Kelly Services : ® Named a Global Champion for Supplier Diversity & Inclusion

Company ranks second on annual ranking published by WEConnect International

TROY, Mich. (June 29, 2021) - Kelly® has been named a Top 10 Global Champion for Supplier Diversity & Inclusion for the third consecutive year. The global workforce solutions provider ranks second among some of the world's largest corporations on the annual ranking published by WEConnect International, the National LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and Disability:IN.

'Our commitment to supplier diversity, equity and inclusion is a natural extension of Kelly's noble purpose of connecting people to work in ways that enrich their lives,' says Pam Sands, senior director and global lead for supplier strategy and engagement at Kelly. 'We understand that our inclusive procurement practices not only strengthen our communities but provide a competitive advantage in the market.'

The recognition was announced during a virtual live awards ceremony that celebrated the honorees' commitment to global inclusive sourcing from diverse groups including minority-, women-, LGBTQ- and disabled-owned businesses. Kelly earned the No. 2 spot on the ranking behind Merck and along with the following corporations in order: IBM, Accenture, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Intel, Ford, Randstad and EY.

'We're proud to be recognized alongside these leaders and we applaud all honorees for their commitment to global supplier diversity and inclusion,' says Brenda Marshall, senior director, global supplier diversity and inclusion at Kelly.

Supplier diversity and inclusion is a strategic business process aimed at providing companies owned by historically underutilized diverse groups an equal opportunity to become suppliers to major corporations, governments and multinational organizations so they can grow their businesses. WEConnect International is a global non-profit that brings large buyers together with women-owned suppliers around the world. It has conducted this one-of-a-kind survey for the past three years. Kelly ranked third on the annual list in both 2019 and 2020.

To be considered by the team of WEConnect International judges, companies submitted applications with supporting documentation. Scoring was based on a variety of factors, including senior leadership support, scope, supplier development and percentage of global spend with diverse suppliers.

Kelly's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion extends beyond its supply chain. Last September, Kelly President and CEO Peter Quigley joined other business leaders in becoming a member of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. In doing so, Kelly committed to being a workplace where diversity is embraced and employees are supported to take steps to increase equity and inclusion.

The company then launched its Equity@Work initiative, which aims to remove barriers, including outdated degree requirements, biases against neurodiverse talent and discrimination of workers with non-violent criminal records, that make it difficult for people to attain enriching work. Kelly also changed its internal hiring practices by removing questions about salary and criminal history from employment applications, updating policies around minor drug offenses and using tech solutions to eliminate bias from job posting language.

In addition to being ranked as a Top 10 Global Champion for Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, Kelly was recently also named one of America's Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes and earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2021 Corporate Equality Index. Forbes also named Kelly the No. 2 Professional Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firm in America, and Kelly has been recognized by FlexJobs as a top five company for remote work.