Department found. This figure remains largely unchanged over the past decade and amounted to a difference of about $10,000 in pay per year.

In addition to unequal pay, many women continue to deal with discrimination, sexual harassment and limited opportunities to climb the corporate ladder. While these obstacles remain, there are many companies working to improve these conditions by addressing inequities head on—and we've elected to recognize those organizations.

For the second year in a row, Newsweek has partnered with data firm Plant-A Insights Group to determine America's 1,000 greatest workplaces for women.

This ranking highlights the companies that have created the best working environment for women based on a range of metrics, including compensation, diversity and work-life balance, according to women in the workforce.

Plant-A uses market research and analytics to produce "independent, unbiased" company rankings and recognitions across a variety of industries and sectors, according to the company's website.

"Our mission is to assist women in discovering employers who not only value their contributions, but also cultivate a positive work environment conducive to their professional and personal growth," Plant A CEO Manuel Moerbach told Newsweek over email. "America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2024 recognizes organizations that prioritize women's working experience, their well-being and empower them, offering guidance to women seeking fulfilling employment opportunities or considering a change in their careers this year."

For this study, Plant-A assessed public data, interviews with human resources professionals and confidential online surveys of working women. In total, more than 142,000 female employees were interviewed to collect over 848,000 comprehensive reviews of large and small companies.

In total, the list includes the top scoring 1,000 companies from 78 industries—including consumer, energy, resources and industrials, financial and business services, health care, technology, media and telecommunications and public administration. Some of the companies on the list include Google, Intel, Indeed, Postmates, Steve Madden, Williams-Sonoma, St. Jude's Research Hospital, Progressive, Carmax, Mary Kay, the Walt Disney Company, the Minnesota Twins, Sirius XM Radio, United Airlines, and Home Depot.

The pre-study survey polled HR professionals across the country to identify key factors that impact employee satisfaction and establish statements about women's experiences working at each company. Plant A gathered this data from participants of an online access panel, as well as from their own advisory council of about 50 executives from large companies.

The main survey anonymously interviewed working women aged 18 to 65 and was designed to be demographically representative of the U.S. census. The survey was conducted between October and December 2023.

A greater focus was placed on women who were mothers, especially single mothers, and women in leadership positions. Moerbach said that because working mothers face an added challenge of balancing their professional and familial responsibilities, their perspectives on good working environments and employee experience "warrants specific attention."

The women surveyed were asked questions in the following eight categories:

• Proactive management of diverse workforce: Does the employer have fair, nondiscriminatory hiring practices and respect women as equals?
• Sustainability and awareness: Does the workplace encourage environmentally sustainable behaviors, and are employees aware of the company's sustainability initiatives?
• Compensation and benefits: Does the company pay competitive salaries and wages, and is good performance rewarded?
• Training and career progression: Does the company acknowledge good performance, and are the growth opportunities available competitive to other employers in the same industry?
• Work-life balance: Does the company support a healthy work-life balance and accommodate parental leave and otherwise support new parents?
• Working environment: Do the company working conditions consider employees' physical and mental health, and does senior management communicate important decisions and why they were made?
• Company image: Does the company have a good reputation, and/or is the company working on improving its image?
• Corporate culture: Does the company exhibit a climate of trust and transparency, and do employees love coming to work?

According to Plant A, women were concerned about flexibility in work hours and opportunities for remote work as well as equity in salaries, benefits, raises and promotion opportunities compared to male employees.

After the survey was conducted, Plant A began a desk research project collecting data relevant to women in the workplace. These factors included the ratio of women to men in leadership positions, company initiatives to empower women and social media reviews of female employees on social media platforms.

The companies were also monitored on social media, as Plant A reviewed the press coverage of each company to identify any potential legal disputes around the workplace. Several keywords, including "sexism," "pay gap," "racism," "inequality," "discrimination" and "sexual harassment," were used in these searches. This final step was to ensure there were no pervasive public allegations or pervasive public lawsuits against the companies.

After this extensive research, companies were given a star rating based on Plant-A's scoring model and study approach. The final list features companies with four to five stars and classifies each company by its industry and size: small (500 to 999 employees), medium (1,000 to 4,999 employees) and large (5,000-plus employees).

"[Women's] influence extends far beyond mere numbers, as they shape consumer dynamics and foster inclusive cultures, enriching the corporate landscape and driving success," Moerbach said. "This isn't just about fulfilling a moral obligation; it's a strategic business decision. By meeting women's requirements and embracing gender diversity, companies tap into a vast pool of talent, fuel creativity and innovation, and fortify their foundations for success."