Korn Ferry earns 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s annual assessment of LGBTQ workplace equality

Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY), a global organizational consulting firm, announced that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Korn Ferry joins the ranks of 767 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.

"In a year that brought long-overdue calls for social change, we have amplified our voice and put our purpose and values into action," said Gary D. Burnison, CEO, Korn Ferry. "Diversity is a fact, and inclusion is a behavior. When we move from diversity to inclusion, differences are not just tolerated – they are celebrated."

To promote opportunity everywhere, Korn Ferry has launched several important initiatives. Through Leadership U for Korn Ferry, the firm develops its employees from all backgrounds, ensuring they have ample opportunities to grow and advance. The Korn Ferry Foundation is focused on making real, lasting changes in communities where colleagues live and work. In addition, the Korn Ferry Foundation’s Leadership U for Humanity program is working to help accelerate the development of professionals of color and underrepresented populations.

"We believe that a mosaic of possibility is the foundation of an ethos of more inclusivity," Burnison added. "Korn Ferry has never been more committed to helping people exceed their potential with an abundance of opportunity."

“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality,” said Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President. “This year has shown us that tools like the CEI are crucial in the work to increase equity and inclusion in the workplace, but also that companies must breathe life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways. Thank you to the companies that understand protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do—but the best business decision.”

The results of the 2021 CEI showcase how 1,142 U.S.-based companies are not only promoting LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies in the U.S., but also for the 57% of CEI-rated companies with global operations who are helping advance the cause of LGBTQ inclusion in workplaces abroad. Korn Ferry’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria earned a 100 percent ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 18 million U.S. workers and an additional 17 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

• Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
• Equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families;
• Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
• Corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

About the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We work with our clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers.