For nearly 25 million Americans, a toxic workplace is a daily reality. Negative work environments don’t just harm employees—they also hurt companies by reducing productivity and driving up turnover. Conversely, organizations that foster supportive, values-driven cultures see benefits for both their people and their bottom line.

“Leaders who encourage psychological safety, transparency, fairness, and appreciation create environments where employees want to stay,” explains Dr. Ashwini Nadkarni, psychiatrist and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She notes that workers are also more engaged when their company’s values align with their own.

Cummins: Culture as a Competitive Edge

One company putting these principles into action is Cummins, the Indiana-based power solutions manufacturer. According to Marvin Boakye, chief human resources officer, managers are expected to lead with transparency, vulnerability, and care. This leadership approach is reinforced through the company’s “Building Success in You” program, which since 2018 has trained about 1,000 aspiring leaders each year in self-awareness and the value of diverse perspectives.

“We treat culture as a unique competitive advantage,” says Boakye. By ensuring projects are shaped by many voices, Cummins strengthens employee engagement and improves its products. This focus likely contributed to the company’s No. 18 ranking on Forbes’ inaugural list of America’s Best Employers for Company Culture.

How the List Was Created

In partnership with research firm Statista, Forbes surveyed more than 218,000 U.S. employees at companies with at least 1,000 workers. Participants rated their employers on fairness, inclusivity, passion for the company’s mission, and opportunities for advancement. They also shared whether they’d recommend their employer—or past employers from the last two years—along with insights gained through friends, family, or industry experience.

Responses from the last three years were included, with recent feedback weighted more heavily. Statista also conducted independent research into company practices, such as employee-focused training programs, to shape each organization’s final score. The top 600 employers earned a spot on the new ranking.

Who Made the Top 10

The University of Tennessee Medical Center claimed the No. 1 spot, followed by Progressive (No. 2) and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (No. 3). Higher education institutions stood out in the top 10, with the University of California, Irvine (No. 4), Cleveland State University (No. 5), and Western Carolina University (No. 7) all ranking highly.

Verisk: Building Belonging Through Inclusion

At Verisk (No. 8), new employees are welcomed with an extensive onboarding program that includes training, mentors, and employee networks. The company has also moved away from annual reviews, instead offering quarterly check-ins without performance ratings—a shift that has reduced stress and improved morale.

Verisk hosts “dedicated days of understanding” that spotlight employee resource groups, such as last year’s focus on neurodiversity. “It creates an environment where people can talk openly, learn, and connect,” says Sunita Holzer, chief human resources officer. Internal surveys show the approach is working: 82% of employees say they would recommend Verisk as a great place to work, up 3% in three years.

ServiceNow: Growing Through Employee Belonging

ServiceNow (No. 14) distinguishes itself through its “people pact”—a promise to actively listen to employee concerns and support flexibility. The company offers hybrid and remote work options, as well as six annual wellbeing days.

Roughly one-third of ServiceNow’s workforce participates in nine employee belonging groups, covering communities from parents to veterans. Each group provides leadership opportunities that often serve as stepping stones to higher roles within the company. “When employees feel ownership over their growth, it fuels company growth too,” says Karen Pavlin, chief workforce innovation officer.

Why Culture Matters

The research confirms what many leaders already know: company culture isn’t just a “soft” metric—it’s a driver of retention, engagement, and innovation. Employers who treat culture as a strategic priority gain a lasting advantage, while employees benefit from workplaces that are inclusive, fair, and growth-oriented.

For the full ranking of America’s Best Employers for Company Culture 2025, visit Forbes’ list here.

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