Forbes Names Kelly One of America’s Best Employers for Women
Recognition comes ahead of company’s 75th anniversary in October, celebrating a history of breaking barriers for women in the workforce
TROY, Mich., Aug. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ® has blazed trails for women since 1946 when William Russell Kelly founded the company and pioneered the staffing industry. Kelly sought to connect women, who had kept America’s economy moving forward during World War II and suddenly found themselves replaced by returning servicemen, with work in Detroit’s booming business districts. Today Kelly places talent with companies around the world and, ahead of its 75th anniversary, has been recognized by Forbes as one of .
“This recognition is a testament to our history of connecting women with work in ways that enrich their lives and speaks volumes to our culture,” Chief People Officer says. “We’re proud to be recognized for our leadership in providing fulfilling and rewarding careers to women everywhere.”
The Forbes recognition is based on market research by Statista Inc. and a survey of 50,000 Americans, including 30,000 women, working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees to identify the companies liked most by female workers. The research also considered representation at the executive and board levels, as well as initiatives to improve gender equity and resolve allegations regarding discrimination or misconduct. The 300 highest-scoring companies made the list.
Seven in 10 (71%) of Kelly’s more than 7,000 full-time internal employees are women and 65% of Kelly’s new hires in the United States were female in 2020. Kelly’s U.S. leadership ranks are 39% female, three of the company’s five business units are led by women, and half of President and CEO Peter Quigley’s executive leadership team is made up of women. In addition, 35% of Kelly’s board are women.
Kelly’s Leadership in Action program is committed to supporting women in their career advancement as well as promoting leadership opportunities for underrepresented communities. The group has nearly 700 members – both men and women in mid- to senior leadership positions in the Americas and EMEA – and helps them prepare for current and future leadership positions through training programs and networking events.
Kelly also launched five employee resource groups, including the Women’s Alliance, which seeks to make a difference by developing solutions to issues affecting women and by providing opportunities for women to gain leadership skills and broaden their network. Among other things, it has sponsored workshops that empower women and underrepresented groups to speak about their accomplishments to break modesty norms and glass ceilings.
Kelly has also developed programs that make it easier for working parents to better balance work and family life. In 2016, Kelly introduced a hybrid work program called Kelly Anywhere, which gave corporate employees in Michigan the flexibility to work from home at least part of their time. The program enabled Kelly to seamlessly transition to remote work during the pandemic and has expanded since. Where possible, employees are given the option to work fully remote or a hybrid schedule. Internal surveys show that managers and employees report a positive impact on both productivity and work experience.
“Nearly three million American women have left the labor force during the pandemic. Many women, particularly mothers of young children, have been furloughed or laid off. Many others have had to choose between showing up at front-line jobs or caring for their children,” Bouque says. “At Kelly we’re committed to making work as accessible as possible and welcoming women to leadership roles at clients and within our corporate ranks.”
Forbes recently also ranked Kelly No. 2 on both and lists. Kelly has also been recognized as one of , was named a , and earned a perfect score on the .
About Kelly®
Kelly connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center, Light Industrial, and more. We’re always thinking about what’s next in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We directly employ nearly 370,000 people around the world, and we connect thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting practice. Visit and let us help with what’s next for you.
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