Hilton reached a major milestone in late 2023 when the company became the first hospitality firm to be named the best workplace in the world by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work after years near the top of the rankings.
Speaking on the Hotel News Now podcast, Hilton's Senior Vice President and Global Head of Talent Christine Maginnis said the distinction is a proud moment for the company and the culmination of a century's worth of culture-building and keying in on it over the past 16 years, in particular.
"Our founder, Conrad Hilton, set out to build this company in 1919, so over 100 years ago, and he did that with the recognition that people and service were at the heart of hospitality," she said. "We recommitted to this intense focus on our culture when Hilton entered its current era in 2007, sparking a new period of growth in our people and in our business."
Today, Hilton boasts roughly 460,000 team members across the globe — which includes Hilton employees and those who work for Hilton's franchisees — and Maginnis said it's her job to help build a strong culture for all of them.
"We prioritize an unwavering focus on creating a workplace that's inclusive, one that offers strong growth opportunities, is driven by our founding purpose and provides the kind of support that empowers our team members to bring their best, most authentic selves to work," she said.
For Hotel News Now's full conversation with Hilton's Christine Maginnis, listen to the podcast above and subscribe to the Hotel News Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find podcasts.
(This story was updated on Jan. 10 to clarify the number of people who work for Hilton and its partners in the fourth paragraph.)