Announcing the 2026 Top Employers

We are proud to announce that nearly 2,500 organisations across 131 countries/regions have achieved the 2026 Top Employers Certification. These Top Employers are recognised for their commitment to building high-performing people practices, grounded in independent validation, data-driven insight and a clear focus on driving business performance, employee engagement and growth.   

Commenting on the organisations certified across the Top Employers Programme in 2026, including Country, Regional, Global and Enterprise Top Employers, Adrian Seligman, CEO, Top Employers Institute says: “Achieving Top Employer status in 2026 is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects excellence in individual countries, and crucially, sustained people practices across regions and worldwide. This achievement places these organisations among a select group of employers setting the international benchmark for people strategy. We are incredibly proud to continue our partnership with them as they inspire excellence across the global HR community.” 

This year’s certified Top Employers have shown resilience, adaptability, and a strong focus on future readiness. In an environment shaped by technological advancement, changing workforce expectations, and global uncertainty, these organisations continue to invest in their people, foster inclusive cultures, and build workplaces where employees can thrive. 

At the highest level of the Top Employers Programme, the Global Certification represents the most rigorous level of recognition offered by Top Employers Institute. In 2026, 17 organisations achieved this prestigious Certification. These are the organisations that are globally certified as leaders in HR for their outstanding HR strategies and people practices:   

  • Amplifon 
  • BAT 
  • Boehringer Ingelheim 
  • Chep  
  • Dana 
  • DHL Global Forwarding 
  • Holcim 
  • Infosys 
  • JTI 
  • Merz Aesthetics 
  • Mondelēz International
  • NTT Data 
  • Phillip Morris International 
  • PUMA 
  • Saint-Gobain 
  • STMicroelectronics 
  • Tata Consultancy Services 

As a global authority on recognising excellence in people practices, Top Employers Institute remains committed to supporting organisations in strengthening their people practices through independent validation, benchmarking and insight. The 2026 Certification reinforces the growing importance of people-centric leadership as a key driver of long-term organisational success – helping to shape a better world of work. 

Explore the full list of 2026 Certified Top Employers

Introducing the newest 2025 Top Employers

The world of work in 2025 has been a year of constant disruption, but one truth stands strong: world-leading organisations put their people first. We are thrilled to celebrate the newest 2025 Top Employers. These organisations are joining a global community of companies that are reshaping what HR excellence looks like by outperforming competitors with our world-leading Certification and data-led insights.

In September, 111 new Top Employers joined over 2,400 organisations across 125 countries and regions that have been officially Certified as Top Employers, collectively impacting the lives of more than 13 million employees worldwide. Their achievement is more than a milestone. It is proof of their commitment to building workplaces where people are empowered to thrive, grow and succeed.

A celebration of leading companies

As we reflect on the achievements of these new Top Employers, David Plink, CEO of Top Employers Institute, shared these words:

“In today’s world of work, disruption is the only constant, from artificial intelligence and digitalisation to shifting employee expectations and ongoing economic uncertainty. In this environment, the organisations that truly stand out are those that remain people-first, resilient, and forward-thinking. The newest Top Employers exemplify this by showing an unwavering commitment to their employees’ growth, wellbeing, and future success.

That is why, last year, we began recognising new Top Employers throughout the year. Celebrating them more frequently not only shines a light on organisations that are continuously raising the bar in people practices, but also sets an inspiring benchmark for others to follow.”

A global standard for excellent people practices

The Top Employers Programme is the world’s leading authority in recognising excellence in people practices. Certification is earned, not claimed, through our rigorous HR Best Practices Survey. This fact-based assessment comprises a set of questions for key HR domains that measure how well your organisation performs in each area and how consistently it implements its people practices.  

Backed by extensive research, our survey is revised every year to reflect evolving industry trends and best practices. Which evaluates organisations across six key domains and 20 strategic HR topics, including:  

  • People Strategy  
  • Work Environment  
  • Talent Acquisition  
  • Learning and Development  
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion  
  • Wellbeing and more.  

Becoming a Top Employer means more than meeting a standard. It signifies a dedication to continuous improvement, a strategic approach to HR, and a genuine investment in people at every level.  

Türkiye Top Employers step forward: celebrating a stronger culture of change readiness in HR 

In a rapidly evolving world marked by digital transformation, geopolitical shifts, and an increasingly dynamic workforce, our data at Top Employers Institute reveals that Top Employers in Türkiye are making impressive strides in preparing their organisations for change. Recent year-over-year data from Top Employers’ shows meaningful improvements across several key HR practices, signalling a growing national emphasis on adaptive, forward-thinking workplace strategies. 

Measurable progress in change management 

Based on Top Employers Institute’s survey data, here are the standout areas of improvement in Turkish HR practices: 

  • Change champions (+10%) 
  • Adaptable change management methodology (+9%) 
  • Engage employees in change (+7%) 
  • Post-change follow-up (+7%) 
  • Change management as a core capability (+6%) 
  • Managers supported to mitigate negative change impact (+3%) 

These improvements are more than just numbers—they reflect a growing maturity in how Turkish organisations approach transformation. 

Why these improvements matter 

1. Build resilience through change champions. 

With a 10% boost, the use of change champions—employees who actively promote and support transformation—has been a standout area of growth. This is crucial in Turkish organisations, especially where hierarchical structures and traditional leadership models can sometimes slow adoption. A meta-analysis of 54 studies encompassing 13,914 teams reveals that hierarchy can hinder the effectiveness of teams in terms of collaboration and performance over time. Champions bridge the gap between leadership and employees, fostering trust and faster alignment with change initiatives. A McKinsey report also stated that transformations are more successful when employees take initiative and voluntarily step into roles during the change process, rather than waiting for top-down direction. 

2. Flexible change methodologies help in a dynamic working world. 

An adaptable methodology (+9%) ensures that organisations can respond to unforeseen challenges, be it economic volatility, regulatory shifts, or a global crisis like a pandemic. In a country like Türkiye, navigating both regional geopolitical tension and a young, tech-savvy workforce demands agility. Flexible change frameworks give organisations the tools to pivot effectively. Similarly, according to the Agile Türkiye 10th Agility Report, 89% of respondents stated that agile practices positively contributed to their ability to manage changing priorities. 

3. Inclusive engagement enhances morale and retention. 

Engaging employees in change (+7%) reflects a cultural shift toward participatory leadership. Involving employees in decision-making processes not only reduces resistance but also boosts morale and loyalty. On a global level, Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace Report highlights serious challenges: employee engagement in Türkiye is at just 10%, placing the country among the five lowest in its region. Additionally, with 69% of employees experiencing daily stress—the highest rate in the Middle East region—it’s no surprise that Top Employers stand out by actively improving employee engagement, which directly supports morale and retention. 

4. Sustained success through follow-up is essential. 

Post-change follow-up (+7%) indicates that organisations are no longer stopping at implementation; they are evaluating outcomes, learning from the process, and continuously improving. As noted by McKinsey & Company, an organisation’s effort continues even after implementation. Research from both Harvard Business Review and McKinsey & Company confirms that this cyclical feedback approach is crucial for sustaining a competitive advantage and operational efficiency.  

5. Strategic support for managers matters. 

Supporting managers (+3%) to mitigate adverse impacts ensures that mid-level leaders, often the most stressed during transitions, are equipped to manage their teams compassionately and effectively. As highlighted by Harvard Business Review, empowering mid-level managers with the right tools and authority enables them to lead transformation efforts more effectively and support their teams with empathy and clarity. 

6. Institutionalising change readiness helps long-term sustainability. 

Finally, defining change management as a core capability (+6%) signifies that transformation is no longer seen as a one-off project, but rather as an ongoing organisational priority. In Türkiye’s dynamic economic landscape, this shift is vital for long-term sustainability. On a global scale, the relevance of change management is further reinforced, as it continues to rank among the top five priorities for HR leaders, according to Gartner’s Top 5 HR Trends and Priorities Report

Conclusion – a broader reflection of Turkish growth 

These gains are especially significant considering Türkiye’s increasing push toward digitalisation, labour market reform, and EU-aligned labour practices. As organisations face talent shortages, generational shifts, and rising employee expectations, a proactive stance on change has become essential, not optional. 

By embedding change-readiness into the heart of HR strategy, our Top Employers Institute’s data shows that Turkish employers are not just keeping pace—they’re helping set the pace. And that is something worth celebrating. 

Find more strategies and trends to improve your workplace for all your employees in our World of Work Trends 2025

Meet the newest 2025 Top Employers

In a world of constant disruption, one truth endures: exceptional companies put their people first. We are proud to unveil the newest 2025 Top Employers. These organisations are joining a global community of companies redefining what excellence in HR looks like today.  

In June, 48 new Top Employers joined over 2,400 organisations across 125 countries and regions that have been officially Certified as Top Employers, collectively impacting the lives of more than 13 million employees worldwide. Their achievement reflects an unwavering commitment to creating work environments where people thrive.  

A global standard for exceptional HR  

The Top Employers Programme is the world’s leading authority in recognising excellence in people practices. Certification is earned, not claimed, through our rigorous HR Best Practices Survey. This fact-based assessment is a set of questions for key HR domains that measure how well your organisation performs in each area and how consistently every organisation implements its people practices.  

Backed by extensive research, our survey is revised every year to reflect evolving industry trends and best practices. Which evaluates organisations across six key domains and 20 strategic HR topics, including:  

  • People Strategy  
  • Work Environment  
  • Talent Acquisition  
  • Learning and Development  
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion  
  • Wellbeing and more.  

Becoming a Top Employer means more than meeting a standard. It signifies a dedication to continuous improvement, a strategic approach to HR, and a genuine investment in people at every level.  

As we reflect on this year’s achievements, David Plink, CEO of Top Employers Institute, shared these words:  

“Consistency in a not-so-consistent world? In a time of constant change—where technological, economic, and social shifts are ever-present—exceptional times bring out the best in people and organisations. This year’s Top Employers have showcased this strength, by demonstrating outstanding dedication to their employees. We are proud to celebrate these companies and their achievements in 2025.”  

See the complete list of the newly Certified Top Employers below:   

Argentina:  

  • Dia Argentina S.A. Argentina  

Australia:   

  • Bureau Veritas Australia  

Belgium:  

  • Delhaize 

Canada:  

  • ALCON CANADA 

Chile:  

  • Zelestra Chile  

China:   

  • Claas China  
  • Servier China  
  • Suntory Global Spirits 
  • dsm-firmenich 

Columbia:  

  • GEA Group 
  • Zelestra Colombia   

Czech Republic:  

  • Penny Market s.r.o. 

Germany:  

  • Hoffman Group 
  • io  

Greece:  

  • Inditex Greece  
  • Metro AEBE  

India:  

  • Infinite Computer Solutions  
  • Zelestra India  

Italy:  

  • Novomatic Italia  
  • Zelestra Italy  
  • Deghi  

Luxemburg:  

  • Auchun Luxembourg   

Mexico:  

  • Clarios Mexico  
  • TE Connectivity Group Mexico  
  • GEA Group 

Pakistan:  

  • Mobilink Bank  

Poland 

  • Becton Dickinson Polska Sp. z o.o. 

Peru:  

  • Zelestra Peru  

Philippines:  

  • ACMobility  

Romania:   

  • LEVIATAN GROUP 

Saudi Arabia:  

  • Cenomi Retail 

South Africa  

  • Mettus Pty Ltd 
  • Schneider Electric  
  • Ericsson South Africa  
  • NETCARE Limited  
  • The Automobile Association of South Africa NPC 

Spain  

  • Grupo Orenes 
  • Aena  
  • Ibercaja  
  • DONTE GROUP 
  • UAX Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio  
  • Zelestra Spain  

United States:  

  • Puratos US  
  • CAI   
  • US Pharma Lab, LLC. 
  • TPx Communications US 
  • Zelestra USA  

Could your organisation be next?   

Discover the Top Employers Certification Programme and explore how we can enable your organisation with our data-led insights to stand out as an employer of choice.   

Ready to start your Top Employers journey? Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Top Employer. Contact us now.  

How Mukuru use the Top Employers Programme to future-proof their organisation for their people

Mukuru is a leading next-generation financial technology services platform for Africa’s emerging consumers. Founded in 2004, Mukuru is a digital platform that empowers its customers to take control of their futures by putting financial freedom in their hands. Powered by advanced technology, Mukuru provides access to convenient, secure, reliable, and affordable financial solutions. Their products and services are designed to make it easier for you to do what you need to do when you need it done.

We caught up with Savina Harrilall, Chief People Officer, and JP van Zittert, Head of OE and Total Rewards at Certified Top Employer Mukuru. We spoke to them about their journey to become a Top Employer, how that fits in with their overall strategy, and how it has impacted their organisation since being in the programme.

How did you start your Top Employers journey?

As part of her first 100 days, Savina conducted a strategic analysis of its people practices to better understand the aspects that served the business and those that required iterations or introductions. Through a collaborative process in 2022, we then identified the essential capabilities required to transform our function from a transactional focus, primarily on hiring and firing, to one that aligns with the organisation’s long-term sustainability needs. This capability mapping informed our functional assessments, which led to structural refinements. More importantly, it facilitated the identification of necessary actions, practices, and processes that must be initiated or evolved.

As an employer operating across the African continent, with a presence in the UK and EU, we needed to benchmark our people-practice performance and consider strategies to achieve our goal of becoming a global magnet for top FinTech talent. The Top Employers Programme provided a valuable reference point for the initiatives we implemented following the co-creation of our People Strategy and aligned people levers. Our people aspiration is to be recognised as a people-led organisation supported by a fun and inclusive culture that fosters highly engaged communities of individuals.

We aim to empower our employees to perform at their best, take ownership, make an impact, and grow. Our People-First philosophy strengthens our relationships with both employees and customers. By leveraging our diverse skill sets and backgrounds as a competitive advantage, our efforts are aligned towards creating an environment where all individuals can bring their authentic selves. Our emphasis on enabling individuals and fostering collaborative organisational communities drives innovative solutions for our customers while cultivating a culture that celebrates our employees. A people-conducive culture leads to high employee engagement and creates an environment where everyone feels like they truly belong. The insights gained from the Top Employers Survey allowed us to pinpoint critical areas for focus and refinement, enabling us to shift the dial toward being recognised as an employer that genuinely values and recognises its people as the heartbeat of our business.

How were you able to align your Top Employers’ results with your broader strategy implementation?

We wanted to track our progress on the strategy and our progress as part of our broader strategy implementation annually. The Top Employers Programme was a neutral/objective partner that benchmarked and validated our process. When we had our first Validation in August 2022, it served as the foundation to create a baseline of Mukuru’s current practices and identify areas that we needed to focus on. The Validation outcome allowed us to align and refine our People practices at a tactical level (post our people-function capability map) to make progress on our People Strategy.

The follow-up validation, 8 months later, enabled us to objectively track our progress and further identify those areas that required more and different levels of focus. It was a team effort, and progress here is reflective of our Take Ownership, Innovate, and Solve Continuously, which are all Mukuru values.

Our engagements with internal stakeholders to ensure that our focus was still meeting and referenced against business needs remained a key success factor. This aligns with our connection with customer value. All of the work that we have and continue doing is towards achieving our People Aspiration, which is that we are recognised as a people-led business that is underpinned by an inclusive, fun culture, with highly engaged communities of individuals and that our people are enabled (through our people practices, and processes) to perform, take ownership and grow. We are committed to creating a culture and climate where our people thrive, feel like they belong, and can impact our business indelibly. 

Can you tell us a bit more about Mukuru’s values? What drives your organisation?

Our core values at Mukuru are:

  • Connect with our customers
  • Create belonging
  • Take ownership
  • Growth through learning
  • Work and play with passion
  • Innovation and solve continuously

What were the biggest hurdles you faced in becoming a Top Employer?

This is not a hurdle or obstacle but a critical success factor – bringing the existing Human Capital team on board, ensuring alignment to the shared vision of the People Strategy and getting buy-in and understanding of how we benchmark our people capabilities, practices and processes to the TE standards was pivotal for us to be able to see if and how we were shifting the dial of the People function at Mukuru, but also being measured against global standards, and not marking our own homework, could be a game changer for our roles and function.

This was an internal focus, but we were determined to make it faster than the expected 36 months. This meant that a lot of time investment, long hours, innumerable hours of stakeholder engagement to get buy-in and input, refinements, and experimenting with stuff all served as our self-created pressure. Fortunately, it yielded the desired outcome: coordination and internal team alignment to ensure the delivery of key Top Employer practices.

What do you think you would do if you could go back in time and do something differently?

I don’t think there would be anything significant we would change. From the start, we all engaged, took ownership, and ran with the pieces that we could contribute to. We knew what our goal was and worked relentlessly in pursuit of it. We initially set a goal of 36 months to be certified, and we achieved this 18 months ahead of time.

Possibly, we could have pushed the dial more. This could have been a better utilisation of the practices on the platform. We did reference some of them, but we could have accessed it more. This speaks to our focus on growth through learning and bettering ourselves, but we also wanted to push the dial ourselves (Innovate and Solve Continuously).

I think that sharing the aim/goal with the team was important from the get-go. Positioning our intent that we will not mark our own work but align to best practices and be measured against other organisations.

How did you celebrate your Certification?

If there is one word that encapsulates how we felt when we received the confirmation email, it would be ‘WOW’, and that doesn’t even capture the numerous emotions that we experienced. It was and still is a surreal experience. But in true Mukuru fashion, we are already thinking about “what’s next”, meaning, which is the next country that we want to get Certified in.

We felt overwhelmed with pride at being externally validated for the hard work that the Human Capital team puts into this, to ensure that our business is set up for success and that our people can feel proud that they work for a company that truly values them and is committed to ensuring that they are valued. We are humbled to stand head-to-head with organisations 10 times or 100 times larger than us. We can say we are worthy and capable, and can be a magnet for fintech talent! 

Practically, we printed Top Employers frames, linked the Top Employers Certification on our website and socials, and created digital backgrounds for our People Acquisition team. At our 20th Birthday celebration, we celebrated the Certification for 2024 as a business. We recorded Top Employers videos that we use as part of our campaigns.

Have you noticed any changes since Mukuru became a Certified Top Employer?

Internally, we were in a position where we could reference our work against best-in-class global practices, making it easier to “sell”. It was also tangible, measurable, and not airy-fairy, which connected with business language. Within the HC team, it allowed us to reference the thinking and the work we intended to do against global practices. This either affirmed that we were on the right track or presented opportunities for refinement or overhauling. It serves as a great learning and thought-provoking basis. 

From a team morale perspective, it also served as a boost. When we could see that the possibility existed that we were doing more than others in certain spheres, it boosted the team and spurred them on to do and be better. The same applied to where we could see through the tracking that we were lagging. It wasn’t demotivating, but the information and support provided by the Top Employers Institute’s engagement team boosted our efforts by questioning and challenging how we were doing something or thinking about something. Our learning throughout this process was and remains an invaluable outcome.

Do you have any data that reflects these changes?

We do; they include:

  • Time to Hire: Over the past two years, our time to hire has decreased from 3.9 months to 3.15 months, reflecting a reduction of 19.23%. This is below the industry benchmark of 3.5 months.
  • Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS): Our eNPS stands at 27.7%, which is 7% above the industry benchmark of 26%.
  • Training Effectiveness: Our actual training effectiveness score, measured by first-time pass rates, is 95%, exceeding the industry benchmark of 90%.
  • Turnover Ratio: Our turnover ratio is currently 12.75%, which is below the industry benchmark range of 15-19%.
  • Cost Per Hire: Our cost per hire has decreased significantly from R92,000 (around € 4800) two years ago to R40,132 (around €2095) in 2024. This is a 56% reduction and is below the industry benchmark of R55,000 (around €2900) to R90,000 (around €4700) per hire.
  • Average Employee Tenure: Over the last two years, we have increased the average tenure of our employees by 25%, rising from 2.9 years to 3.64 years.
  • High-Performance Ecosystem: We have successfully improved our performance distribution over the past two years, with the number of high-performing employees increasing from 8% to 14.85%, aligning better with industry benchmarks.
  • Improvement in Training Quality: Our overall training effectiveness, measured through Training Satisfaction (TSAT) scores, increased by 3%, rising from 4.5/5 two years ago to 4.6/5 now.
  • AI Wellness App Uptake: Since the app’s launch, the platform has had 717 unique users.

Wow, those are amazing results. Can you share some of the results of your HR Best Practices Survey? I know that you surpassed the global benchmark in several topics.

Yes, in our last survey, we were honoured to receive the following results:

  • In the Learning topic, we scored 3,51% over the benchmark, which was 86,4%.
  • In the Onboarding, we were 2.3% over the 80,75% benchmark.
  • And lastly, our most significant areas of improvement from 2023 to 2024 were related to Organisational change (49.36% improvement); Digital HR (43.29% improvement); People Strategy and Work Environment (32% improvement each) and 28% improvement on Ethics and Integrity.

Do you have exciting plans for the future?

We absolutely do! We have many plans underway, but here are just a few:

  • We are excited about our new Human Resources Information System, which will help us advance our practices.
  • We are also eager to leverage our Certification to bolster our employee value proposition (referred to as Mx)
  • We will further roll out our DEIB tactical plan across the business and embed an understanding and inclusive culture where all our people feel like they belong.
  • Refinement of our people development initiatives, starting with the embedding of our leadership behaviours
  • Amplifying our employee listening strategy with a robust, globally validated measure focusing on wellbeing, and barriers to job resources and job demands that impact employee engagement.

Before we go, do you have any tips for other Top Employers based on your experience so far?

Never devalue or ignore even the smallest effort to improve or refine how and what you do for your people. Ensure that whatever you do is superimposed against the bigger picture of your organisation’s goals and its aspirations for your people. If your “why” is grounded in purpose and you always stay true to that, this serves as your north star, as it will keep you on track, even when it feels too much.

Set goals and targets with timelines and ensure that you check progress against commitments at your pit stops and refine where needed. Ensure that everyone is aligned and on board. Don’t rely solely on the people team for input and experimentation; involve your people and your leaders in the testing—they are the greatest source of information on what works/doesn’t and will/will not.

Achieving certifications like Top Employer is not a race, but an ongoing journey that demands dedication, low ego, honest conversations and reflections, iterations, and a thoughtful, measured team approach.

And the reward? A journey filled with the thrill of reaching the destination, and the excitement of charting the next adventure, towards creating a future-proofed, people-first, global organisation.

Q&A with Bentley Motors

How does certified Top Employer Bentley Motors stay ahead in a fast-changing world of work? In our latest Q&A with Nicola Johnson and Danny Silcock, we explore what makes Bentley Motors a Top Employer. From AI-powered recruitment to leadership programmes as bespoke as their cars, discover how they’re building a workplace fit for the future.

Introduce yourself and tell us about your organisation

I’m Nicola Johnson, Director of our People and Culture Centre of Excellence at Bentley. My role focuses on driving a high-performance culture, learning and development, HR digital, talent acquisition and overseeing reward strategies. I’ve worked at Bentley for 20 years and have enjoyed a wide range of opportunities across HR, working alongside great leaders and teams over the years within the Volkswagen Group.

I’m Danny Silcock. Head of People and Culture Strategy and Transformation at Bentley. I’ve been in the role for around three years, leading our people strategy, transformation and change initiatives, as well as risk, compliance and policies. I’ve been at Bentley for 20 years and my previous roles have been within corporate strategy and manufacturing. This has enabled me to have a good understanding of the business, and similar to Nicola, I’ve had lots of opportunities to work with great people and collaborating with other brands across the wider Volkswagen Group.

What makes your organisation a Top Employer?

It’s the 14th consecutive year that we’ve been certified as a Top Employer in the UK, and a lot of that is due to our dedication to having an outstanding and extraordinary workplace. This year, we’ve been recognised for our excellent practices in strategic HR direction, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and learning and development. We use the Top Employer framework to help shape our people strategy, therefore we can identify opportunities for growth and constantly improve.

Can you tell us about a recent HR initiative you or your team have implemented that you’re particularly proud of?

There are a couple of initiatives that we’re particularly proud of. The first is our upskilling and skills transformation programme which focuses on equipping colleagues with the capabilities they’ll need for the future – both for their own career development and to support Bentley’s Beyond100+ corporate strategy. Skills in areas such as electric vehicles, cybersecurity, software development and AI are all critical.

Secondly, our Charge Forward Leadership Programme has been the most impactful leadership development initiative that we’ve delivered to date which was a significant investment in our people. All our leaders took part in a diagnostic process to identify their individual strengths and development needs. We then built and personalised bespoke programmes for our leaders – much like how we tailor our cars to each customer. One leader described it as “life changing,” which was really good to hear. We’re now rolling the programme across our management population and our wider colleagues to ensure that everyone has the right skills and support for their role and for their long-term career development.

How are you adapting your people practices to meet the expectations of the next generation of workers?

I think the biggest thing we’ve recognised is that the world of work changing – and before we talk about practices, we have had to adapt some of our facilities. Our Crewe campus, known as the Dream Factory, is expanding and growing. We have world class facilities for meetings for collaboration, to help people come together.

To support skills transformation, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on early careers intake. This brings in future-ready talent with the mindset to grow alongside emerging skills. It also plays a role in our talent pipeline.

We’ve worked hard to ensure that everything happening at a corporate level is meaningfully connected to functional areas, creating alignment across the business. Our people practices are structured and strategic – but there are also symbolic shifts underway. You can genuinely see the transformation taking place.

How is your organisation leveraging AI to enhance the workplace, and what impact has it had on your people and processes so far?

AI presents a significant strategic opportunity for Bentley, not only in driving productivity and efficiency but also in enhancing the employee experience. We’re already seeing a number of use cases across the business, and in recruitment specifically, AI is helping us connect with external candidates more effectively and craft more inclusive job advertisements.

There are more use cases that we’re currently exploring, including our HR digital transformation programme, which we are implementing with the Volkswagen Group. This initiative focuses on talent intelligence and will support smarter, data-driven people decisions.

We’re upskilling colleagues to build awareness of how to use AI tools effectively, while also equipping our leaders with the strategic capabilities needed to lead in an AI-enabled world.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for HR leaders in the next five years, and how are you preparing for it?

The biggest challenge is going to be responding to challenges. Over the last few years, we’ve navigated Brexit, COVID and lot of uncertainty around the world. Markets and regions are changing and therefore customers and people that we work with want different experiences and products.

Our key challenge will be staying agile and responding to future challenges in a way that supports Bentley’s core values, while enhancing our existing tools and focusing on our people. Our workforce brings a wealth of experience and proven capability, and it’s through these skills that we can rise to complex challenges, drive innovation, and push the boundaries of the automotive industry. The more we embrace this mindset, the more successful we’ll be in the future.

Bentley Motors – Proud to be a Top Employer. Discover more on the Bentley Careers YouTube channel.

Become a Top Employer

Top Employers Institute inspires and enables organisations around the world to become Top Employers using its Certification and data-led insights as the trusted foundation. Is your organisation ready to become a Top Employer?