Phillips 66 jumps 200 spots on Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for Diversity list

Phillips 66 jumped more than 200 spots on Forbes' America's Best Employers for Diversity list in 2021, offering a strong endorsement of the company's inclusion and diversity efforts.

The company is ranked No. 178 on this year's list, up from No. 403 in the previous year's rankings. The rankings are based on a survey of 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees, with the final list including the 500 employers that received the most recommendations and boast the most diverse boards and executive ranks and most proactive initiatives.

"We are all so proud of this," said Phillips 66 Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Communications Sonya Reed. "To know that the ranking is based on the insights and experiences of our own people — especially in 2020, which was a time of great uncertainty and social unrest — makes it even more meaningful. We want everyone who walks in the doors at Phillips 66 to know they belong. "

Phillips 66 was also named a Forbes 2021 America's Best Large Employer, which is based on a survey of 50,000 Americans who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employers to friends and family. The final list ranks the 500 employers that received the most recommendations.

Commitment at highest levels

Phillips 66 has undertaken a multipronged approach to building an inclusive and diverse workplace that enables the company’s diverse talents to innovate, create value and achieve excellence. The Phillips 66 Executive Inclusion and Diversity Council, which is chaired by Phillips 66 Chairman and CEO Greg Garland, illustrates the company’s commitment at the highest levels.

The company’s efforts have been recognized before.

Earlier this year, Phillips 66 received a perfect score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index, the nation's foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring workplace equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. The Corporate Equality Index is administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTQ people.

‘Safe, seen, heard and respected’

The company's inclusion and diversity journey was captured in a recent op-ed in the Tulsa World by Phillips 66 Director of Inclusion and Diversity Natacha Buchanan. Buchanan cited American Petroleum Institute projections that minority employment will rise from about one-quarter of the total energy workforce in 2015 to 36% in 2035 and to nearly 50% by 2040.

That demographic shift, Buchanan wrote, will come as the industry works to meet the dual challenge of providing energy while achieving a lower-carbon footprint.

“Critical to meeting that objective is not only attracting and retaining the most talented, creative thinkers and problem-solvers, but also ensuring an environment where diverse perspectives are encouraged and every employee feels safe, seen, heard and respected,” Buchanan wrote.