Very Named Among Best Companies for Women to Advance™

The ParityLIST™ recognizes organizations creating a culture and conditions that help companies achieve gender parity, including through recruitment, promotion, compensation practices, leadership representation, benefits, and policies. 

The pandemic created a substantial setback for female advancement in the workforce, but the companies that made this year’s ParityLIST™ not only got back on track, they sped past all expectations. 

Cathrin Stickney
Parity.Org Founder and CEO

“I could not be happier to report that 70 percent of this year’s honorees have an Executive Team that is 30 percent women, 77 percent have a VP team that is 30 percent women, and 72 percent have reached pay parity,” Stickney added. 

ParityLIST™ honorees had several policies and practices in common, including:

• Equal family leaves for both men and women (84 percent)
• Flexible working hours (89 percent)
• Paid sick leave for full-time (100 percent) and part-time (79 percent) employees 

Additionally, 91 percent require recruiters to include at least one qualified woman on every candidate slate for executive positions reporting to the CEO. Virtually every company has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment while regularly communicating gender-equality values to employees. 

If you want your company to have parity and you want women to succeed, then help women with the things they need help with. Encourage them through the moments that could be an obstacle. ERGs are great. Mentors are great. But if you want real parity, then you have to live what you value every single day. I’ve experienced this firsthand at Very.

Jessica Begley
Head of People at Very

About Very

Very is an IoT technology firm whose team of expert problem solvers develops end-to-end connected ecosystems with partners determined to leverage the power of IoT. By building scalable IoT systems and smart products that adapt as market and customer needs evolve, Very ensures that clients recognize near-term value and prove the case to move from pilot to production.

About Parity.Org

Parity.Org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender and racial gap in corporate leadership, where the gap is the widest. Parity.Org takes a pragmatic and research-based approach, offering a range of proven best practices and industry-leading tools for not only reaching—but sustaining—parity in leadership. You can learn more at Parity.Org and follow the organization on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.