SALT LAKE CITY – (April 26, 2022) Today, Sorenson announced it has been named to the Forbes list of Best Employers for Diversity 2022. Sorenson is the world’s leading provider of inclusive communication services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.
“We are honored to be included on this important list of employers embracing diversity,” said Sorenson CEO Jorge Rodriguez. “As a provider of language services and accessible communications, we understand what it means to create a diverse workforce. In an effort to best serve our various communities, we proactively engage employees from diverse experiences who enrich our culture and company.”
The Best Employers for Diversity were selected based on Statista’s innovative methodology, guaranteeing unbiased results and providing reliable insights. Over 60,000 U.S. employees were surveyed in companies with a minimum of 1,000 employees to identify The Best Employers for Diversity.
The evaluation was based on four different criteria:
- Direct recommendations: Employees were asked to give their opinions on a series of statements regarding Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, LGBTQA+ and General Diversity in their current workplace. The recommendations of women, elders and ethnic minorities were weighted higher than the non-minority groups.
- Indirect Recommendations: Participants were also given the chance to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively related to diversity. Only the recommendations of minority groups were considered.
- Diversity Among Top Executives/Board and Diversity Engagement Indicators were also part of the evaluation.
Earlier this month, Sorenson announced that private investment firm Ariel Alternatives, LLC, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments, the first Black-owned asset manager in the United States, completed an acquisition of the majority of the Company’s common equity. With the support of Ariel Alternatives, Sorenson has an enhanced strategic focus on and commitment to underserved and underrepresented communities. “Expanding to additional populations aligns with our focus on of equity, inclusion, and accessibility for diverse communities in very tangible ways – through job growth, economic development, and increased opportunities for underrepresented people,” added Rodriguez. “In this new chapter at the Company, we reaffirm our commitment to expand to further our mission of leveraging the power of language to help relationships thrive.”
As part of the strategic investment from Ariel Alternatives, Sorenson intends to transform into a minority business enterprise (MBE) and become a leading supplier to Fortune 500 companies, supporting business diversity. The Company also plans to significantly increase its mandates with minority-owned businesses in its own supply chain.
“At Sorenson, we celebrate and seek diversity in culture, thought, backgrounds, perspective and experiences,” said Brian Breinholt, Chief Human Resources Officer. “As one of America’s largest private employers of people who are Deaf, we see daily how diversity enriches teams and departments and makes a positive difference in our workplace and in our services.”
