Great Place to Work and Fortune have announced the World’s Best Workplaces for 2020. Tech firm Cisco leads the ranking, followed by transportation and logistics provider DHL and hotel giant Hilton ranks third.
The list comprises 25 companies that stand out for “creating globally exceptional employee experiences, high-trust relationships, and workplaces that are fair and equal for all”. They were selected from more than 10,000 organisations that participated in Great Place to Work’s employee survey process, representing the voices of around 10.2 million employees across 92 countries.
“These organisations not only have succeeded at creating a high-trust, inclusive, global culture, they have met the historic challenges of the past year with inspiring, deeply human responses,” stated Michael C Bush, Global CEO of Great Place to Work. “In the worst of times, the World’s Best have given us hope for a better future. Congratulations to the World’s Best Workplaces.”
WINNING ATTRIBUTES
The companies in this year’s list have led the way in a year unlike any other, particularly the top three in the ranking. Cisco, for example, has maintained the courage to connect. As millions of workers worldwide went remote, demand for Cisco’s collaboration technology tripled. Employees worked around the clock to meet that demand. “The teams that were building out our infrastructure for this platform, they worked seven by 24 for probably a month solid just to deal with the increased volumes,” according to Cisco’s CEO Chuck Robbins.
The tech firm also showed huge courage in dealing with issues of race at work. Cisco’s leaders confronted racial inequity head-on and had those difficult conversations. In January this year, Robbins arranged for his executive team to have a listening session with 18 Black leaders from across Cisco, from which he launched a 100-day ‘sprint’ to tackle areas of racial inequity within the company. He believes those efforts helped prepare Cisco for the society-wide focus on racism sparked by George Floyd’s murder in May of this year.
COMMUNITY COMMITMENT
DHL stood out for its commitment to the community. When the pandemic struck and economies grounded to a halt, DHL Express continued to deliver on its promises to employees, customers and global society. By safeguarding the physical and emotional wellbeing of its people and using the health crisis as a reason to double down on its mission to improve lives, the world’s most global organisation deepened its commitment to community.
The hotel industry was especially devastated by Covid-19. Yet even as Hilton laid off or furloughed workers, its leaders came up with novel ways to support employees and help them land jobs elsewhere. It also got creative about using empty hotel rooms to house medical professionals on the pandemic frontlines. Throughout the crisis, Hilton has innovated to live up to its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, according to Great Place to Work.
WORLD’S TOP 25 WORKPLACES
The World’s Best Workplaces of 2020, in order, include:
- Cisco
- DHL
- Hilton
- Salesforce
- Stryker
- Mars, Incorporated
- The Adecco Group
- Mercado Libre
- SAS
- EY
- Intuit, Inc
- SAP SE
- Adobe
- Admiral Group plc
- AbbVie
- Daimler Mobility AG
- Dell Technologies
- Cadence
- Marriott International, Inc
- Volvo Group
- Roche
- Deloitte
- Santander
- Natura
- Scotiabank
FIRST TIME ENTRANT: VOLVO
The Volvo Group debuted at number 20 on the World’s Best Workplace list this year for the first time. Its ranking is especially impressive given the historic challenges of the past year. While some companies boast an inspiring purpose, innovation, or a strong culture with growth opportunities and fair compensation, it’s the combination of these offers that has sets the Volvo Group apart for more than 90 years, according to the company.
“The workplace culture we’ve fostered is anchored in treating others with respect and inviting everyone to contribute to the innovations that have been the hallmark of Volvo Penta through the years,” commented Martin Bjuve, President and CEO of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “I am especially proud of our strong record of creating an environment that embraces diversity and inclusion throughout our company.”
Colleagues from Volvo Financial Services and Volvo Group in Brazil recently celebrated their Great Place to Work certification. Image credit: Volvo Group
Many of Volvo Group’s entities around the world received Great Place to Work certification in 2020, including Volvo Financial Services in Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, UK and the US. So did Volvo Penta in the US, Volvo Construction Equipment in Argentina, Volvo Group Brazil and Volvo Group Italy.
GREAT PLACE TO WORK
“We are truly honoured and deeply humbled to be receiving this award,” remarked Marcio Pedroso, President of Volvo Financial Services. “Our winning culture thrives on open dialogue, equality and fairness. This creates opportunities for employees that are important to their personal growth and engagement at work.”
Adding to his comments, Martin Weissburg, President of Mack Trucks and Chairman of Volvo Group in North America, stated: “Every day and across all of our 12 great brands, our employees are engaged in developing sustainable future solutions that are essential for any society to prosper. Connections and meaningful work inspire people to work harder for their colleagues and their customers. It’s what motivates our team to go that extra mile.”
Click here for the full list and more information
Sign up for our newsletter
