Why Hilton Leads as the World's Best Workplace

Hilton has been named the No. 1 World’s Best Workplace by Fortune and Great Place to Work, marking a decade among the global leaders in corporate culture.

The hospitality brand attributes its success to an enduring belief that caring for employees drives exceptional guest experiences.

According to company data, 93% of Hilton team members say the company is a great place to work, highlighting support for individual growth and wellbeing.

Nine in ten employees believe they can continue to learn and grow, 87% say they can achieve their career goals at Hilton and 85% of US-based team members feel balanced and healthy in their roles.

Culture built on people and purpose

For Hilton’s President and CEO Chris Nassetta, the company’s latest accolade represents far more than another top ranking. “This milestone goes beyond rankings, it’s a reflection of who we are and what we’ve always believed: when we take great care of our people, they take great care of our guests,” he says.

“Our 500,000 team members around the world are united by a common purpose that our founder, Conrad Hilton, envisioned over a century ago: to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”

That philosophy is reflected internally in Hilton’s approach to succession planning. Nearly two-thirds of recent hotel and corporate leadership appointments were filled by internal candidates.

In the US, first-time managers are promoted to leadership roles within around four years, a pipeline that underlines Hilton’s focus on career mobility and development.

Linking employee experience and customer satisfaction

A new Hilton-commissioned study, conducted by Morning Consult, connects great employee experience directly with customer loyalty.

The research found that 78% of companies that prioritise employee wellbeing deliver better products and services, while 88% of respondents said this is particularly important in hospitality and travel.

Furthermore, 75% said they are more likely to recommend a company known for treating its people well.

Chris reinforces that link, noting that the “passion and dedication of our team members” is what “has made Hilton the best place to work and the best place to stay in the world.”

Creating opportunities for growth

Guided by Chief Human Resources Officer Laura Fuentes, Hilton has created over 2.5 million learning and career development opportunities since 2022. Central to this are initiatives such as:

• LAUNCH: a 24‑month rotational programme designed for early-career professionals to experience on-property roles.

• Guild: a tuition- and barrier-free education platform offering US team members courses from certificates and bootcamps to degree programmes.

• People Leader Essentials & General Manager Academy: self-paced programmes targeting leadership development at all levels.

Laura says Hilton’s investment in employees is inseparable from its business performance: “We have always believed that an investment in our people is an investment in our business.

“As the No.1 Best Workplace once again, we know that a culture built on growth and opportunity doesn’t just create great careers but also creates great guest experiences.”

She adds: “By building a culture where team members feel seen, welcomed and a part of something greater than themselves, we’re empowering our team members to deliver exceptional service and drive our business forward.”

Reigniting the Hilton culture

Reflecting on Hilton’s transformation, Chris told Fortune's Diane Brady that becoming a great place to work “took a long time.”

He adds: “We had this really unique culture, and we had sort of lost touch with it.”

Since taking the helm, Chris has expanded Hilton’s global footprint to more than 9,000 properties while reducing staff turnover to nearly half the industry average, according to Fortune.

The CEO credits storytelling and listening as key to rebuilding the company’s cultural foundation, saying: “We were telling stories of all the things they were doing to help people understand why they matter and how that work aggregates into something that’s really powerful."

With half a million employees, he adds: "you’ve got to create the right infrastructure and listening posts” to make sure leadership decisions are grounded in real feedback.

Hilton’s sustained success suggests that care, growth and purpose remain timeless principles not only for attracting great talent, but for creating unforgettable stays.