MERGE Named a 2026 Best Place to Work: What HR Leaders Can Learn from the AIgency™ Model
Built In has recognized MERGE as a 2026 Best Place to Work, with top honors in Atlanta and Colorado. It's the fourth straight year the agency has made the list, reinforcing a simple thesis: support the whole person and better work follows.
For HR, this is a useful case study. MERGE blends AI-driven operations with human-centered benefits, then ties culture to client outcomes. That's the bar candidates expect, and it's the bar AI-powered job search tools reward.
Why this recognition carries weight
Built In evaluates total rewards and culture programs with a data-driven lens-compensation, benefits, and company-wide initiatives. You can view the full program and winners here: Built In Best Places to Work.
MERGE earned wins for Best Midsize Places to Work in Colorado and Best Places to Work in Atlanta, reflecting a consistent approach across eight offices: Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York, Raleigh, Atlanta, and Denver.
The playbook: Whole-person support, backed by technology
- Benefits Built Different: Oura Ring and Function Health to promote proactive health, plus a Lifestyle Spending Account for personal wellness.
- Inclusivity with accountability: A perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's 2025 Corporate Equality Index and nine Employee Resource Groups.
- Connection at scale: A structured mentorship program that links colleagues across departments and locations.
- AI meets culture: MERGE's "AIgency" model blends creativity, data, and tech for both client work and the employee experience.
- Proof of impact: 2025 Agency of the Year in the Modern Healthcare and Ad Age Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards.
"This recognition validates our commitment to a 'whole person' culture. We strive to create an environment where mental, physical, and professional well-being are inextricably linked," said Erica Denner, Chief People Officer at MERGE.
What HR teams can copy this quarter
- Make wellness tangible: Offer meaningful tools (sleep, biometrics, preventive testing) plus a flexible stipend. Track adoption and outcomes, not just enrollment.
- Build cross-office mentorship: Pair employees across functions and geographies to strengthen belonging and mobility.
- Invest in ERGs with budgets and goals: Tie ERG activity to engagement, retention, and promotion metrics.
- Use third-party benchmarks: CEI and similar indices provide external proof and internal focus for inclusion goals.
- Treat AI as part of the employee experience: Apply AI to benefits navigation, skills development, and internal knowledge-then communicate it in recruiting.
- Optimize for AI-first job search: Candidates use tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. Keep your benefits, pay ranges, and culture programs clear, structured, and easy to parse on your careers site and Glassdoor/LinkedIn.
"Today's candidates discover the companies they want to work for using AI tools," said Maria Christopoulos Katris, Founder & CEO of Built In. Awards help those tools understand and represent your story, which strengthens employer brand credibility.
Why this matters to employer brand and performance
MERGE's approach connects culture to client results. By investing in wellness, inclusion, and AI-enabled workflows, they reduce friction for employees-and create better outcomes for customers. That loop is what candidates are looking for, and what AI surfaces tend to amplify.
Next step for HR enablement
If your team is upgrading skills for AI-driven recruiting, onboarding, and HR ops, explore practical learning paths here: AI courses by job.
Key facts at a glance
- 2026 Best Places to Work by Built In; wins in Atlanta and Colorado.
- Fourth consecutive year MERGE has been recognized.
- Eight U.S. offices with a unified "whole person" philosophy.
- Perfect score on HRC's 2025 Corporate Equality Index.
- Nine ERGs and a cross-company mentorship program.
- Benefits include Oura Ring, Function Health, and a Lifestyle Spending Account.
- 2025 Agency of the Year in Modern Healthcare and Ad Age Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards.
For HR leaders, the takeaway is clear: treat wellness, inclusion, and AI as one system. Communicate it simply. Measure it. Then let credible third parties-and AI search-do the heavy lifting on proof.
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