Procter & Gamble (P&G) has agreed to release data on hiring and retention by race and gender by the end of 2024, shareholder advocacy groups said.
The makers of Gillette’s razors and Downy’s fabric softener have agreed to disclose data following a campaign by As You Sow, a nonprofit that promotes environmental and social issues at large, publicly traded companies.
In confirming the deal, P&G joins companies like Nike who have agreed to share data on the hiring and promotion efforts of an underrepresented group.
Under the agreement, P&G will publish global data on employee gender and U.S. data on race or ethnicity, according to As You Sow. In response, the nonprofit withdrew its proposal for a proxy to put the matter to a shareholder vote, according to a separate statement.
Companies are under greater pressure from shareholders to disclose more information about the diversity of their workforce. As You Sow accused Cincinnati-based P&G of lagging behind in sharing inclusion data.
According to the group, between August 2020 and March 2022, the number of companies that published or pledged to publish gender-disaggregated hiring data for the S&P 100 companies doubled.
This agreement will give outsiders a deeper look at P&G’s diversity. P&G has already shared data submitted to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the gender and race breakdown of workers by job category. Such disclosures were rare until 2020.
In 2021, P&G will have 40% women in its leadership team, 9% people of African descent, and 10% people of Latino descent. Like most U.S. companies, these percentages still lag share given the broader workforce and population.
