NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of the company's significant progress in workforce diversity, DiversityInc Magazine has named Nissan to its Top 25 Noteworthy Companies for 2014. This honor recognizes the company's advances in workforce diversity largely supported by the launch of 15 affinity groups that have given employees with a common background the opportunity to work together to accelerate progress and facilitate inclusion.

"We know that the human connection is crucial to recruiting and retaining talented employees," said Jeffrey Webster, Nissan's director of Diversity and Inclusion. "As we continue to grow the number of affinity groups at Nissan, we're giving employees more opportunities to grow as professionals and to make cross-functional relationships that foster more creativity and more deeply engage them in their day-to-day roles."

The rapid growth of these affinity groups makes them the most successful elements of Nissan's diversity strategy. Groups such as the recently launched Gay-Straight Alliance at Nissan promote a more inclusive work environment for employees and helped the brand land a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index in December 2013.

"Based on the growth and success of these groups, we've also started Multicultural and Women's Business Synergy Teams in other offices throughout the country," said Webster. "Not only have membership numbers dramatically increased, but employee participation within these groups has nearly doubled in the last year, outpacing the national average for the automotive industry by nearly four times."

Nissan's diversity strategy extends beyond the walls of its buildings and into the community through partnerships with other businesses and organizations. For example, Nissan works with groups such as the 100 Black Men of America and FUTURO, to offer mentoring programs that give high school and college students exposure to the variety of career opportunities available, as well as guidance on how to draft a resume and showcase strengths in interviews. In addition, Nissan regularly hosts students for job shadowing opportunities, where students get a first-hand look at the inner workings of a global company.

"Nissan has the most diverse consumer base in the automotive industry, and we want our employee engagement and community outreach efforts to reflect that," said Webster. "The progress we've made in recent years has improved employee satisfaction and helped us better integrate our community partners into outreach plans, which will help shape our diversity strategy moving forward."

Nissan was recognized by DiversityInc as a Top 25 Noteworthy Company during a special event in New York on April 22.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the Americas media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

About DiversityInc
DiversityInc's mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list began in 2001, at the same time many corporations were beginning to understand the business value of diversity-management initiatives. The 2014 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results are featured on DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine. For more information, log on to www.diversityinc.com, https://www.facebook.com/DiversityInc, https://twitter.com/DiversityInc, or http://www.linkedin.com/company/26561.

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SOURCE Nissan North America