Greatest Workplaces, Worker Listening
The businesses that stayed on prime this yr didn’t decelerate. They listened extra.
That method helped leaders at Synchrony and AbbVie — ranked No. 1 on the 2026 Fortune Greatest Workplaces in New York and Chicago, respectively, for 2 years working — make choices rapidly, whilst office expectations and know-how preserve altering.
“Listening isn’t one thing you do now and again. At these corporations, it’s fixed — and it results in motion and a stronger enterprise,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Nice Place To Work®. “Listening is how good choices get made. Most leaders love to speak. One of the best ones pay attention a minimum of as a lot.”
When workers see leaders act on what they are saying, they’re extra prone to converse up, take dangers, and preserve the enterprise transferring.
The gaps between Fortune Greatest Workplaces in New York, Chicago, Texas, and the Bay Space and different workplaces aren’t about perks or insurance policies — or good climate. They’re about whether or not workers imagine leaders are listening and doing one thing about what they hear.
“Individuals don’t want perfection,” says D Crum, govt vice chairman and chief human assets officer at AbbVie. “They should know their suggestions issues and is taken into account.”
That sample reveals up within the information. Throughout the Greatest Workplaces™, 87% of workers say leaders hunt down and reply to concepts, in comparison with 55% at typical workplaces.
Corporations the place all voices are heard expertise 5.5 occasions the income progress of much less revolutionary corporations, in accordance with Nice Place To Work analysis.
How Synchrony makes use of worker listening
At Synchrony, listening is just not tied to a single channel or annual occasion.
“It’s a complete ecosystem,” says DJ Casto, Synchrony’s chief human assets officer. “In case you’re solely listening a method, you’re solely listening to a part of the story.”
Synchrony makes use of quarterly surveys, in-person group discussions, Ask Us Something boards, enter from worker useful resource teams, intern suggestions, and common one-on-one check-ins between managers and their groups.
Nevertheless it’s not nearly listening to what workers say.
“Asking for suggestions isn’t sufficient,” Casto says. “Staff have to see you heard them and acted. That cycle of suggestions and motion is what builds belief, and when belief is excessive, all the pieces else strikes in another way.”
You may see it within the numbers: Synchrony has ranked within the prime 5 Fortune Greatest Workplaces in New York™ for 5 years, and No. 1 for the previous two. Almost 9 in 10 workers say administration delivers on its guarantees, leaders’ actions match their phrases, and staff are saved knowledgeable about choices — greater than different corporations on the Greatest Workplaces in New York listing.
These expectations form how choices are made.
When workers stated they needed extra flexibility, Synchrony removed required days within the workplace and redesigned its workspaces, so time collectively labored higher.
When workers stated they needed extra AI entry and coaching, the corporate rolled out SynchronyGPT and an AI Subject Information so individuals might apply it to their on a regular basis work.
The consequence: Almost 80% of workers say AI will positively influence their careers, and 82% say it should create new progress alternatives for the corporate.
“We’ve discovered that the say-do ratio issues,” Casto says.
“Listening isn’t one thing you do now and again. At these corporations, it’s fixed — and it results in motion and a stronger enterprise,” says Michael C. Bush. “Listening is how good choices get made. Most leaders love to speak. One of the best ones pay attention a minimum of as a lot.”
How AbbVie builds belief by common suggestions
At AbbVie, the identical method reveals up throughout the corporate, with workers in additional than 70 international locations. AbbVie has ranked within the prime 10 Fortune Greatest Workplaces in Chicago™ for 5 straight years and No. 1 for the previous two, a climb from No. 28 in 2020.
“Listening is a management talent that’s typically underused within the office, particularly when strain to ship outcomes will increase,” Crum says.
At AbbVie, listening occurs by surveys, pulse checks, suggestions instruments, 360-degree suggestions, and common conversations between workers and managers.
That suggestions doesn’t keep inside groups. Leaders use it to make higher choices throughout the corporate.
“When leaders take the time to pay attention, and pay attention nicely, they make clearer choices, take away roadblocks quicker, and construct the belief and shared accountability wanted to execute change,” Crum says.
When workers stated they may use extra help in accelerating change, AbbVie responded by making a company-wide method to guide purposeful change in on a regular basis work, offering assets to assist leaders help their groups.
Listening builds belief, and that belief reveals up in how individuals work. At AbbVie, workers are way more prone to strive new issues and adapt rapidly. And 80% name it a wholesome place to work, 43% greater than typical workplaces. In 2025, an inner survey confirmed that worker engagement hit 84%, greater in each space than the yr earlier than.
“Listening strengthens how groups lead and work collectively, which helps corporations obtain extra,” Crum says. “When groups really feel heard, they transfer quicker and with extra alignment as a result of they perceive what’s working, what isn’t, and the place individuals want help.”
4 methods leaders can enhance office listening
1. Be clear, even when the reply isn’t any
“Our method is easy: clear yeses, clear noes, and clear causes,” Casto says.
Staff don’t anticipate each concept to maneuver ahead, however they do anticipate honesty and to know why choices are made. “What erodes belief is silence, so we shut the loop each time,” Casto says.
2. Hear from extra than simply the loudest voices
“Listening to from quieter voices takes intention,” Crum says. “Don’t assume the loudest voices characterize the complete story.”
At AbbVie, leaders use smaller group conversations and direct outreach to listen to from extra individuals, together with those that might not all the time converse up.
3. Be clear and direct with suggestions
At each AbbVie and Synchrony, suggestions isn’t saved for formal opinions. It occurs often.
“Clear suggestions means we’re clear and direct with one another,” Crum says. “We don’t depart individuals guessing about expectations, their efficiency or choices.”
AbbVie has made clear suggestions a company-wide focus, together with a brand new self-paced, interactive course that helps workers apply giving and receiving suggestions.
4. Deal with listening as a talent you possibly can train
At Synchrony, senior leaders spent a full yr coaching greater than 300 senior leaders on the behaviors that construct belief, together with listening.
By way of a partnership with West Level’s Management Institute, the corporate launched “knee-to-knee” listening. After a dialog, ask, “What did you hear?” not, “What did I say?”
“Listening is underused, nevertheless it’s a learnable talent,” Casto says. “We’re seeing the leads to belief, engagement, and enterprise efficiency.”
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