Our employee experience examples are proof that a positive employee experience improves productivity and performance. Read on for inspiration.
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Access NowEmployee experience (EX) directly influences engagement, productivity, and retention. Employees who feel valued and supported are more motivated to perform at their best. A positive experience also strengthens company culture and enhances your reputation as an employer.
Researching companies with outstanding employee experience helps identify effective strategies, practices, and cultural values that drive engagement and retention. These insights can guide your own improvements and offer a benchmark for what success looks like in today’s workplace. But where should you start?
A good idea is to read through Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, published annually since 1998. To get you started, we decided to take a closer look at what makes the top 10 companies on Fortune’s 100 Best list truly exceptional.
Fortune, the American global business magazine founded in New York in 1929, is a leading brand that regularly publishes ranked lists. These include the Fortune Global 500, which has ranked companies by revenue since 1955, and the 10 Best Companies, compiled and produced by the research and consulting firm, Great Place To Work. Regarded as the global authority on workplace culture, this Fortune partner has developed a rigorous, data-based Trust Model that they use to quantify EX.
The Great Place To Work Trust Model, which puts employees at the heart of business, is the global standard.
They have also established their For All Methodology, which builds on the Trust Model by “ensuring that every single employee, no matter who they are or what they do for their company, is having a consistently positive experience at work.”
“Great workplaces For All are able to maximize their human potential through effective leaders, meaningful values, and a deep foundation of trust with all employees. When those are in place, these workplaces benefit from improved innovation and financial growth.”
Having established how important a positive employee experience within organizations is, let’s explore what EX is.
Employee experience comprises everything employees encounter throughout their journey within a specific organization. From the moment prospective employees consider a job opening, to well after they leave the company, every interaction — whether material or relational — shapes their perception and experience of the organization. Just as customer experience is crucial for external stakeholders, workforce experience is the HR equivalent. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of understanding and catering for employees’ needs, expectations, and feelings.
The founder and Dean of Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR), Erik van Vulpen is a thought leader on the topic. In Employee Experience: A Complete Guide for HR, he identifies the key components of EX as:
He says these are touchpoints that impact the overall employee experience most. They also affect productivity, performance, employee retention, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Just like good managers remove roadblocks to empower employees, a positive employee experience does the same. Simplifying systems and processes makes work easier and smoother.
Companies that excel at employee experience, from recruitment to performance reviews, achieve this by streamlining complexity and fostering collaboration. This creates a work environment where employees can thrive.
Embrace journey mapping and transform employee satisfaction and engagement into a data-driven strategy.
There are several best practices you can focus on that will help you to create a satisfying and productive work environment and positive employee experience. Here are some simple guidelines drawn from employee experience examples in different industry niches.
Cultivate a workplace where employees feel safe, valued, and respected. Be sure to encourage open communication and address any concerns promptly. This fosters a high-trust environment and supportive work culture where employees feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and asking for help.
Clear communication, open dialogue, and keeping employees informed foster trust and nurture a strong feeling of psychological safety. Employees who trust leadership are more likely to be engaged, productive, and willing to go the extra mile.
Recognize and appreciate employees’ contributions however small they may be. A good way to do this is to celebrate achievements and milestones. This boosts morale and shows employees that their hard work is valued. Public recognition can be particularly motivating, and even a simple “thank you” can go a long way.
An important way to encourage employee development and promote a positive employee experience is to provide opportunities for skill development and growth. Be sure to offer regular feedback and coaching to help employees thrive. Regular feedback helps employees understand their strengths and weaknesses. Coaching provides them with the tools and guidance they need to improve.
Connecting employees to the company’s purpose, and ensuring their work makes a positive impact, stimulates a sense of value and contribution. Align tasks with employees’ skills and interests and show them how their work contributes to the organization’s goals. When employees understand the bigger picture and see the impact of their work, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated.
Offering opportunities for learning, skill development, and career advancement keeps employees engaged and motivated. To do this successfully, organizations need to create pathways for career advancement and invest in training and development programs. Providing clear paths for growth demonstrates the company’s commitment to its employees’ long-term success.
Understand individual needs, tailor learning experiences, and focus heavily on employee development. Aim to customize development plans based on employees’ aspirations. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. By personalizing development opportunities, companies can ensure they are truly meeting the needs of their workforce.
It is vitally important to cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. Everyone in the organization, management and employees alike, need to value diverse perspectives and backgrounds. A diverse and inclusive workforce fosters creativity, innovation, and logical problem-solving.
It is essential to promote well-being and to support a healthy work-life balance for employees. Prioritizing these elements of work-life reduces burnout and creates a more sustainable work environment. This not only benefits employees’ personal lives, but also leads to a more engaged and productive workforce.
Once you’ve got your best practice in place, it makes sense to track and measure performance. Choose specific, measurable metrics directly tied to your goals. This could be sales figures, customer satisfaction ratings, project completion rates, or employee engagement scores.
Tools like a sales scorecard can help track and measure both individual and team performance. By setting clear targets and providing regular updates on progress, employees can see how their efforts contribute to overall goals. Recognizing and rewarding achievements through these metrics not only motivates employees but also helps them stay focused on their objectives, fostering a culture of accountability and excellence.
Customer satisfaction surveys are another good way to measure performance. Track customer feedback through surveys to identify individuals or teams consistently exceeding expectations. Identify areas exceeding expectations and areas needing improvement.
Peer nominations can also work well. Implement a system where employees can nominate colleagues who demonstrate exceptional teamwork, innovation, or go the extra mile. This fosters a collaborative and supportive environment while highlighting valuable contributions.
Also, consider regular performance reviews. You can do this by checking in regularly with teams or individual employees to discuss progress, address challenges, and set new objectives. This fosters open communication and allows for adjustments as needed.
Embrace journey mapping and transform employee satisfaction and engagement into a data-driven strategy.
The Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2025 all provide an exceptional employee experience. As promised, we are showcasing the top 10:
However, it’s not what these companies do in terms of products or services that’s important. It’s how they do it, specifically how well they treat their employees.
“By investing in employees and building trust, the 100 Best Companies are more attractive destinations for new hires, with more employees contributing new ideas and giving extra effort to win in an increasingly challenging marketplace. The result? A better way to run your business. Profits don’t create great workplaces — it’s the other way around.”
Great Place To Work
Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, asks, “Can trust be measured in dollars and cents?” To find out, he analyzed the 2025 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For using a common business metric, revenue per employee (RPE), which reflects the productivity and efficiency of a company’s workforce. This shows that, on average, the 100 best companies earn 8.5 times more revenue per employee than the U.S public market RPE. “This astounding outperformance includes both public and private companies, with public companies reporting RPE that’s more than 9.4 times higher than market RPE, while private companies see more than 7.7 times higher. This financial advantage trends across industries, reinforcing the financial benefits of high-trust workplaces.”
He emphasizes, though, that RPE success needs to be measured together with EX,
“Well-being isn’t sacrificed for productivity. Quite the opposite. They outperform their peers in every employee experience metric from retention and well-being to innovation and productivity, with 90% of people describing their workplace as caring.”
Michael C. Bush
96% of employees say Hilton is a great place to work
Everybody’s heard of Hilton hotels, even if they haven’t stayed in one. So, it stands to reason that Hilton is in the hospitality industry. What you may not know is that they have ranked as a best 100 company consecutively for the past 10 years. It is also the fourth time the company has been ranked in the top spot. Hilton has also been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years.
The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and a focus on well-being have contributed to their consistent recognition as a Fortune 100 Best Company to Work For. Employees maintain that the most unique element about Hilton hotels is the team that incorporates so many people from different walks of life.
Every day they build connections across cultures, learn from one another, and grow stronger as a team — even when they don’t speak the same language. It’s a spirit of collaboration, learning, and mutual respect that makes the company a winner in terms of EX.
94% of employees say Synchrony is a great place to work
Another of the great employee experience examples highlighted by the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2025 is Synchrony, which has been ranked among the top 100 companies for seven consecutive years.
Operating in the financial services and insurance sector, Synchrony aims to be essential to people’s lives. The company does this by making it easier for tens of millions of consumers to access both their everyday needs and long-term goals through flexible, personalized financing solutions. Ultimately, the company supports individuals in making informed, confident credit choices that lead to healthier financial lives.
For employees, there is a valued One Synchrony mindset, together with a company culture and benefits that sets the company apart from other companies.
96% of employees say Cisco is a great place to work
Top of the best 100 companies to work for list for three years in a row, from 2021-2023, Cisco dropped to third on the list in 2025. Nevertheless, it is clear that Cisco, a leading Information Technology (IT) company based in California, really cares about the people who work for them.
For over four decades, Cisco has been a trusted leader in secure global connectivity. Through its industry-leading AI-powered solutions and services, the company empowers customers, partners, and communities to drive innovation, boost productivity, and build digital resilience. Guided by a strong sense of purpose, Cisco continues to work toward a more connected and inclusive future for everyone.
More importantly, according to employees, Cisco supports its people, by prioritizing their families, as well as their physical and mental well-being. They acknowledge that leadership consistently fosters a culture where individuals are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work. In doing so, management recognizes that this leads to greater happiness, stronger connections, and increased productivity.
94% of employees say American Express is a great place to work
A global leader in payments, offering credit and charge cards to consumers, small businesses, mid-sized enterprises, and large corporations around the world, American Express (Amex) prioritizes well-being, inclusivity, and personal and professional growth for its employees. Cards are issued both directly and through third-party banks, and are accepted by millions of merchants globally.
However, employees recognize that Amex cares a lot about the wellbeing and psychological safety of employees. It is clear that this is because leadership fosters a supportive environment where employees feel valued and empowered. The company’s parental leave policies are among the most generous in the U.S., reflecting a strong commitment to employee well-being. With a focus on skill development and career growth, the organization actively supports professional advancement.
Also, the colleague networks provide diverse opportunities for employees to connect over shared interests, learn from one another, and build community.
97% of employees say NVIDIA is a great place to work
NVIDIA, a California-based IT company, pioneered accelerated computing to tackle challenges no one else can solve. It also fosters a supportive culture for its employees that encourages innovation and professional growth. Their commitment to employee well-being and a supportive work environment contribute to their positive workplace reputation. This shows in the percentage of employees who say NVIDIA is a great company to work for — 97%, which is an even higher percentage than those who work for Hilton, which takes the Number One spot for 2025.
According to employees, the level of collaboration and cross-department accessibility is exceptional, creating an environment that feels like a well-funded startup. There is a strong sense of transparency throughout the organization, with clear, consistent communication from leadership. Company-wide meetings, particularly those led by the CEO, provide focused direction and reinforce a unified vision.
91% of employees say Wegmans Food Markets is a great place to work
Wegmans is, of course, in retail. The company describes itself as “a values-based family company on a mission to help people live healthier, better lives through exceptional food.”
They state that customers value the warm, knowledgeable service across Wegmans’ 111 East Coast stores. Each vibrant, high-volume location offers a European market atmosphere that is filled with the scent of fresh-baked bread, colorful local produce, and signature cave-ripened cheeses. From in-store Restaurant Foods to online delivery, Wegmans is a go-to destination for fresh, delicious meals.
Wegmans also focuses on sustainability, zero waste, and community impact. They partner with local businesses and prioritize employee well-being. Furthermore, Wegmans aims to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance the employee experience through innovative solutions.
But this doesn’t explain how they consistently rank as a best workplace. To quote an employee: “I love the Wegmans family, not just the folks named Wegman but the other 53,000 "family" members.”
Genuine care and respect shape daily interactions among employees and with customers. “Every Day You Get Our Best” is more than a slogan. It reflects the company culture. Employees recognize that with abundant support and opportunity, those who put in the effort can build a fulfilling career.
75% of employees say Accenture is a great place to work
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud, and security. The company offers professional services and reimagines the employee experience — EX factor — by treating employees like customers. They co-create experiences that adapt to ever-evolving expectations.
Their operating model transformation leverages global business services (GBS) to deliver EX at scale and adapt to shifting needs. They also offer unmatched opportunities for training, development, and involvement in both work-related and extracurricular activities. It's an ideal place to start a career, with experiences and lessons that provide long-term value and growth.
Additionally, Accenture’s focus on leadership development and purpose-led EX drives engagement and competitiveness.
86% of employees say Marriott International is a great place to work
Marriott International is a well-known name in the hospitality industry that offers employee-friendly policies and growth opportunities. Their dedication to social responsibility, employee well-being, and work-life balance significantly enhances their positive workplace culture.
As one employee says, “Marriott makes it known that they want to internally hire for open positions and they truly give you the tools that you need to take those next steps.”
Another, who found it difficult to fathom how people worked for the company for 20-30 says, “It started to make more sense when I learned about the core company value of Putting People First, all people: our guests, our communities and our associates.”
97% of employees say Pinnacle is a great place to work
Pinnacle is a financial services firm that promises to deliver distinctive service and effective advice to clients. While they may be in ninth place on the list, the percentage of employees who love working there is tops.
This is because the company is committed to creating an engaging workplace where associates are excited to come to work every day.
As an employee says, “Everyone pulls together in the same direction to ensure that clients, associates, and the community are helped in the best way possible. A true family atmosphere where associates really care about each other and work hard for each other so we can reach our goals.”
87% of employees say World Wide Technology is a great place to work
A technology solutions provider leading the AI and digital revolution, World Wide Technology (WWT) has more than 10,000 employees and locations worldwide. Its focus is to combine strategy, execution, and partnership to accelerate digital transformation for large organizations.
What employees recognize is a management team that is uniquely engaged in the day-to-day functionality, not to micromanage, but to understand where improvements can be made. They genuinely value feedback and can see how employee input has directly led to visible process enhancements driven by leadership.
Cerkl Broadcast enhances the employee experience by delivering personalized, relevant communication that meets individuals where they are, whether in the office, at home, or on the go. By streamlining content delivery, reducing information overload, and offering valuable engagement insights, Broadcast empowers internal communicators to create more meaningful connections, increase transparency, and foster a stronger sense of belonging across the organization.
The user experience (UX) of companies that have taken advantage of Cerkl Broadcast’s omnichannel platform have seen measurable improvements in employee experience, engagement, and operational efficiency.
For example, tech company Paycor enhanced its communication efforts in 2023 by using Cerkl Broadcast for email and newsletter comms. Email Blasts and News Digest improved their internal comms strategy with personalization and their ability to track data and extract meaningful analytics. The platform also saves them time and makes employee jobs a lot easier.
For St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the partnership with Carkl was initially focused on personalized AI News Digests and the ability to measure employee engagement. Since then, they have embraced an increasing number of Broadcast features to improve their internal comms strategy.
Stanislaus State university also found that improving email options and introducing personalization was key to improving their internal comms. Unsurprisingly, the analytics solution has also been immensely valuable. For them, it has been a game changer that has streamlined internal messaging and improved engagement rates.
You will have seen from the employee experience examples we have cited that many successful organizations have needs when it comes to achieving stellar employee experience. The Cerkl team recognized what a daunting task it can be to maximize the EX journey. So, we have developed an EX journey mapping template to help you simplify the process. And it’s absolutely free for you to download and use.
Embrace journey mapping and transform employee satisfaction and engagement into a data-driven strategy.
How do you describe employee experience? Employee experience refers to the sum of all the interactions and feelings an employee has with a company, from the time they apply for a job to the day they leave. It encompasses everything from the recruitment process, onboarding, company culture, and work environment, to growth opportunities and compensation.
How do you create a good employee experience? You can create a good employee experience by focusing on employee needs and well-being. This includes providing opportunities for growth, recognition, and a healthy work-life balance.
What does a great employee experience look like? A great, positive employee experience means employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated. It makes them feel like they are making a difference.
Is employee experience related to customer experience? Yes, employee experience is related to customer experience. While different from customer experience, happy and engaged employees are more likely to provide excellent customer service.
Embrace journey mapping and transform employee satisfaction and engagement into a data-driven strategy.
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