Claire Hastwell
As the Content Program Manager at Great Place To Work, Claire helps decode the psychology behind high-trust workplaces using Great Place To Work's extensive data repository on employee experience. Claire has co-authored noted reports such as "Women in the Workplace" and “The Power of Purpose at Work,” and contributed to Fortune with her profiles of the Best Workplaces™. Her latest report on employee retention strategies draws on the experience of 1.3 million employees to give leaders strategic guidance on retaining their top people.
Most recent articles
Blog Creating a Culture of Recognition: Tips for Driving Loyalty
Employee recognition is a method of support that helps employees know their contributions are recognized and appreciated. Employees want to know how they are doing and recognizing employees demonstrates what success looks like. Companies recognize...
Blog 8 Key Elements of Company Culture with Inspiring Examples
The secret to attracting and holding onto the world’s best talent isn’t about the work perks — it’s about relationships. It can be hard to define, but you know it when you see it: a great company culture. One where employees feel seen and heard, where...
Blog Defining and Living Your Company Core Values: A Roadmap to Building a Purpose-Driven Culture
Want a company culture people actually care about? It starts with living your core values—not just framing them on the wall. Let’s talk about why relevance, resonance, and leading by example turn good cultures into great ones. We all have our own...
Blog The Ultimate Guide to Performance Management: What It Is and How To Do It Right
Think of performance management as a garden. Without regular care—watering, pruning, and guidance—growth stalls. But with the right attention, employees can flourish, contributing to a vibrant, thriving workplace. Imagine taking a road trip without a...
Blog Employee Training and Development: The Benefits of Upskilling or Reskilling Your Team
Employee training and development isn’t just about teaching employees to do their jobs. It’s about showing employees they are valued and that upward movement in the organization is possible. When employees don’t see opportunity, they don’t bring their...
Blog Navigating Uncertainty: Why Listening During Change Builds Stronger Teams
Change is messy, but silence is riskier. Gathering feedback during tough times isn’t just smart — it’s essential to maintaining trust and resilience. “It’s not the right time — we’re going through [insert big change here].” Mergers, layoffs,...
Blog How to Build Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Psychological safety is often misunderstood and undervalued in the workplace. When leaders cultivate a psychologically safe workplace, employees are more engaged and far more likely to bring forward game-changing ideas. I once was in charge of running...
Blog What Is a Fortune 100 Company? How Top Workplaces Make the List
What is a Fortune 100 company, and how do businesses earn this prestigious recognition? Explore the rigorous selection process and the factors that define workplace excellence. In the nuanced world of business, the formula for staff...
Blog Workplace ESG: How ESG Factors Shape Employee Engagement
The correlation between ESG and employee engagement is undeniable.ESG performance is a driver of employee engagement and an important piece of what makes a company a great place to work. It may sound almost too good to believe, but there's a...
Blog 9 Employee Well-being Programs From the 100 Best Companies
See how employee well-being programs thrive at the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® — real strategies that boost health, engagement, and retention. Perhaps more than any other aspect of workplace culture, employee well-being requires a holistic...
Blog How to Address Menopause in the Workplace
Supporting women with menopausal symptoms can have a positive impact on both employee well-being, retention and the bottom line of your business. If you’re not a woman approaching your 50s, you may be wondering why you need to read further. But here’s...
Blog Parental Leave: How Much Time Off Do Companies Give?
When it comes to your company’s parental leave policy, how does it compare to the Best Workplaces for Parents? Becoming a parent is a time of great excitement and great planning. There are plenty of things to organize before welcoming a new child into...
Blog What Is Employee Experience? Definition & Strategies
An exceptional employee experience can help differentiate your company from your competitors. Here’s how to improve your strategy. The employee experience (also known as EX) starts with the hiring and onboarding process and continues until a person...
Blog Employee Recognition & Team Celebrations: Why Recognizing Milestones Is Vital for Team Success
How you celebrate shared achievements reinforces your commitment to a high-trust, people-first workplace. When you take a moment to celebrate achievements like earning Great Place To Work® Certification™, you’re doing more than just boosting morale....
Blog 11 Benefits of Earning Great Place To Work Certification™
Turn your Certification into a strategic advantage that 76% of job seekers can't resist, while deepening trust across your organization. Achieving Great Place To Work® Certification™ is more than just a recognition — it’s a powerful tool that shapes...
Blog How to Build a Magnetic Inside-Out Employer Brand: Secrets to Empowering Employees as Brand Champions
A genuine employer brand comes alive through the active participation of its employees, not just crafted messages from marketing or HR. Successful employer brands tell their culture story from the inside out. And the best storytellers are your...
Blog 9 Best Practices to Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Improving the diversity and inclusion in your workplace is about more than increased hiring of women, BIPOC, non-binary or neurodiverse employees. It is about weaving genuine inclusion into the fabric of your organization.
Blog Job Seekers Are 15X More Likely To Choose Certified Great Workplaces
How Great Place To Work Certified companies outpace the average U.S. workplace Are you feeling the heat in today’s competitive job market? You’re not alone. Attracting and retaining top talent is becoming a tougher puzzle to solve. But what if I...
Blog Onboarding Gen Z: How to Connect With Gen Z in the Workplace
Integrate relationship-building, upskilling, and flexibility into your welcome when bringing on new Gen Z employees. How warm is your workplace welcome? Great Place To Work research has identified “hiring & welcoming” as a key leadership behavior...
Blog Is There a Relationship Between Return-to-Office Mandates and Employee Retention?
Employees are more likely to stay longer when they have a say in where and how they work. Return-to-office mandates can potentially harm retention and diversity. If you’ve noticed more people joining you on your morning commute, you’re probably not...
Blog How To Make the Case for Company Culture to Leadership
Turn skepticism into conviction and ensure that your leadership not only understands the value of a great workplace culture but also becomes its strongest advocate. Recently, I hosted a webinar on leadership behaviors that drive retention, and I was...
Blog 5 Ways to Engage and Motivate Seasonal Workers
Looking for ways to improve holiday hiring and retention? Our research offers smart strategies for keeping seasonal workers motivated and integrated, especially in retail and hospitality. The holiday hiring season is upon us, presenting unique...
Blog 5 Genius Ways to Share Employee Stories on Social Media
Why employee stories should be part of your employer branding strategy plus real company examples for sharing them with maximum impact. What was your company’s latest social media post? Was it about your product? Or was it about your people? How...
Blog How to Preserve Employee Trust During Times of Disruption
When employers take the time to check in on staff during times of disruption, it ensures employee trust is not broken. They say timing is everything, and any leader who has ever had to manage people during layoffs, mergers, or other company changes...
Blog 5 Expert Tips to Navigate HR Challenges and Forge a Thriving Company Culture
Feeling disenchanted about improving your workplace culture? Turn obstacles into an opportunity to foster a better company culture and more successful business. Creating a positive company culture can seem like a daunting task. Lack of buy-in, budget...
Blog Employee Listening Strategies: Employee Resource Groups & Committees
To foster a harmonious workplace culture, companies must align management's perception with employees' actual experiences through active listening strategies, like engaging groups and committees. At many companies, there’s a huge disconnect...
Blog 4 Ways To Improve Company Culture That Your Manager Doesn’t Have To Approve
Improving your company’s culture doesn’t need to take as much time as you may think. Small daily changes can pay off in employee productivity and loyalty. “I’m swamped, and I just don’t have the time right now.” Sounds familiar, right? Just about...
Reports Overcome Common HR Challenges to Cultivate a Thriving Company Culture
Great Place To Work®’s insights into company culture and how to overcome common HR challenges have been shaped by thousands of hours of conversations, interviews, and focus groups with employees from various industries. With 30 years of research under...
Blog 21 Ideas To Celebrate and Promote Your Company Culture Award
Brilliant ideas for promoting your company culture award inspired by how Certified™ great workplaces celebrate their workplace recognition. Did you recently become Great Place To Work® Certified™ or named a Best Workplaces™winner? It’s time to...
Blog How to Build and Support Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Building a neurodiverse workforce is advantageous because neurodiverse people possess the skills particularly needed right now as businesses adopt more advanced technology. For example, artificial intelligence and robotics, and the demand for STEM...