Top Employers Rebuild Work Culture as AI Reshapes Jobs
The 100 Best Companies to Work For aren't just adopting AI faster than competitors. They're rebuilding how employees experience work itself-listening to staff concerns, investing in career development, and doubling down on human-centered benefits even as work becomes more digital.
The ranking, now in its 29th year, surveyed over 640,000 employees at companies with 1,000 or more U.S. staff. Three patterns emerged among the top employers: they listen more closely to workers, they're building careers designed for an AI-integrated workplace, and they're expanding benefits that help employees thrive outside work.
Listening shapes policy, not the reverse
At most companies, 2025 brought top-down mandates-especially on return-to-office rules. The highest-rated employers moved differently. They asked employees what they needed, then changed policy to match.
Synchrony Financial (No. 1), the largest U.S. provider of retailer-branded credit cards, built listening into its operating motto: "To be the best, you need to lead for all. And to do that, you need to listen to all." The company runs Ask Us Anything sessions with senior leaders, monthly leadership roundtables, and regular pulse surveys that feed directly into decisions on flexibility, benefits, and career development.
When 85% of Synchrony employees said they wanted remote-work options, the company launched a hybrid model including Flexible Fridays-when staff avoid meetings and leave early-and Flexi Company Holidays. Today, 93% of the company's 10,000-plus workforce say they're encouraged to balance work and personal life. CEO Brian Doubles said net earnings have more than doubled since the changes took effect. "Listening is only meaningful if it leads to action," he said.
At Hilton (No. 2), chief human resources officer Laura Fuentes designs policies "hand in hand with our team members, not just for them." When workers requested digital tipping options, Hilton expanded the feature across all nonunion U.S. hotels. A new Crisis Concierge-providing a single point of contact for logistical support after a death-came directly from a conversation between a team member and Fuentes. Ninety-three percent of Hilton's U.S. staff say management is approachable and easy to talk to.
Wegmans (No. 5) invites frontline employees to submit ideas through its Ask Bob channel, where suggestions go directly to the senior vice president of store operations. The strongest proposals become policy, and employees who proposed them are recognized-creating what the company calls a constant loop of innovation and inclusion.
Only four of the top 100 companies offer no remote-work option. The majority avoid one-size-fits-all office policies in favor of team-level approaches.
Building careers for humans and AI agents
AI is redefining hybrid work. Increasingly, it will mean pairing humans with AI agents that handle routine tasks and surface insights-freeing people to focus on what they do best. Top employers are building workforces ready for that shift now.
Deloitte U.S. (No. 24) is investing $1.4 billion into upskilling its workforce on the assumption that everyone, not just technical specialists, will need baseline digital fluency. Employees have already taken more than 200,000 courses in AI, cloud, cyber, data, and software engineering through Deloitte's Technology Academy. A new Deloitte Certified credential helps workers prove their skills to future hiring managers. Chief people officer Doug Beaudoin said the goal is to show that "technology is an amplifier of human talent, not a replacement for it."
Delta Air Lines (No. 9) introduced Nadia, an AI coach that helps employees set goals, prepare for performance conversations, and plan career moves. It works alongside the airline's talent hub, where workers map out skills needed for future roles.
Cisco (No. 3) launched its Teaming With AI program, encouraging employees across the business to experiment with generative tools in daily work-drafting documents, summarizing meetings-backed by training on ethical use and critical thinking. The message: every employee, regardless of role, can learn to work alongside AI.
EY (No. 30) is actively investing in early-career talent even as other firms cut entry-level hiring. The company launched a new assessment tool that looks past traditional credentials for skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity. Once hired, employees can apply to projects across the business through a companywide platform. Programs like FutureHack-an immersive hackathon-style event-let professionals tackle AI transformation challenges. An AI Adoption Network lets frontline workers feed ideas and concerns back into the firm's AI strategy.
Benefits that acknowledge life outside work
Worker well-being has expanded far beyond yoga mats and free snacks. Top employers now offer financial, medical, and emotional safety nets that help staff thrive outside the office-recognizing that as work becomes more always-on, employees need serious support for the rest of their lives.
American Express (No. 4) provides 20-plus weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents, whether welcoming a child through pregnancy, adoption, or surrogacy. The company reimburses up to $35,000 per child, twice. Workers and families have access to free counseling and coaching. Many offices have on-site wellness centers staffed with doctors and nurses. Employees can work from anywhere for up to four weeks annually, on top of existing hybrid arrangements.
EY staff can access $1,000 yearly for activities and products that promote health and happiness, $500 for commuting and pet-sitting costs, and a $2,000 backup-care allowance for when usual arrangements fall through.
The Cheesecake Factory (No. 25) leans into blending work and family life. Last year it rolled out Moments That Matter training so managers can give personalized gifts acknowledging life or work milestones. The benefits team sends care packages-notes of encouragement for staff caring for ill family members, or stuffed animals for employees expecting a baby. Bring Your Kids to Work Day and Bring Your Parents to Work Day are serious business, with different departments hosting 20-minute activity rotations.
Across the top 100 companies, the pattern is clear: in an era of algorithms and AI agents, the workplaces employees rate highest are built on something old-fashioned-showing up for the humans behind the job titles.
HR leaders looking to understand how top companies are managing this transition should explore AI for CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers), which covers rebuilding workplace culture and employee experience during technology shifts.
Your membership also unlocks:
