A 20+ year goal to become the world’s best workplace has fueled impressive financial performance for the global hotel brand.
Working in hospitality is demanding. There aren’t locks on the lobby doors because the hotel never closes. So, you might be surprised that a hospitality company is the No. 1 workplace in the world.
Hilton, which was named No. on the Fortune World’s Best Workplaces™ list in 2025, has more than 170,000 team members in its owned and managed portfolio and operations across 9,000 properties in 141 countries and territories around the world.
Is the housekeeping staff at a hotel really having a better experience than employees at a typical financial services or technology company?
A resounding yes.
At Hilton, nine in 10 team members (91%) say they have a great workplace compared to just seven in 10 at a typical global tech company and 64% at a typical workplace, regardless of industry. More employees at Hilton give extra effort and plan to stay with the company long-term than typical global employees in finance or technology, according to a Great Place To Work survey of 43,000 employes in 69 countries.
Being No. 1 in the world is a business priority for Hilton.
“We set out on this journey because we recognize that our culture is the engine that powers our business,” says Christine Maginnis, SVP and global head of talent at Hilton. “People are at the heart of hospitality, and we know that when you take care of your team members, they will in turn take care of our guests driving exceptional service and strong business results.”
Hilton’s own research says nearly 80% of U.S. consumers believe that companies who take better care of their employees provide better products and services, and nearly 90% believe that’s the case for hospitality brands. As Hilton’s ranking has increased on lists like the Fortune World’s Best Workplaces, the business has grown in tandem — with Hilton’s stock performance, where now trading upwards of $250 per share, more than ten times higher than its share price in 2013.
What comes first — financial performance, or culture?
It’s tempting to think that Hilton’s remarkable business performance is the engine behind its generous workplace culture.
But it’s never the perks or programs that make a company truly great. It’s an ethos and commitment from the organization that turns good programs into exceptional employee experiences.
Look no further than Go Hilton, Hilton’s best-known travel perk that offers team members 110 nights per year at deep discounts at Hilton’s nearly 9,000 locations all over the globe. Lots of companies have an employee discount program, so what makes Go Hilton special?
It’s more than a discount.
“It's a gateway to life-changing experiences,” Maginnis explains. “Go Hilton is not only creating amazing adventures and trips and vacations for our team members, we're seeing it really come to life when our team members are in need.”
For example, when a team member from Kazakhstan was traveling abroad to secure medication for a sick family member, her flight was canceled, leaving her stranded. She used Go Hilton to book a hotel, and when the Hilton team heard her story at check-in, they quickly came together to help.
Hilton also donates a portion of each stay through the program to the Global Hilton Foundation and its Team Member Assistance Fund. When Hilton team members travel, they know they are also giving back to their communities and colleagues.
And the results for the business speak for themselves.
“In 2024 alone, this saved millions for our team members on room rate expenses, generated billions in terms of revenue for our owners and contributed millions to these foundations,” Maginnis says. ‘This is a win-win-win across the board for our team members, for our owners, and for our communities.”
This is just one of the ways Hilton puts the Great Place To Work Effect into action, where investing in team members has a direct impact on business growth.
Developing every team member
As a hospitality business, Hilton’s ability to scale is closely tied to its ability to develop its people, “I think people might be surprised just by how broad and barrier-free our investment in talent development truly is.”
There are myriad roles at Hilton, from its corporate office to the frontline serving guests, so training has to be personalized, flexible and inclusive.
“Not every job that we have has the ability to sit and do synchronous digital learning in person,” Maginnis says. “Our commitment to you is your growth and helping you achieve what you want to achieve. And growth and leadership development moments are not just for some, but they're for everybody.”
Resources range from bite-sized content to larger programs like high school completions and college degree support. One area of focus? Empowering team members with AI.
“We use gen AI immersive trainings to help our team members practice guest interactions and problem solving with immediate feedback that can help build empathy and skill,” Maginnis gives as an example. “Our guest messaging chat simulation uses AI coaching to really help refine that service delivery.”
Measuring success
To become No. 1, you must have a strong commitment to measurement.
“We've known from the beginning that you can't improve what you don't measure,” Maginnis says. “Our strategy has always been based on team member feedback and informed by data. We're actively listening to our team members and gathering their feedback through a variety of channels, including the Great Place To Work Survey.”
One metric that Hilton watches closely is the retention rate on team members with 10-plus years of service. However, Maginnis says it’s important to track an array of metrics, from sentiment on surveys to behavioral data, from using programs to promotion rates and retention.
“You kind of get tripped up when you really just focus on one or two things,” Maginnis says. “You might have blinders on to what the downstream impacts of that metric have.”
Betting on hospitality careers
As the world’s best workplace, Hilton plans on working hard and innovating to keep its No. 1 spot.
“We're tremendously proud of this recognition, but we are not done yet. We are a group of overachievers and always wanting to push the envelope,” Maginnis says.
Hilton is doubling down to make a big bet on hospitality careers and the people that drive success in its global business.
“As we look to the future, I think that hospitality careers will stand the test of time,” Maginnis says.
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