With Only 1 in 3 Workers in Europe Excited to Use AI, Trust Boosts Confidence at 100 Best in Europe

® has announced the first ever Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For™ Europe List.

To select the list, Great Place To Work surveyed 1.3 million employees across Europe about experiences that build trust in the workplace. Of those, 1 million responses came from companies eligible for the list, and this ranking is based on that feedback.

To be considered for the list, companies must have 500 or more employees and be recognized on national Best Workplaces™ lists in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom during 2023 or early 2024. 

These companies dramatically outperform the typical workplace in Europe, as measured by a market study of 26,000 European workers conducted by Great Place To Work. What sets winning companies apart from the typical workplace in Europe? Fairness.

At the 100 Best, 78% of employees say promotions are fair and 70% say they receive a fair share of company profits. That's a significant increase over the typical workplace, where only 37% say promotions are fair and 36% say they receive a fair share of profits.

“Congratulations to the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work. “Despite the economic challenges facing them, these companies found ways to offer more support to their people, developing a foundation of trust that is crucial for business success in the years ahead.”

"We are delighted to unveil our inaugural list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe, created in partnership with Great Place to Work, experts in evaluating corporate culture with decades of experience,” says Grethe Schepers, lists director, Europe at Fortune. “These companies have built environments where people thrive and feel included, driven by a shared sense of purpose - all backed by honest, detailed employee feedback. Congratulations to all the companies that have achieved this great recognition."

Ready for AI

Only one in three workers at typical European workplaces are excited to use AI tools and only one in four reports that their company is making meaningful investments in training and development on AI skills.

This data suggests European companies will face friction when trying to introduce AI systems to the workplace. By building trust with workers, 100 Best companies are creating cultures that will innovate faster and more quickly adapt to change.

Fairness also connects with how employees view the addition of AI to the workplace. At typical European companies, when employees say promotions are fair, they are 29% more likely to also say they are excited to use AI.

Who made the list?

Companies on the list were separated into two categories with 25 multinational companies selected and 75 large companies with 500 or more employees. Multinational companies must appear on at least three national Best Workplaces™ lists in Europe.

Here are the top five multinationals on the list:

1. DHL Express
2. AbbVie
3. Hilti
4. Hilton
5. Cisco

Here are the top five large companies:

1. Bank van Breda
2. Sparbanken Skåne
3. XM
4. Beierholm
5. Sii Polska

Learn more about how the 100 Best in Europe are building trust and preparing for AI.

About the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe

Great Place To Work selected the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe List by gathering and analyzing more than 1.3 million confidential survey responses representing the experiences of over 2 million employees in the region. Of those, 1 million came from employees at companies eligible for this list, and this ranking is based on that feedback. Companies must be recognized on at least one national Best Workplaces list in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Türkiye, or the United Kingdom during 2023 or early 2024. To be eligible for the list, companies must have 500+ employees. Multinational organizations must also appear on at least three national lists in Europe. The list ranks the best 25 multinational companies followed by the best 75 large companies. Organizations are assessed on their efforts to create generous, supportive, high-performance work experiences for every employee in the organization.

About Great Place To Work

As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Its proprietary platform and For All™ Model help companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified™ and receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces list.

Follow Great Place To Work on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram or visit greatplacetowork.com and sign up for the newsletter to learn more.

About Fortune 

Fortune upholds a legacy of award-winning writing and trusted reporting for executives who want to make business better. Independently owned, with a global perspective and digital agility, Fortune tells the stories of a new generation of innovators, builders, and risk takers. Online and in print, Fortune measures corporate performance through rigorous benchmarks, and holds companies accountable. Fortune creates communities by convening true thought leaders and iconoclasts — those who shape industry, commerce and society — through powerful and prestigious lists, events, and conferences, such as the iconic Fortune 500, the CEO Initiative and Most Powerful Women. For more information, visit fortune.com.

Attachments

• Workers in Europe Need more Training, Investment on AI Skills
• More Employees at Best Workplaces in Europe Say Their Workplace is Fair