Williams-Sonoma Celebrates 4th Consecutive Year on Forbes’ List of America’s Best Employers for Women

August 7, 2022  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry   

“We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to an empowered workforce where everyone can thrive,” said Laura Alber, president and chief executive officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “We will continue to champion equity and the progress of women globally across all aspects of our business.”

Forbes identified The Best Employers for Women based on results of an independent survey of 50,000 U.S. citizens working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. Respondents were asked to rate their employers on factors such as parental leave, discrimination and pay equity, and to nominate organizations in industries outside their own. Representation at the executive and board levels were also factored into the company rankings.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. recently released its Impact Report which provides additional details about the company’s focus on diversity in associate hiring, retention and promotion. In 2021, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. experienced increases in both female and ethnically-diverse associate representation numbers across all aspects of the company resulting in 54% of vice presidents being female as well as 59% of directors and 63% of managers. Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s Board of Directors also has a 67% female majority.

The retailer is also dedicated to supporting women within its supply chain through two signature programs – HERProject and Nest – focused on gender equity training and empowering handicraft artisans. In 2021 the company was also proud to increase the number of women’s promotions across the organization.