Tysons-based Hilton named world’s best workplace in annual Fortune ranking

The best place to work in the world can be found right in Tysons, according to a new Fortune magazine ranking.

Hilton, the hotel company headquartered at Park Place II (7930 Jones Branch Drive), topped the 2023 World’s Best Workplaces list released yesterday by Fortune and Great Place to Work, a research and data platform that bills itself as the “global authority on workplace culture.”

Employing 4,300 people in the D.C. area and 460,000 people globally, Hilton has appeared on every iteration of the annual list since 2016, but this is the first time it’s snagged the no. 1 spot, the company said. It’s the first hospitality company to top the list.

“At Hilton, we are building a fully human experience at work, where our team members feel like they are seen, they are welcome, and they are part of something greater than themselves,” Hilton Chief Human Resources Officer Laura Fuentes said. “[This] recognition reinforces what employees are looking for — a workplace culture that helps them reach their full potential.”

The 25 companies on the World’s Best Workplaces list were identified based on surveys of 18 million workers from around the globe, according to Great Place to Work. Hilton is one of 13 U.S.-based companies to make the list.

To be eligible, businesses needed to have at least 5,000 workers, at least 40% or 5,000 of them based in a different country than their headquarters, and to appear on at least five of the Best Workplaces lists that Great Place to Work has released for individual countries.

Hilton appeared on 35 national lists, including the one for the U.S., where it came in at no. 2 both this year and in 2022.

Great Place to Work says the 2023 World’s Best Workplaces list was its most competitive since the tradition began 13 years ago, reporting that 28% more companies participated this year than last year and 40% more employee surveys were submitted.

The recognized companies were united by overall employee satisfaction, with 90% of workers calling them a “great place to work” compared to a little over half for a “typical” workplace. Employees also said they got fair pay, support for a healthy work-life balance and a say in “decisions that affected their lives.”

“This global list followed a rigorous process, one that assures that employees have spoken about what they think are exceptional workplaces where they feel trusted, empowered, and energized to do their best work,” Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontel said in a statement.

Hilton says its benefits for both hourly and salaried employees, including expanded parental leave, adoption assistance and a Go Hilton travel program that gives workers discounts at its hotels and resorts.

The company announced last year that it had renewed its lease at Park Place II, where its headquarters have been located since 2009. It planned to add 350 jobs over the next five years and upgrade the office space and common areas.

Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta says the company is united by founder Conrad Hilton’s goal of filling “the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.”

“[The] recognition by Great Place to Work and Fortune is validation that our team members were the people he imagined in his bright vision for the future,” Nassetta said. “It is their dedication, hospitality and passion for the stays they create that has made Hilton the No. 1 best place to work in the world.”