Delta Air Lines has become the only airline in the United States to make the ‘Best Workplaces for Women 2017’ list by renowned workplace experts, Great Places to Work. And what’s even more impressive for Delta is that only 1% of all the companies that made the list are in the transportation sector – kudos to Delta.
“We take great pride in building an equitable and welcoming workplace for everyone, and are pleased to see our efforts validated by this award,” explained Joanne Smith, Delta’s chief HR Officer. The airline placed tenth on the list of the top 100 female-friendly workplaces in the U.S. Overall, the list was dominated by financial services, information technology and healthcare firms.
Built on the responses of 400,000 U.S. employees, over 50 different metrics were used to judge and rank employers across the United States – these included ethical leadership, respectful and fair workplace interactions, benefits packages and development opportunities. Delta has performed strongly on its commitment to bridging the gap between male and female pay packages in the workplace.
But Smith explained there was more to do: “At the same time we know that we have more to do. Over the last year, we have taken strides by enhancing parental leave policies and by continuing to work toward pay parity, which now stands at 99 percent.”
This isn’t the first time that Delta has got mention in a Great Place to Work survey. In the last 12-months, the airline has performed strongly in a number of areas:
- Delta came 2nd in the 50 Best Companies for Diversity
- Fifth on the 10 Best Companies for African Americans
- And 63rd on the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For
In fact, Delta was the only airline to be named in that last list. Great Place to Work, perhaps unsurprisingly, found that employers who performed well in this survey also did well in creating a fair and safe workplace for people of colour and LGBT groups.
Chinwe Onyeagoro, President of Great Place to Work commented on the findings: “When women report a fair and fulfilling work environment, it’s a strong indicator that other segments of the workforce feel the same way. That’s important: Our research shows that companies held in high regard for equity and employee trust experience significantly faster revenue growth than their peers.”
Joanne Smith is responsible for Delta’s 80,000 staffers worldwide. She joined the airline in 2002 and has since worked to build the company’s reputation as an employer of choice. Nonetheless, Delta remains one of the few airline’s in the U.S. without official union representation for its flight attendants.
