Tampa General Hospital Named Top Employer For Woman In U.S.: Forbes

TAMPA, FL — Tampa General Hospital has earned the distinction of being No. 1 in the country on Forbes’ America's Best Employers for Women list.

Forbes recognized the academic medical center for its commitment to advancing women at all levels of the hospital.

“Tampa General has a deep commitment to diversity and the inclusion of all team members, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation. This recognition showcases our commitment by highlighting the support we specifically provide to women,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General. “Our priority is to understand what all our team members need and what is important to them in their lives so, in return, we can provide support in ways that are most impactful to them.”

Forbes magazine teamed up with market research company Statista to identify the companies liked most by female workers and looked at numerous dimensions. In the areas of atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, workplace, diversity, likelihood to recommend, family support, flexibility, representation and career and pay equity, Tampa General scored well over the 80th percentile.

One of the methods Tampa General uses to understand the needs of team members is through regular evaluations conducted by third-party professional surveyors. In 2021, the hospital’s team member engagement survey and a 2022 benefits survey (in which team members self-identified their gender), showed that the top three most valued attributes by women within Tampa General were flexibility, growth and development opportunities, and health, wellness and benefits programs.

“Tampa General values every team member and their unique needs,” said Qualenta Kivett, executive vice president and chief people and talent officer, Tampa General. “As a result, we use a variety of approaches to ensure that we are creating a fair, equitable and just culture, as well as fostering a sense of belonging. We know that our commitment to fairness and equity will continue to lead to a diverse workforce and catalyze the best possible patient outcomes.”

Grounded in Tampa General’s belief in caring for the whole person and understanding that team members have lives outside of work, the hospital continues to evolve programs that can be beneficial to the needs of women.

• Flexibility: Tampa General offers a competitive time-off policy as well as remote working options and flexibility for part-time positions. Over the past two years, the hospital’s team members have increasingly expressed a desire for part-time work schedules and those have been accommodated where possible.

• Growth and Development Opportunities: In addition to competitive tuition reimbursement and clinical and non-clinical ladders that support skills enhancements, the hospital also offers scholarships. For example, more than $100,000 in nursing scholarships were awarded to Tampa General team members in 2022. Clinical and non-clinical ladders are structured systems to advance career development while the team member remains in a current position.

• Health, Wellness and Benefits: In addition to competitive medical benefits, the hospital also provides team members access to wellness activities and tracking through a free app, an onsite gym, and online classes through the TGH Fitness Center. Additionally, Tampa General provides support in a variety of ways, including lactation rooms, team member lounges along with a spacious area to help team members decompress that includes massages chairs, and behavioral health support, both live and virtually.

• Family Support: The academic medical center offers a team member emergency fund to support team members in crisis. In 2020 and 2021, a $600 grant per eligible team member for back-to-school supplies has helped parents purchase essentials such as clothes, backpacks, tablets and laptops. An onsite day care center provides families with an education and development curriculum for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

Tampa General also focuses on education and professional development with programs unique to the academic medical center – the People Development Institute offers classes through a partnership with the University of South Florida Muma College of Business at no charge.

Thanks to a Tampa General Foundation grant, all Tampa General team members can access classes on topics such as technical and emotional skills, finance and leadership competencies.

Geared for Tampa General team members who are early in their careers or desire more training, the free LEAD (Leadership Enrichment and Development ) TGH program spans 12 months and creates career pathways and identifies future leaders.

A Modern Advances in Leadership series facilitated through the University of Tampa’s Sykes College of Business is designed to provide transformative and interactive learning experiences to advance the skills of current and future leaders. Several programs across the categories are supported through the Tampa General Foundation.

Kivett added that part of Tampa General’s philosophy is to continuously develop and expand programs that support the needs of team members.

“Part of our ability to do that is recognizing the unique needs of our diverse population and support them in the workplace, at home and in school in a way that is meaningful to them. We strive to create a world-class environment for our patients and our team members,” she said.

The list was compiled by surveying 50,000 Americans, including 30,000 women, working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees in their U.S. operations. The evaluation was based on four criteria:

• Direct recommendations — General work topics: Employees were asked to give their opinion on a series of statements surrounding the likelihood of recommendation, atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, salary and wage, workplace, and diversity regarding their own employer.

• Direct recommendations — Topics relevant to women: Women were asked to rate their own employers regarding parental leave, family support, flexibility, discrimination, representation and career and pay equity.

• Indirect recommendations: Participants were given the chance to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively with regard to diversity. Only the recommendations of women were considered.

• Diversity among top executives/board: Based on extensive research, an index was built based on the share of women in executive management or board positions. At Tampa General, women comprise 50 percent of corporate suite executives and 70 percent of senior vice president team.

This is not the first such accolade for Tampa General. In 2021, Forbes ranked the hospital 13th nationally in its review of America’s Best Employers for Women, moving it up from 24th in the nation in 2020.