REVEALED: 2021’s Top 100 Companies to Work for in the US

Cisco has been crowned as the best company to work for in the US; followed by Salesforce in second place and Hilton coming in third. 

Over half a million employees in the US weighed in to determine this year’s Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, in partnership with Great Place to Work. Wegmans Food Markets secured fourth position in the list, followed by Rocket Companies, UKG, Texas Health Resources, Camden Property Trust, Capital One and American Express.

So what attributes do this year’s Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For have in common? Having a high trust culture was a top attribute to secure a place in 2021’s prestigious listing. Generous community giving was another standout feature of the 100 best companies. Unique benefits and compensation that went far beyond the standard were also key this year; particularly those that that were implemented to help staff cope during the pandemic. Prioritising social justice matters and taking a meaningful and consistent stand against racial injustice also saw employee experience soar; especially among Black employees. In fact, around 71% of winning workplaces scored better on employee experience than in pre-pandemic times, confirmed Great Place to Work.

EVALUATING TOP COMPANIES 

Great Place to Work, the global authority on company culture, determines the list each year through rigorous analysis of data from its Trust Index employee experience survey. It surveyed employees on issues including how trustworthy, caring and fair their employer is in times of crises; employees’ physical, emotional and financial health; and the company’s community impact. Particular attention was paid to how employees’ experiences varied depending on their job role, gender, race/ethnicity, payroll status; and other characteristics to ensure that the company is creating a great workplace for all. 

This year, 60% of each company’s score was based on confidential employee feedback. The remaining 40% was based on the programmes each company said they created to support their people and communities in response to the pandemic. This methodology represents a change in response to the unique circumstances of 2020.

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE & HIGH TRUST CULTURE 

2021’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list in the US revealed that trust matters to employees. Around 71% of companies on this year’s list saw an increase in their Trust Index scores from last year; increasing on average by 3%. “These companies stood out for heroic efforts to care for their employees, their customers and our society in a difficult year,” stated Michael C Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. “Remarkably, our research found that employee experience scores rose at these workplaces overall; a testament to the resilience of their inclusive, high-trust cultures.”

Based on confidential employee surveys gathered during the pandemic, workplaces that put employee health first – both physical and psychological – enjoyed record jumps in employee experience scores. Companies whose employee trust scores rose during the pandemic are characterised by widespread faith in colleagues and their leaders. Additionally, 72% of employees at winning companies have confidence in executive teams. 

UNIQUE BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

Companies that secured a place on this year’s list went beyond compensation with unique benefits. Some key distinguishing features of this year’s best companies were generous community giving efforts; and leaders showing exceptional care and a clear vision for the future. This year, employee benefits and compensation, such as providing backup childcare and hazard pay for frontline workers, also went “above and beyond” other companies.

Employee experience reached record highs even in industries hit hardest by Covid-19. Many companies on the list this year are in industries squeezed severely by the pandemic. For example, Texas Health Resources, a non-profit health system headquartered in Arlington, Texas, is number 7 on the list; and global hotel chain, Hilton, secured position number 3. Companies such as Texas Health stood out for how they connected their employees to a sense of purpose. Texas Health, a hospital at the frontlines of the health care catastrophe, had 87% of employees saying it’s a great place to work during the pandemic. 

Texas Health CEO Barclay Berdan was moved when he saw how the people he leads went above and beyond during a once-in-a-lifetime crisis. “It’s not really just a job. For many, if not most, it’s a calling,” commented Barclay. “I get choked up almost every day.”

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

Corporate social responsibility separated the 100 best companies from other organisations. A key feature of this year’s list is the generous donations of time, company resources and funds to social justice and pandemic relief efforts. For example, Camden Property Trust, which owns and manages 165 apartment communities across the US, set up a rent deferral programme for its tenants to apply for grants of up to $2,000.

“We just figured we needed to do something and do something in a big way,” explained CEO and President, Ric Campo. The number 8 best company, Camden put $10.4 million into the fund; including $1 million directly from Campo’s and Executive Vice Chairman of the Board D Keith Oden’s pockets.

LEADERSHIP INTEGRITY & COMMUNICATION

Employees place higher value on two-way communication and leadership integrity. In survey questions that probed employees’ perceptions of management, the top 100 companies saw a 5 to 6-point increase on measures of two-way communication, integrity and competence – key leadership qualities crucial for leading through a crisis. 

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Nationwide – number 25 on the list – committed $1 million to social justice organisations. They also contributed $1 million to the National Fair Housing Alliance. Nationwide also enjoyed an astonishing climb in employee scores. In addition to its financial contributions to address the needs of 2020, Nationwide stepped up by holding a “unity day” for employee conversations about racial injustice and instituting a programme to bring in civil rights speakers. Amid these efforts, survey scores for Black employees rose 9%, such that 92% of Black employees now say it’s a great place to work. For comparison, at the average US workplace, just 49% of employees across all demographic groups say theirs is a great place to work. Nationwide’s Black employee scores on the question of whether “my work has special meaning” rose a remarkable 16 points, to 90%.

TOP 10 STANDOUTS

The TOP 10 Best Companies to Work for:

At number 1, Cisco tops this year’s list for “dealing with the pandemic better than most”. When the world started shutting down, Cisco delayed already announced layoffs and extended pay and benefits for affected workers, according to Fortune. In fact, Cisco also continued to pay hourly employees even when office shutdowns kept them from coming to work. The tech firm placed a strong focus on employee wellbeing, by ramping up communications, expanding benefits, and providing access to mental health services, as well as multiple “Days for Me” for employees to step back and recharge. The extraordinary attention that the executive team pays to the health and welfare, not just to its staff, but its surrounding community helped to earned the top spot on this year’s list.

BENEFITS FOR STAFF JUGGLING CARE DUTIES

Salesforce is “honoured” to be ranked in the list for the thirteenth year in a row. Last year, it topped the charts. This year, it secured position number 2 on the list. The software giant’s efforts to aid people both inside and outside the company amid the pandemic, helped it secure its position in the top 10 this year. Salesforce donated more than 60 million pieces of safety gear to health care workers and their communities. It also donated about $30 million to small businesses, marginalised communities and schools.

For its employees, Salesforce enabled parents to take up to six extra weeks off work, and offered reimbursements of $500 a month for childcare and educational resources. Most recently, the company announced that it would permanently allow employees the option to work remotely. Salesforce also took the racial reckoning of 2020 seriously, by establishing a Racial Justice Task Force, which includes members from across the organisation.

DIGNITY & PASSION

Hospitality chain Hilton secured position number 3 on the list, despite being among the hardest hit in the earliest days of the pandemic, as travel ground to a halt. The company furloughed about 45,000 members of its workforce and laid off 20% of its corporate staff. But despite those tough decisions, the company treated its workers with “dignity and compassion”. It connected former Hilton staff to short-term jobs new to the pandemic economy; and extended hotel rewards benefits like the Hilton Honors programme and eligibility for the chain’s team member travel programme beyond the date when a departing worker would usually lose them, according to Fortune.

American Express ranked 10 on the 2021 list, marking the company’s second consecutive year among the Top 10. This placement reflects American Express’ strong focus on backing colleagues and providing opportunities to learn, grow and have a meaningful and unique career journey. The ranking, based in large part on feedback from employees, underscores “our unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment where colleagues feel seen, heard and like they truly belong”, said the company.

TOP 100 COMPANIES

Financial services firm Edward Jones secured a place in the top 100 for the 22nd time. This year it secured position number 20 on the prestigious 2021 list. “Our firm was founded on the core values of working in partnership and respecting and valuing the contributions of each individual – and those core values never change, although our ways of working did in the pandemic,” stated Kristin Johnson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Edward Jones.

“The unique circumstances of this past year have, in many ways, helped unite our firm in our purpose to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues and, together, better our communities and society. We are working together to create a deep sense of belonging where our associates can make a meaningful difference.”

PUTTING EMPLOYEES FIRST

Synchrony, another financial services company that focuses on “caring for others” as its first core value when it was founded seven years ago, secured a place at number 37 on the list this year; up from 44 in 2020. It has earned a place in this coveted list for four consecutive years. In a time marked by pandemic and social unrest, Synchrony proved how the simple, yet powerful act of caring can make a company a great place to work, said the company. Its swift action in the face of an unprecedented pandemic, and its staunch support of social justice issues demonstrated that the company is profoundly mindful of employees’ welfare as well as their deepest societal concerns.

“From the beginning, we have said we wanted Synchrony to be both a great business and a great company that always puts people first,” pointed out Brian Doubles, President and CEO of Synchrony. “This recognition by Fortune and Great Place to Work honours the culture that we have worked so hard to build.”

Synchrony’s culture was especially apparent during the events of 2020. From the start of the pandemic, its leadership team prioritised the health, safety and wellness of employees; quickly making the decision to move the entire workforce home, including thousands of contact centre associates, in less than two weeks. It also plans to continue the work-from-home option post-Covid-19. 

ENHANCED WELLNESS & MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Responding to the pandemic, Synchrony enhanced its employee benefits in real-time, including extending emergency care benefit to 60 days; including childcare and eldercare assistance. It launched a virtual summer camp and after-school tutoring. In addition, Synchrony gave hundreds of Chromebooks to employees to ensure their children had school essentials. It also enhanced employee wellness and mental health support by providing wellness coaches and mental health counsellors and a range of other benefits. Beyond the pandemic, Synchrony quickly responded to the social justice movement in 2020, increasing its industry leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Global staffing firm Robert Half also secured a place on the list this year (number 78).  “Our talented people have always been the key to our success and truly what makes our company a great place to work,” said  Keith Waddell, Chief Executive Officer of Robert Half. “This recognition is proof that our enduring core values and strong foundation guide the success of our colleagues, clients and candidates.”

POLICIES TO KEEP STAFF SAFE & SUPPORTED

“We are beyond proud of this achievement,” added Lynne Smith, Senior Vice President of global human resources at Robert Half. “As a professional services firm, we put our people and their experience as Robert Half employees first. This recognition, which selects winners based on employee responses to questions about diversity, trust and values, is driven by our comprehensive employee programs and the long-standing principles that guide our company.”

Zillow Group, which is transforming the way people buy, sell, rent and finance homes, was also named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work (number 47). In fact, 95% of Zillow employees said Zillow is a great place to work – 36 percentage points higher than the average US company. When the pandemic reached the United States, Zillow made fast decisions to ensure employees could manage their lives and work amid great uncertainty. The company has set policies that keep employees safe, supported and productive.

UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEES

Zillow was one of the first companies to announce an extended work-from-home option for its thousands of employees, and ever since, the company has been setting the standard for what post-pandemic work looks like. Its new distributed workforce model builds upon the elements of its culture that attract employees and ultimately keep them there; creating a more inclusive, more personalised, more flexible and more efficient way of working.

“The best workplaces meet employees where they are and set them up for success. In this way, 2020 was a ‘true colours’ year. Office perks like candy walls and skyscraper views suddenly became less important, and a company’s culture and values became the focal point,” stated Zillow Group Chief People Officer Dan Spaulding. “Zillow has always been a great place to work because of the people who work here – bold thinkers and culture carriers who are reimagining real estate and helping customers unlock life’s next chapter. Receiving this accolade, especially at this time, reflects Zillow’s deep, unwavering commitment to its employees.” 

Click here to see the full list of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For.