Inc. Best Workplaces 2021
The Best Workplaces of 2021 keep their businesses thriving by putting their employees first—wherever they are.
The companies that did the most to support their employees through a turbulent year. Plus, our Best Benefits honorees.
Ayear ago, business leaders at companies big and small were grappling with the same question: “When will we return to the office?” Though some founders have welcomed their workers back to headquarters, many still don’t know when their offices will reopen. Others are facing even tougher questions about the future of their workplaces, such as “Will there be an office to return to?” Fortunately for entrepreneurs, one of the lessons of the Covid-19 crisis is that you don’t need a physical office to make your company a great place to work. What you do need are policies that support your employees and keep them engaged. Inc.’s 2021 Best Workplaces list celebrates the businesses that deliver on that promise—all 429 of them. For the fifth consecutive year, we worked with Quantum Workplace to identify the nation’s Best Workplaces as measured by employee engagement. A record number of companies applied—more than 3,000—while the number of employees who completed a 43-question survey also reached a new high: 422,000. Among the insights we gleaned from them: After a year dominated by headlines of social injustice, we learned that 92 percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Everyone here is treated fairly regardless of race, gender, age, ethnic background, disability, sexual orientation, or other differences.” In the following pages, you’ll find businesses that adapted their workplaces to compensate for changes brought on by the pandemic. You’ll find our first-ever Best Benefits Awards, honoring companies that went above and beyond to build a more supportive culture. Most of all, you’ll find leaders who understand that they’re only as strong as the ties that bind us together. Because if the past year has posed many questions, that is the answer it’s offered.