Besides finding a job they’d be excited to jump out of bed for every day, many folk’s ideal position is at a company that accepts who they are. Whether a working mother or father or gay professional, they want a friendly environment. But exactly how do you figure out who has that?

The easier answer is to check out lists published annually in some magazines. For example, Fortune’s “Best Companies for Minorities” shows which large companies have high percentages of employees from such minority groups as Asians, Blacks and Hispanics. Their “Best Companies to Work For” list breaks down percentage of minorities and women employee

You can also try out their “Find the Right Company For You” on-line ranking that asks your criteria for company size, number of women, ethnic diversity and training. The problem is, when I tried it, I put in small company as criteria and the first company on the list was AFLAC, which employs 3,726 U.S. employees. That’s hardly small. In addition, the smallest company I could find on their “Best Companies for Minorities” had at least 1,128 employees. And as you’ve heard me say before, most jobs aren’t in big companies.

Working Mother also comes out with its “100 Best Companies” list every fall. They say that companies have increased their work/life benefits. But again, looking at the top ten, these are large companies such as Abbott Laboratories and General Mills.

Many companies also have gay-friendly policies, according to a recent New York Times article. The article says almost 2,600 companies have policies that include sexual orientation, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Websites such as Gay.com and PlanetOut.com give information on a company’s diversity policy. The top 20 companies listed on Gay.com were also large firms.

These lists are a place to start. Another--maybe not as easy—way to find gay- and family-friendly companies, is to find and ask the people who work there what it’s like. That way, you’re not just getting the company line but the real scoop of what goes on. Some web sites even offer this information.

For example, Gay.com lists feedback from actual employees. They site examples of what makes a particular company gay-friendly including domestic partner benefits, zero tolerance and non-discrimination policies and celebration of Gay Pride month. And they update the site as comments come in.

It might seem that the most direct way to find out about these issues is to just ask specific questions at an interview or to let the interviewer know your concerns. But be very careful how you snoop around or what you share.

In most cases, being a working mother or a gay professional has nothing to do with whether you’re the right person for the job. So don’t bring it up. You want to be invited to an interview and then offered a position because a company thinks you’ve got the right skills and experience—not because of your sexual orientation or whether you have children.

And don’t ask about benefits before you get an offer either. Focus on what the job entails and getting the offer first. As you proceed through the interview process, you can ask about diversity training and other things that can clue you in on a company’s policies. Benefits and money should only come up once you’ve got the offer in hand.

© by Andrea Kay

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