Southern Company ranked in Top 50 for diversity

<p>Southern Company has been named to DiversityInc's 2016 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. Additionally, the company placed No. 1 in DiversityInc's newly created category of Top 10 Companies for Opportunities and sixth on the Top 10 Companies for Veterans list.</p>
<p>&quot;Diversity is central to our business strategy. Not only do we hire smart and diverse people, but we support and develop them and move them into larger roles,&quot; said CEO Tom Fanning. &quot;People with different backgrounds, judgments and experiences allow us to see around the corners of the future and invent for that future. Diversity of people, thoughts and ideas is what ultimately makes us successful.&quot;</p>
<p>The annual survey - considered one of the most rigorous, data-driven analyses of its kind - gauges detailed demographics based on race/ethnicity and gender at some of the largest U.S. employers, all in an effort to better assess initiatives to hire, retain and promote women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans.</p>
<p>&quot;Diversity and inclusion aren't stand-alone objectives at Southern Company - they are part of everything we do,&quot; said Stacy Kilcoyne, vice president of human resources. &quot;We are committed to sustaining a work environment in which every employee feels welcomed, valued and respected and is able to reach his or her full potential.&quot;</p>
<p>Companies with more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees are eligible to enter and company rank is based on an objective analysis of nearly 200 separate factors. The four equally weighted areas of measurement are talent pipeline, equitable talent development, CEO and leadership commitment and supplier diversity.</p>
<p>To view DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.diversityinc.com/top50" target="_blank" adhocenable="false">http://www.diversityinc.com/top50</a>.</p>