10 Best Workplaces for African Americans

These companies achieved the highest scores among Black and African American employees, who were asked about fairness of promotions, opportunities for advancement and professional development, access to senior leadership, the feeling of honest connections with colleagues, and how comfortable they feel being themselves at work

EXPLORE THE LIST METHODOLOGY 10 BEST WORKPLACES FOR ASIAN AMERICANS 10 BEST WORKPLACES FOR HISPANICS AND LATINOS 50 BEST WORKPLACES FOR DIVERSITY

The Top Ten

Quicken Loans

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Financial Services & Insurance

Nestled in the heart of downtown Detroit, mortgage-lending company Quicken Loans is all about employee satisfaction. Women can take up to three months of maternity leave, communication and openness is encouraged throughout the workplace hierarchy and each week, workers are allowed four hours to develop any creative ideas — even if they aren't company-related. Quicken Loans is committed to revitalizing the city's neighborhoods and offers incentives to employees who live downtown. "Working at Quicken Loans is not just about working in the mortgage industry or working with technology," said divisional vice-president of business consulting LaShandra Sartor, who has been with the company for 11 years. "We are really on a mission to change the way that people look at Detroit and to really focus on creating opportunities throughout the city of Detroit for our team members." Read the Great Place to Work review.

Credit Acceptance

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Financial Services & Insurance

Every quarter the company, which provides credit services for auto dealers, hosts a town hall where employees are encouraged to provide feedback on their work experience. The company uses these discussions to create new programs and offerings, like allowing for employees to pay for more time off — all employees receive 27 days per year. "Any feedback given is not gone unnoticed," said employee engagement coordinator Mallory Decker. The company also provides flexible scheduling and special parking spots for pregnant women. Read the Great Place to Work review.

Ultimate Software

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Information Technology

The HR software company works closely with Florida International University, a school with a student body population that's 85% minority, to cull talent and hire engineers. Tariq King, a manager of software engineering and a graduate of FIU who now teaches at the school, takes advantage of leadership summits hosted by the company. Soon after attending one of the events, he was promoted to management. And for Tina Brown, a director for consulting management, it is the organization's diversity that has kept her for 20 years. "Being an African-American woman is hard in a work place," she said. "For me to come to this environment and feel so welcomed and have my ideas and thoughts heard and not stolen was huge for me." Read the Great Place to Work review.

Alliance Data

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Marketing

This advertising firm has grown to more than 12,000 associates, yet employees say that the company has retained its small-office feel. Operating in 55 different locations, Alliance Data boasts stock-matching options, the ability to work from home, college tuition reimbursement programs and on-site health screenings. "We have eight values that we live by: work together, communicate openly, build trust, innovate and create, teach and learn, give back to our community and most of all, have fun," Senior Director of Operations Bev McMillan, who has been with the company for 27 years, said. "I do this on a regular lifestyle basis, so the fact that I can actually do that within the workplace is an added bonus." The company also encourages employees to celebrate each other's accomplishments. Using an online internal website similar to Facebook, employees can reward one another for a job well done with points. It allows you to "see what people are doing for others," says chief accounting officer Laura Santillan. Employees can use the points to redeem gift cards or buy extra vacation hotel stays. Read the Great Place to Work review.

Navy Federal Credit Union

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Financial Services & Insurance

Every year this credit union, which caters specifically to military and their families, selects 15 rising leaders within the organization and sends them to the University of Virginia Business School to take continuing education classes. Navy Federal also moves the students into various parts of the organization so they can learn about the different segments of the company. It's the type of program that "stretches your skills and challenges you," said Jaspreet Chawala, an assistant vice president of member acquisition, who has participated in the classes. Read the Great Place to Work review.

CarMax

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Retail

The largest used car dealership in the United States, CarMax operates 155 various across the country. The company makes giving back to communities a priority and operates a volunteer program for employees — who also receive compensation to participate. Executives are actively involved in employees' lives, recognizing and rewarding anyone who goes above and beyond, and staff members receive discounts on all of the stores' inventory and services. "CarMax is inherently a diverse company," said Houston assistant store manager Angela Fahie, who has been with the company for four years. "We have a diverse culture. Our core values are respect, integrity and transparency. We live the values every day. It drives how we treat our customers and our associates." Read the Great Place to Work review.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation

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Hospitality

Complimentary travel is only one of the many perks that this Chicago-based hotel chain offers. Employees at the hotel's 155 U.S. locations have access to personal concierge services, rest and relaxation lounges, and complimentary spa treatments. The corporation matches 100 percent of workers' 401(k) contributions, and the company's insurance covers both subsidize prescription drugs and fertility treatments. "When you work in a hospitality field, you hear a lot of companies talk about how it feels like a family," said Washington D.C. general manager Gail Smith-Howard, who has been with the company for 35 years. "However, working with Hyatt is truly like that. I've met friends, but also mentors. And you don't find those connections with every single company that one would work for." Read "Hyatt's one-person welcoming committee." Also read the Great Place to Work review.

QuikTrip

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Retail

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to this convenience store chain with locations across the South and the Midwest. Employees are offered a 50 percent 401(k) match and up to $4,400 in college tuition reimbursement. The company also enlists private doctors to exclusively treat its employees and their families, and for every five years that a worker is there, they receive a compounding monetary gift. "Because it's a convenient store, sometimes it has a negative connotation," said Jen Yates, a Dallas division area supervisor who has been working for the company for 15 years. "But organizationally, we do a really good job of taking care of our employees." Read the Great Place to Work review.

JM Family Enterprises

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Manufacturing & Production

Earlier this year, executives at this auto retailer polled employees to find out what they considered to be a livable wage. The consensus came in at just over $13 an hour, so the company changed its minimum wage to $16, which allowed some employees to "quit a second job." The company also raised the salaries of over 600 other employees to ensure equality in all roles. And once an employee reaches 10 years with the company — and every five years thereafter — they are flown to a Florida resort for a celebratory getaway. "As an African-American woman, I can say that I feel extremely welcome here," said Tanesha Clarke, the company's counsel who has been there for three years. "This is my first job out of law school, which is rare. It's rare that a company would hire a young attorney out of law school. But they recognize talent, and they make you feel appreciated." Read the Great Place to Work review.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

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Health Care

Sprawled across a 63-acre campus in Memphis, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is on a mission to eradicate children's cancer. "You make a difference," says Jimmy Winton, director of environmental services. Staff members are regularly treated to live music, tea parties, golf tournaments and fresh food that is grown in on-site gardens. The company pays for 90 percent of employee dependent coverage, has exceptional leave policies — staffers can use their colleagues' unwanted vacation days through a leave-sharing program — and offers tuition reimbursement of $4,500 per year. Additionally, team members praise the hospital for valuing diversity. "They try to get the best person for the job, and it just so happens that they considered a lot of the best people for the job to be African-American," said St. Jude administrative director Charlette M. Hill, who has been with the company for 19 years. Read the Great Place to Work review.