AUBURN HILLS, Mich.—Continental A.G. has earned a spot on Forbes magazine's Best Employers for Women list, recognition that the company attributes to its focus on career development opportunities and initiatives that serve employees and their families.
Continental, ranked No. 288 overall, was not the only rubber industry company to make the ranking. Among those securing a spot in the list, ExxonMobil Corp. was the highest ranked at No. 79, followed by 3M Co. at No. 80.
Eaton Corp. P.L.C. (246), Tenneco Inc. (268), Michelin ( 277), and DowDuPont ( 278) also earned spots on the list, while auto makers Tesla Inc. (179) and Volvo Group (180) and Toyota USA (222) were honored.
Forbes, in partnership with market research firm Statisa, identified companies for recognition by conducting anonymous surveys with 40,000 employees—including 25,000 women—who worked for companies that have a total employment of at least 1,000.
Respondents, Forbes said, were asked to rate their organization in a variety of areas such as diversity and working conditions. Other factors taken into consideration included parental leave, discrimination and pay equality.
Mary Reardon, head of talent acquisition for Continental in the U.S. and Canada, attributed Conti's recognition to the company's efforts to foster a culture that allows employees to thrive in their careers while maintaining a strong connections to families and communities.
"We've built a culture that values each of our employees holistically," Reardon said in a statment. "To Continental, that means creating an environment where employees are empowered to grow in their career while also taking care of themselves and their families. Attracting and nurturing top talent is critical to our success and, as the working landscape continues to evolve across all industries, prioritizing a flexible workplace is key."
Employees choosing to start a family have additional benefits available to help transition into parenthood, Continental said in a news release. The company provides paid maternity and paternity leave, expectant mothers' parking and dedicated mothers' rooms.
The firm's Global Future Work Flexibility initiative also offers a number of benefits such as telecommuting, flexible work and extended sabbaticals.
Women establishing their careers can plug into Continental's Women@Work initiative, which connects young women with senior executives, creating a global network of women from every area in the company. Employees also are encouraged to expand their knowledgebase and skillset through a number of company-sponsored training opportunities as well as its tuition reimbursement program.
"Being recognized as a top workplace for women by such a respected publication serves as excellent motivation to continue cementing Continental's position as a company that cares about its people—both in and out of the office," Reardon said.
Continental, which employs 19,000 in the U.S. and more than 243,000 globally, was recognized by Forbes earlier this year as one of America's Best Employers.
"Creating an environment that consistently delivers envelope-pushing technology for intelligent, efficient and safer mobility starts with attracting, employing and supporting a diverse workforce," Reardon said. "...Varying perspectives and experiences spur creativity and innovation, vital elements to our future success."