• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MagazineBest Workplaces

What the World’s 25 Best Workplaces have in common

By Brett Haensel
October 19, 2020, 8:00 AM ET

Throughout the year, in partnership with people analytics firm Great Place to Work, Fortune publishes lists ranking the best U.S. workplaces across a number of categories. In 2020, on the Best Workplaces for Diversity, Millennials, Women, and Parents lists, as well as the Best Workplaces in Technology, tech conglomerate Cisco has ranked among the top eight—and it landed at No. 4 on this year’s domestic 100 Best Companies list.

So it should come as no surprise that Cisco tops GPTW and Fortune’s World’s 25 Best Workplaces list this year, for the second year in a row. 

All 25 companies appearing here received top ratings on GPTW’s surveys of their employees in at least five countries. On average, these firms have offices in 12 different countries and employ 88,000 people worldwide. About half (12 of 25) are headquartered in the U.S., including four of the top five. 

Illlustration by Sam Peet

As they did last year, technology companies—either in the IT or biotech and pharma industries—constitute 40% of the top 25. Dell Technologies (No. 17) is a newcomer this year, as are Daimler Mobility AG (the financial services and insurance arm of the German automaker), Cadence (electronics), Marriott International (hospitality), Volvo Group (manufacturing), and Deloitte (professional services). 

For more on companies that prioritize employee satisfaction, social responsibility, and workplace diversity, please also see the Great Place to Work lists of the 100 Best Small and 100 Best Medium domestic workplaces, which Fortune published on Oct. 16.

World’s 25 Best Workplaces

See full list details here.

CompanyNumber of employees
Cisco79,304
DHL Express104,000
Hilton173,504* 
Salesforce52,000
Stryker40,000
Mars67,784
The Adecco Group45,000
Mercado Libre13,058
SAS13,000
EY300,675
Intuit9,382
SAP95,853
Adobe22,000
Admiral Group11,243
AbbVie30,000
Daimler Mobility AG14,000
Dell Technologies165,000
Cadence8,674
Marriott International176,000
Volvo Group100,000
Roche98,000
Deloitte286,200
Santander194,000
Natura6,396
Scotiabank97,000

*As of Jan 1, 2020

A version of this article appears in the November 2020 issue of Fortune with the headline, “Global giants getting it right.”


Latest from the Magazine

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest from the Magazine

Who owns ideas in the AI age?
MagazinePublishing
Who owns ideas in the AI age?
By Francesca CassidyApril 8, 2026
2 days ago
Southeast Asia’s business leaders want wellness at work—as long as the programs get real results
Magazine100 Best Companies to Work For
Southeast Asia’s business leaders want wellness at work—as long as the programs get real results
By Alice WilliamsApril 8, 2026
2 days ago
So… what are we doing with AI? Innovating in an age of caution
MagazineStrategy
So… what are we doing with AI? Innovating in an age of caution
By Francesca CassidyApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
Anthropic’s research shows that AI can already do a huge portion of many jobs; its top economist talks about how that could shape the future of work
MagazineAutomation
Anthropic’s research shows that AI can already do a huge portion of many jobs; its top economist talks about how that could shape the future of work
By Matthew Heimer and Nicolas RappApril 7, 2026
3 days ago
Fortune Archives: Who gets a seat at the table?
MagazineFortune Archives
Fortune Archives: Who gets a seat at the table?
By Indrani SenApril 5, 2026
5 days ago
Watches like this $455,000 timepiece can’t be made by a machine—and that’s exactly why they’re the ultimate flex amid the analog revival
MagazineWatches
Watches like this $455,000 timepiece can’t be made by a machine—and that’s exactly why they’re the ultimate flex amid the analog revival
By Adam EraceApril 4, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
15 hours ago
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
Energy
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
Success
Gen Z doesn't want your full-time job. They want several part-time roles, and it's reshaping the entire workforce
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
18 hours ago
Self-made billionaire MrBeast says his work-life balance is nonexistent and calls it a ‘miracle’ if he works less than 15-hour days: ‘I live to work’
Success
Self-made billionaire MrBeast says his work-life balance is nonexistent and calls it a ‘miracle’ if he works less than 15-hour days: ‘I live to work’
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
AI
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.