Top 50 Survey Glossary of Terms

Refers to race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ+, People with Disabilities and veterans.

Groups that are subject to prejudice, discrimination or biases due to their social status, background and/or other characteristics (e.g., a woman denied a management position because of her gender).

Refers to organizations that include people from multiple diverse group identities: race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, People with Disabilities, veterans, nationality, class, religion or other groupings.

A coding system used by Federal agencies to classify businesses to report on the U.S. business economy. For more information, please refer to: https://www.census.gov/naics/

Refers to an organization that performs a specific job, supplies labor and materials and/or sales products and services to the United States (any department or agency) OR refers to an organization that conducts business with the U.S. Federal government. For more information, please refer to: https://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/FederalContractorRequirements.htm

Sustainable and ethical practices that make a positive impact or minimize risks of business operations.

• Environmental: minimizing risks that business operations may have on the environment OR regulating operations to minimize risks on the environment such as pollution, climate change, waste, etc.
• Social: giving back to the community (i.e., volunteering, establishing programs) and managing relationships with employees (i.e., fair labor laws, fairness and inclusion, safety and health).
• Governance: managing and controlling business operations in accordance with federal and local laws, rules, processes or a combination of all three.

Employees in the U.S. (including U.S. territories) hired externally after Dec. 31, 2023 and still active employees on Dec. 31, 2024.

Employees in the U.S. (including U.S. territories) promoted to a higher position and/or ranking after Dec. 31, 2023 and still active employees on Dec. 31, 2024.

By voluntary turnover, we mean the employees who were with the company on the last day of the previous year (Dec. 31, 2023) but no longer with the company on the last day of the current survey year (Dec. 31, 2024). Include retirees in the category of Retirement voluntary turnovers; exclude them from Voluntary turnover.

Involuntary turnovers are the turnovers due to firing, lay-offs, etc. Only include those retirees impacted by a mandatory retirement age.

Overall Workforce: U.S. workforce including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories. Workforce includes all employees, both management and non-management. Sometimes we use the term "total workforce," which is synonymous with "workforce."

Workforce hourly: U.S. workforce paid on an hourly basis for the amount of time spent working, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories. Workforce includes all employees, both management and non-management.

Workforce non-hourly exempt: U.S. workforce who are exempt from hourly and overtime pay, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories. Workforce includes all employees, both management and non-management.

Workforce new hires: All the new hires into workforce (as defined above) during the survey year (from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024).

Workforce turnover (voluntary): By turnover, we mean the employees who were with the company on the last day of the previous year (Dec. 31, 2023) but no longer with the company on the last day of the current survey year (Dec. 31, 2024). Include retirees in the category of Retirement voluntary turnovers; exclude them from Voluntary turnover.

Workforce turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers are the turnovers due to firing, lay-offs, etc. Only include those retirees impacted by a mandatory retirement age.

Management overall: All the management/professional employees as defined by your company. This includes management levels 1 through 4 and all other management/professional employees at the lower levels. (See below for the explanation of the management levels.) As a part of workforce, management overall includes only U.S. (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories). We often use the terms "management" or "management employees," both of which are synonymous with "management overall."

Management new hires: All the new hires into management overall (as defined above) during the survey year (from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024).

Within-management promotions: Members of management overall who received promotions during the survey year (from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024). They should have already been a member of management overall prior to being promoted.

Employees promoted into management: All U.S. employees who were promoted into management. They should have been non-management employees prior to being promoted and became management employees. Leave these cells blank if your company does not allow this.

Management turnovers (voluntary): Voluntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (voluntary)," for the definition of voluntary turnover.

Management turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (involuntary)," for the definition of involuntary turnovers.

Management level 1: CEO and their direct, non-administrative reports. This is the highest level in management. Sometimes it is shortened to "level 1" or even "lev1."

New hires to management level 1: All new hires into management level 1 during the survey year. This refers to new hires from outside of the company.

Promoted to management level 1: All new members who were promoted into management level 1 during the survey year. Exclude new hires from outside the

Company.

Management level 1 turnovers (voluntary): Voluntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (voluntary)," for the definition of voluntary turnover.

Management turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers within management level 1. See above, "Workforce turnovers (involuntary)," for the definition of involuntary turnovers.

Management level 2: One level below management level 1 (non-administrative).

New hires to management level 2: All new hires into management level 2 during the survey year. This refers to new hires from outside of the company.

Promoted to management level 2: All new members who were promoted into management level 2 during the survey year. Exclude new hires from outside of the company.

Management level 2 turnovers (voluntary): Voluntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (voluntary)," for the definition of voluntary turnover.

Management turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers within management level 2. See above, "Workforce turnovers (involuntary)," for the definition of involuntary turnovers.

Management level 3: Two levels below management level 1 (non-administrative).

New hires to management level 3: All new hires into management level 3 during the survey year. This refers to the new hires from outside of the company.

Promoted to management level 3: All new employees promoted into management level 3 during the survey year. Exclude new hires from outside of the company.

Management level 3 turnovers (voluntary): Voluntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (voluntary)," for the definition of voluntary turnover.

Management turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers within management level 3. See above, "Workforce turnovers (involuntary)," for the definition of involuntary turnovers.

Management level 4: three levels below management level 1 (non-administrative).

New hires to management level 4: All new hires into management level 4 during the survey year. This refers to the new hires from outside of the company.

Promoted to management level 4: All new employees promoted into management level 4 during the survey year. Exclude new hires from outside of the company.

Management level 4 turnovers (voluntary): Voluntary turnovers within management overall. See above, "Workforce turnovers (voluntary)," for the definition of voluntary turnover.

Management turnovers (involuntary): Involuntary turnovers within management level 4. See above, "Workforce turnovers (involuntary)," for the definition of involuntary turnovers.

Your CEO (or U.S. lead) and direct reports as well as their direct reports (management levels 1 & level 2).

U.S. Board of Directors. Use global board if you do not have a U.S. one. If you do not have a Board, please enter zeros in corresponding fields.

The internal Diversity Council, which is comprised of high-level leaders or management levels 1 through 4 only. (See below Executive Diversity Council/Human resources staff for the explanation of the management levels.) If you do not have an Executive Diversity Council, please enter zeros in corresponding fields.

U.S. employees who are part of your company's Human Resources division.

U.S. employees whose formal responsibilities include overseeing supplier diversity.

U.S. employees who are part of your company's procurement division.

Refers to helping a person grow personally and professionally by providing them advice, feedback and coaching.

A company-sanctioned and company-run program that pairs mentors and mentees, tracks participation and assesses/measures the success of participant and program outcomes.

The process of a person with authority, who actively uses their influence to help employees advance in the company.

Usually, someone at a more senior level and/or an individual with strong influence within an organization assists high potentials in gaining visibility for particular assignments, promotions or positions.

A company-sanctioned and company-run program that pairs sponsors with identified talent, tracks participation and assesses/measures the success of participant and program outcomes.

Internal networks within your organization that promote a fair and inclusive workplace.

A type of employee resource group that is organized based on a common interest/goal or to fulfill a specific purpose.

A work environment aimed at welcoming and providing equal treatment to employees from different backgrounds.

A process to review an employee’s current (or past) performance, potential, development opportunities and career mobility within an organization. Could also include individuals identified as part of succession planning efforts.

Applicants who are diverse in gender, race and/or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and/or veteran status.

A group of employees assigned to conduct candidate interviews for an external hire or promotion.

An interviewing technique that is used to evaluate a candidate based on past experiences to understand the way they would react in certain job-related scenarios.

A selection procedure that measures candidates verbal reasoning, spatial awareness and/or mathematics.

Automatic judgments made about an individual or a group of people; generally based on social stereotypes.

Knowledge, skills and abilities that enable effective interactions and communication with people from cultures different from one’s own.

Includes corporate cash, foundation cash and/or non-cash contributions to non-profit organizations. For organizations in the non-profit sector, total giving could apply to any social benefit/social mission work, including charitable activities and charitable contributions.

Suppliers owned by people of color, women, People with Disabilities, military/veterans, LBGTQ+ individuals or those located in HUBZones.

A business that is at least 51% owned (for publicly traded businesses, at least 51% stock ownership), operated and controlled by one or more American citizens of an ethnic minority group (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American). For more information, please visit: https://www.nmsdc.org/mbes/what-is-an-mbe/

A for-profit business that is at least 51% owned and controlled and whose daily operations are held by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or Legal Resident Aliens. For more information, please visit: https://www.wbenc.org/about-wbenc

Short-term vendors are short-term projects or contracts between your organization and a supplier that have less than a year duration.