Kindness

George Mason researchers designed the methodology and conducted the independent research for the inaugural Forbes America’s Kindest Companies list, which ranks 50 public companies on how they treat their employees and customers. 

The research included defining and measuring the corporate kindness index, analyzing the employee-experience, structural-inclusion, and customer-sentiment data; calculating component and overall scores; and conducting a financial analysis. 

The Corporate Kindness Index gives equal weight to three data sources:

• Employee experience: Ratings from Glassdoor across six areas that pertain to kindness: diversity and inclusion, career opportunities, work-life balance, compensation and benefits, culture and values, and senior management, formed an Employee Experience Index. 

• Structural inclusion: Denominator, a Danish data company that tracks and scores corporate diversity, human rights, and workplace culture, contributed data on workforce patterns and organizational practices that shape representation and access to opportunity, which formed a Structural and D&I Index.

• Customer treatment: Broad consumer-sentiment survey data from research company HundredX formed a Customer Experience Index.

Analysis by Costello determined that these sources are largely independent, so each contributes distinct information to the overall score, which is the average of the three indices.

To safeguard the integrity of the rankings, the Costello research team maintained methodological independence, set the index weights independent of financial influence, published the employee experience components and weights, and provided component scores for the project’s advisory board and Forbes for review. The team also identified refinements for next year, including a community responsibility measurement.

• Kindland and George Mason University Partner with Forbes on Ranking of America's Kindest Companies

A cross-collaborative team at George Mason, which included faculty from the Costello College of Business, the College of Engineering and Computing, and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being were involved in this initiative.

The project’s advisory board consisted of senior business leaders who advised the project’s principals, Kindland, and George Mason. They functioned as informed validators, reviewing the method, its rationale, and its limitations, and affirming the research approach.
 

• James E. Bennett Former Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company; Senior Advisor, Values-in-Action Foundation
   
• Paul Carleton Managing Partner, Carleton McKenna & Co.
   
• Michael J. Critelli Former Chairman and CEO, Pitney Bowes Inc.
   
• Michael Dowling CEO Emeritus, Northwell Health
   
• Mike Federle Retired; CEO, Forbes (2017–2025)
   
• Peter Georgescu Chairman Emeritus, Young & Rubicam
   
• Gunjan Sinha Chairman, Open Growth. Ventures
   
• Deary Duffie Executive Coach / Organizational Consultant
   
• Jen Fisher Founder & CEO, The Wellbeing Team
   
• Kelly Hancock EVP, Chief Caregiver Officer & Chief Administrative Officer, Cleveland Clinic
   
• Marilyn Nagel Chief Strategy Officer, Rise-Results

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