Dive Brief:

• Hilton was named the world’s best workplace by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work, beating runners up DHL Express, Cisco and AbbVie. 
• The recognition marks the first time a hospitality company has achieved the top spot in the annual ranking program. Based on 14.8 million employee opinions worldwide, organizations were assessed on their efforts to create great workplaces and positively impact people and communities across multiple countries. 
• Hilton made efforts this year to enhance its workplaces and attract talent, as the hotel industry recouped from pandemic era labor losses. But challenges persist, particularly in Southern California, where workers at several Hilton properties are on strike. 

Dive Insight:

Hilton was selected for the top spot on the World’s Best Workplace ranking after eight consecutive years of appearances further down on the list. In 2022, it took second place, just behind this year’s runner-up DHL Express. 

The World’s Best Workplace survey found that 90% of Hilton employees said the company is a great place to work, while 88% said their work has special meaning to them. And 84% of Hilton employees said their management involves workers in decision making that impacts their job or work environment. 

The ranking comes after a year of “unwavering focus on creating a workplace that is inclusive, offers strong growth opportunities, [and] is driven by purpose,” Hilton said in a release. 

In May, the hotel company launched a campaign aimed at attracting talent and uplifting the work of current team members. The “Every Job Makes the Stay” campaign video featured Hilton employees discussing the impact their work has on daily hotel operations and guest satisfaction. 

A lower percentage of Hilton employees surveyed, however, were satisfied with their wages — 75% of workers think they receive a fair share of the profits made by Hilton. 

Union workers at several California Hilton hotels, including DoubleTree San Pedro, Hilton Pasadena and Hilton Glendale, are striking over wages they say don’t keep up with the rising cost of living. These workers, along with thousands others from Marriott and Hyatt hotels, are part of the region’s largest multihotel strike in history, which has been ongoing since July. 

While workers’ demands have been met by some of the properties involved, disputes continue in the region. 

In conjunction with the World’s Best Workplace ranking, Hilton launched a scholarship and financial assistance program that will provide $500,000 to team and community members who are passionate about building and growing careers in hospitality. 

The program is a way for Hilton to “thank [its] team members and demonstrate [its] commitment to expanding talent in the hospitality industry,” the company said.