Why has Microsoft Been Named the World’s Best Employer?

In a world of business uncertainty, from economic challenges to political unrest, leaders must balance growth strategies with ways of ensuring employee wellbeing more than ever before.

According to Forbes, to truly prioritise employees, internal company systems must establish a positive work-life balance every day.

Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume, tells the company: “Employers can promote a healthy work-life balance by encouraging managers to lead by example.

“Teams who see their manager logging off at the end of the working day, using their PTO and setting boundaries around their workload are more likely to model this behaviour themselves.”

Forbes has published its annual World’s Best Employers 2025 list in partnership with market research firm Statista. The ranking measures the world’s best employers in terms of employee wellbeing, surveying more than 300,000 employees in over 50 countries.

The company that topped the 2025 list is Satya Nadella’s Microsoft, followed by Delta Air Lines and Google parent company Alphabet.

In a previous statement, Satya said: “Thriving employees are what will give organisations a competitive advantage in today’s economic environment.”

Becoming the world’s best employers

To be considered for the Forbes’ World’s Best Employer list, companies must meet several benchmarks.

Depending on the category being ranked, initial qualifying criteria may include metrics such as employee count, number of years in business and industry category.

For this survey, respondents were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer to family and friends, and rated the company around salary, career advancement opportunities, work-life balance and company reputation.

Respondents could also evaluate former employees of the last two years and companies they know through industry knowledge and through friends and family who work there.

According to Forbes, the responses were then added up and put through a scoring system that included data from the previous three years - weighted heavier on the more recent data.

The top 900 companies made it onto the World’s Best Employers list. The top 10 are:

1. Microsoft
2. Delta Air Lines
3. Alphabet
4. Adobe
5. BMW Group
6. NVIDIA
7. Sony
8. IBM
9. Apple 
10. Lego Group 

To what extent do firms focus on employee wellbeing?

Discussing the importance of making wellbeing a priority, Peter also says that those who don’t prevent a culture of overwork “will drive away many employees, especially those with children or other caring responsibilities”.

He adds: “Employees who might have been happy to stay for years and progress their careers with the company might find themselves looking for another job elsewhere, at another organisation with more flexible policies and a better work-life balance."

The 2025 Employer Well-Being Strategy Survey by the Business Group on Health, outlined that almost all of the surveyed employers provided employee assistant programmes (EAPs).

EAPs give workers access to counseling services that support aspects of well-being including mental health and financial health.

The survey, published in May 2025, was completed by 131 employers that collectively employ 11.2 million employees worldwide.

Microsoft’s commitment to employee well-being 

Although Microsoft has ranked highest in terms of work-life balance and career advancement, among other factors, in 2025, the firm has been a long-time advocate for putting its staff first, demonstrated by the launch of Microsoft Viva in 2021.

The software enhances employee experience through integrating communication, knowledge, learning and insight into workflow.

Microsoft says: “Particularly since the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work-life balance conversation has shifted to one of work-life integration.”

Discussing the importance of employee integration at the time of Microsoft Viva’s launch, Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerMedia, said: “Another hallmark of a good leader is to ask questions.

“It’s the best way to show your team that you recognise they’re more than just cogs on a wheel. ‘Hey, how are things going?’ ‘How’s the new baby?’ ‘What are you excited about lately?’ And then… listen.”

Despite uncertainties in volatile business environments, the results of the survey show employers are maintaining awareness of employee well-being alongside their core strategies.