The diversityinc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees

Also read: factoids, DiversityInc Top 50, DiversityInc Specialty Lists, LGBT

What makes a company the right place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender employees--and their friends and families--to work? To determine this list, we looked at several factors, including inclusive benefits for same-sex partners of employees, strong diversity training programs, recruitment efforts aimed at LGBT people and the vitality of the company's LGBT employee-resource group.

Since the workplace demographic data on LGBT employees is inconclusive (most companies don't ask about orientation, and even those that do believe a certain segment is uncomfortable coming out), we also include ratings from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)'s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which measures workplace rights for LGBT individuals. No company can be on our Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees list that doesn't receive a 100 percent CEI rating. Interestingly, 74 percent of The 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® received a 100 percent CEI rating this year, compared with 52 percent in 2006 and 28 percent in 2004.

We also examined the company's web site to assess its visible commitment to the LGBT community, as well as its relationships with external organizations such as the HRC and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). And we gave companies extra points for marketing to the LGBT community and for use with LGBT suppliers certified by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Here are the top 10 and a reason why each of them made the list: The diversityinc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees

DiversityInc.com (subscription)