This CEO community is keeping and advancing their best talent. Are you?

As organizations and their employees face whirlwinds of economic change, retention is more important than ever. Creating an inclusive environment with fair and equitable organizational processes has been shown to contribute to higher employee engagement and retention. If you want your employees to stay, a vocal, measurable commitment to DEI isn’t only the right thing to do; it’s essential.

Catalyst CEO Champions For Change. Launched in 2017, this unique community of 80+ global CEOs is committed to advancing women across racial and ethnic groups into leadership roles and onto boards of directors. Each year, these CEOs share organizational data on their efforts to advance women in the workplace. This year, we examined pay equity, transparency, and retention—powerful indicators of organizational health. Our findings show that Champion companies are leading the way in cultivating inclusive workplaces in which women stay and thrive.

Here are highlights from what we learned this year:

• Nearly all (93%) of Champion companies have conducted a pay equity review within the last three years. This is up from 82% in last year’s survey and far outpaces US companies overall (58%).
• And they’re being transparent about it: 57% of these companies disclose their results publicly, compared to 38% last year.
• Champion companies are retaining women at all levels, including those who identify with marginalized racial and ethnic groups, at similar (or, in some cases, slightly higher) rates as men across the world.
• Finally, women are advancing to the highest levels at Champion companies, where they occupy 30% of executive positions and 37% of board seats, rising above their global peers.