Annual Application: How To Apply

Annual Application Frequently Asked Questions

For assistance with the Annual Application or to learn more about our initiatives, please email [email protected].

How do I register for the Annual Application? 

Registration for the 2025 Annual Application opens in early November 2024. All companies that register in advance will receive their survey link when the application opens. If you register after the application opens, please allow three business days for your registration to be processed and a survey link to be sent to you. Each company receives one survey link sent to the primary point of contact (PPC) who is named on the registration. This can be shared internally but we recommend one person working in the application at a time. If you register, you are not obligated to apply.  

I haven’t received my individual survey link. Who do I contact? 

If you registered but haven’t received your link, please email [email protected]

What is the deadline to submit information to the Annual Application? 

The application opens on December 10, 2024 and closes on March 15, 2025.

What lists am I able to apply to through the Annual Application? 

The annual application includes access to: The annual application includes access to: 100 Best Companies, Best Companies for MCW, Top Companies for Executive Women, the Inclusion Index, and the Marketing, Media, and Ad Tech Survey. You will be able to choose which initiatives you are interested in applying to at the beginning of the application, and questions will automatically populate accordingly. YOU MUST SELECT YOUR INITIATIVES IN THE “INITIATIVE SELECTION” IN ORDER TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION. 

What is the output for the Annual Application? 

For each initiative that a company participates in, they will receive a confidential and free scorecard. Complimentary scorecards provide a high-level overview of their performance overall as well as within key areas of the initiative. Scorecard notifications will be sent to the individual listed in the application as the primary point of contact (PPC). Individual company results will remain confidential. An in-depth question-by-question benchmarking report of your results compared to the winning companies and a competitive set of peer companies (e.g., same industry) is available at an additional cost. 

Is there a cost associated with the Annual Application? 

There is no cost to apply and no cost for the scorecard.

What is the eligibility to apply? 

Eligibility for the Marketing, Media, & Ad Tech Survey is at least 250 US employees. 

Eligibility for 100 Best Companies, Best Companies for MCW, Top Companies for Executive Women, and Inclusion Index is at least 500 US employees. 

Additionally: 

For 100 Best Companies, companies must offer at least two weeks of fully-paid gender-neutral parental leave.  

For Top Companies for Executive Women, public companies must have at least two women on their board of directors. Private companies must have at least two women on their governing board (i.e., executive leadership team). 

When will I receive the results? 

Annual Application

• Application opens: December 10, 2024
• Application closes: March 14, 2025

Best Companies for Multicultural Women

• Companies Notified: April 24, 2025
• Embargo dates: June 5, 2025

100 Best Companies

• Companies Notified: June 3, 2025
• Embargo dates: July 29, 2025

Inclusion Index

• Companies Notified: July 8, 2025
• Embargo dates: August 19, 2025

Top Companies for Executive Women

• Companies Notified: July 31, 2025
• Embargo dates: September 9, 2025

Marketing, Media, & Ad Tech Survey

• Companies Notified: August 20, 2025
• Embargo dates: TBA

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Best Law Firms

• Application opens: November 12, 2024
• Application closes: February 3, 2025
• Companies Notified: April 15, 2025
• Embargo dates: May 28, 2025

Global Inclusion Index

• Application opens: January 28, 2025
• Application closes: June 6, 2025
• Companies Notified: August 27, 2025
• Embargo dates: October 7, 2025

What information is published? Will it be known if I don’t make the list? 

The identity of both registrants and applicants will be kept confidential. Companies that apply but don’t make a list or index will never be named. Furthermore, companies that make a list or index but opt out of being named will also remain anonymous.  

Survey results are always reported in aggregate and on a non-identifiable basis. Individual company data is never publicized or shared without prior approval. With prior approval, we may disclose information about a company that highlights areas where the company excels.  

How do I license the logo for the list my company made? 

For logo licensing information, please contact your Relationship Manager or Lauren Scarcello.

Can you provide the Annual Application to me in an Excel or Word format?

Yes, all companies that register for the Annual Application receive links to download resource documents to help you collect your data in advance of submitting the application online. Resource documents include both Excel and Word versions of the application, as well as a guide that highlights any changes to the application this year (e.g., questions that were added, removed or modified since last year). Links to the resource documents are included in the email when the survey link is sent, as well as on the first page of the online application and at the bottom (i.e., footer) of each page of the application.

Can I submit my information via email using the Word or Excel version of the application?

No, the resource documents provided to you are for data collection purposes only. Your data must be submitted via the online application.

Am I able to print a copy of the Annual Application with my responses before submitting my application?

To review your responses prior to submitting, you must use the Table of Contents (TOC) and click through each page of the survey. You can take a screenshot or print each page when reviewing the application online. Unfortunately, the survey portal cannot print or download your application with your entered responses mid-process. Once you submit your application, the PPC listed in the application will receive a confirmation email with a pdf report of your submitted responses and a link to your response report that will allow you to print.

Do I need to fill out the questions all at once? 

No, the application automatically saves your answers that were recorded and reopens on the page where the last user left off. You can save your data at any time by clicking the SAVE AND CONTINUE button at the bottom of each page. Once your data is saved, you can close your session and your entered data will be available at your next visit to the application.

How do I answer questions about things we do not track? 

If you do not track some of the information, we ask for you to submit conservative estimates but only with the following stipulations: the estimate must be made by someone in a position to do so with high confidence, and the estimate must be equally acceptable to the company in making important business decisions. If you still find that you cannot answer a particular question, please leave it blank. Please use zero (0) only where your answer is actually zero (0).

Can I submit data from previous years? 

Use only 2024 data or the last 12-month period for which you have complete information. All data reported must be from the same 12-month period. When reporting employee counts for 2024, provide a snapshot of your employees based on the same point in time, preferably the end of the year (December 31, 2024). If you need to use a different point in time to report employee counts (e.g., end of fiscal year), be consistent and use the same date for reporting all employee counts.

Can I submit data from offices outside the U.S.? 

No, the Annual Application is US-based. If your firm has offices outside the US, only provide data with respect to your US offices. US territories can be included. For multi-national companies, we have a separate application for other countries, the Global Inclusion Index.

What is the best way for me to be inputting numeric data?

Use only WHOLE NUMBERS without dollar signs ($), percent signs (%), commas (,) or periods (.); round all dollar figures to the nearest dollar.

What does “total number” mean when reporting employee counts?

For this survey, “total number” refers to all full and part-time employees. Include all active and on-leave employees on your payroll as of the end of 2024. If you have no employees in a category, enter a zero (0).

What is the “Workforce profile”?  

Workforce profile is broken up into four employee levels based on your company’s org chart: corporate executives (your company’s two highest tiers/levels of employees below the CEO,), senior managers (direct reports to corporate executives), managers (direct reports to senior managers), and non-managers (all other employees). These employee level definitions allow all companies to report their workforce profile using the same reporting structure. Note that employees within these levels may or may not have supervisory/management responsibility. Since job titles vary significantly across organizations, they should not be used to classify employees – please use your company’s org chart to classify employees.

Are written comments at the end of each section required? 

At the end of each section there is space for written comments where you can clarify any of your responses. This area is not required, is not scored and bears no reflection on your score or rank. Your response here should be limited to 1,000 characters.

Are the essays scored? 

The essays are not scored. We use essays to identify trends and innovative practices.

Is my link broken? I don’t see the right questions. 

Your survey link is unique to your company; however, it is not preset with the initiatives you’re interested in. The “Initiative Selection” section before “Company Profile” at the beginning of the application will allow you to choose the initiative(s) for which you will be participating. Upon selecting your initiative(s), the rest of the application will populate with the questions included on those initiatives. If you do not see the questions for the initiative(s) you are applying to, you must return to the beginning of the survey using the Table of Contents and make sure you have selected the desired initiatives to gain access to those questions.

• Reminder: If you opt into a new initiative while you’re already mid-process of filling out the application, you will have to use the Table of Contents to visit each previous page and check for any new questions that may have appeared. To ease any technical hiccups, please make use of the Word doc/Excel file among your team to collect data in advance of filling out the online application, and please carefully select your desired initiatives at the beginning of the application.

Why is the survey skipping questions I haven’t answered yet? 

You might notice that the question numbering presented to you sometimes skips over certain questions, or that certain pages in the Table of Contents are not displayed–the online application is simply moving you past a series of questions that don’t apply to you. The online application uses branch logic and will only display the questions that are relevant to you based on (1) the initiatives you’ve selected at the beginning of the application, and (2) your answers to previous questions (e.g., if you answered that you do not have a formal mentoring program, the follow-up questions about mentoring programs will not be displayed.)       

The table of contents (TOC) will place a checkmark next to a page once you’ve viewed it. This indicates that you have visited that page but does not indicate that you have answered the questions! When reopening the survey or clicking the “Save & Continue” button, the application will take you to the next unopened page regardless of who accessed it last or whether questions on earlier pages have been left unanswered. Please be sure to review each checked page before submitting your application to ensure you have answered all questions. 

My page is locked and I cannot access the table of contents (TOC). 

If you are on a page that includes a required question (e.g., company name, PPC info), you must first answer the question to navigate to another page. The Terms of Agreement (TOA) toward the end of the application is also a required field. Signing the TOA will NOT submit your application but will unlock the page and allow you to navigate back to earlier pages using the Table of Contents. (Your application will only be submitted when you click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the final page.)

What if I accidentally submitted when I wasn’t ready?  

We recommend only one person enter the data in your online application to reduce the chance of accidentally submitting. Only click the SUBMIT button on the final page after you have reviewed your application and are ready to submit.

What is the math validation page? 

As part of the online application process, every company has the opportunity to review, address, and fix any mathematical inconsistencies prior to submitting. These math validation pages are located at the end of the survey and can be accessed at any point using the TOC. Each of the initiatives you are participating in has its own math validation page. On each initiative’s math validation page, the applicable questions will be checked for math errors.  Please note that many questions appear in multiple initiatives. Therefore, if a math error is flagged in one initiative, you may see it flagged on validation pages for other initiatives as well. If any errors are identified, use the Table of Contents along the left side of the application to navigate back to the relevant page(s) where the counts are reported and make your corrections. Return to the math validation pages to confirm that your corrections removed the math errors.

What if I cannot fix the math validation? 

Having correct data entered into your application is critical, so please try and correct any math errors that are flagged. However, you will still be able to submit your application regardless of having math errors flagged on the math validation pages.

What time will the survey close? 

You will have the full day in your respective time zone to submit your application on the due date. Please do not wait until the last day to input your data. Allow yourself the week to finalize your application. Anticipate you’ll hit a technical snafu and will need our immediate assistance. This will help us assist you and allow you to submit your application before the deadline.