What America's "Best Startup Employers" (According to Forbes) Are Doing To Recruit, Engage, and Retain Top Talent
Here's what these top employers and doing (that you can't afford NOT to do) if you want to find and keep talented employees at your organization
Every year, Forbes releases its list of America’s Best Startup Employers, highlighting the companies that are excelling in three key areas: employee satisfaction, employer reputation, and company growth.
These are the companies that are not only attracting top talent but also keeping them engaged and motivated.
So, what exactly sets these employers apart?
What are they doing differently to create workplaces where employees are excited to stay, grow, and contribute?
From innovative management practices to strong cultural investments, one common factor among many of these top startups is their emphasis on regular team retreats—an approach proven to strengthen culture, improve collaboration, and drive business success.
In fact, many of the companies featured on Forbes' 2025 list—including Remote, Nova Credit, Flex, and Guild Education—are clients of Offsite, leveraging strategic retreats to enhance their teams' productivity and engagement.
Many of these clients plan multiple offsites annually throughout the org, in addition to bringing everyone together for All-Hands Meetings (like Guild, this May, with about 1000 employees).
Here’s a deep dive into the key strategies that America’s Best Startup Employers are using to build world-class teams in 2025:
1. Prioritizing Employee Well-being Beyond Traditional Benefits
The best startups understand that employee well-being isn’t just about offering health insurance and a 401(k). They are taking a holistic approach by investing in programs that support employees’ mental, physical, and emotional health.
This includes:
Flexible Work Arrangements: Remote and hybrid work models are becoming the standard. Employees want the freedom to work when and where they’re most productive.
Mental Health Support: Access to counseling, wellness stipends, and mindfulness programs are key perks.
Unique Perks: Some startups now offer petcare, elder care support, unlimited vacation, and paid sabbaticals.
These policies go beyond what’s expected and signal to employees that their company cares about them as people, not just as workers.
2. Encouraging Autonomy, Creativity, and Ownership
Top startups recognize that talented employees thrive when they have autonomy over their work. Rather than micromanaging, these companies empower employees to take ownership of their projects, fostering an environment of trust and creativity.
Many companies have adopted a “Results-Only Work Environment” (ROWE) where employees are evaluated based on outcomes rather than hours worked.
Some companies offer “innovation time,” where employees can dedicate a portion of their week to working on new ideas that could benefit the business.
Additionally, leadership fosters a culture of experimentation where failure is seen as a stepping stone to success rather than a career risk.
By giving employees the freedom to innovate, these startups cultivate a workforce that is engaged, motivated, and constantly striving for excellence.
3. High-Commitment Management: Transparency, Trust, and Engagement
The best startup employers are intentional about how they communicate with their teams. They ensure that employees feel heard, valued, and aligned with the company’s mission.
You can accomplish this in your organization by implementing:
Regular All-Hands Meetings & Open Q&As – Employees want transparency. Top startups hold consistent company-wide meetings where leadership shares updates, answers tough questions, and involves employees in decision-making.
Recognition & Rewards Systems – Companies with high employee satisfaction don’t take great work for granted. They celebrate wins through public recognition, bonuses, or extra time off.
Opportunities for Leadership & Growth – High-performing startups actively promote from within and offer mentorship programs, leadership development tracks, and stipends for continuing education.
When employees feel like they have a voice and a clear path forward, they are more likely to stay and invest in the company’s long-term vision.
4. Investing in Regular Team Retreats
One of the biggest differentiators of top startup employers is their commitment to bringing employees together in person—through well-planned, high-impact company retreats.
While many of these companies operate remotely or in hybrid environments, they understand that virtual work can only go so far in building culture and collaboration.
The top startups invest in company offsites to:
Strengthen relationships between employees who don’t see each other daily.
Reinforce company culture and shared values in an immersive setting.
Create strategic alignment by gathering leadership to plan long-term goals.
Boost engagement & morale by providing a change of scenery and fresh perspectives.
Drive innovation through in-person collaboration that isn’t possible over Zoom.
Companies like Remote, Nova Credit, Flex, and Guild Education—all featured on Forbes' list of top employers—have used Offsite to help plan their retreats, making it easy to organize seamless, impactful gatherings that employees love.
We’ve also helped companies like Buffer, 15Five, HiBob, Harvey.ai, Reforge, ElevenLabs, and countless others. Basically, we are the “go to” offsite experts for people leaders within high-growth startups.
If that’s you, and you want to see what a world-class offsite looks like, get in touch with us at Offsite.com to explore how top companies are making in-person retreats a core part of their culture.
5. Creating a Purpose-Driven Culture
Employees today want more than just a paycheck—they want to feel like their work has meaning.
The best startup employers are crystal clear about why they exist and how every employee contributes to that mission.
They do this by:
Aligning company goals with broader social impact. Many startups have strong ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives, investing in sustainability, social responsibility, and DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion).
Encouraging community involvement. Some companies give employees time off for volunteer work or match charitable donations.
Weaving purpose into everyday work. Employees feel motivated when they see how their contributions make a real difference—whether that’s helping customers, driving innovation, or solving real-world problems.
Companies that emphasize mission-driven work create an emotional connection with employees that leads to higher engagement, lower turnover, and a stronger employer brand.
6. Maintaining a Continuous Learning Mindset
The best companies never stop evolving, and neither do their employees.
Top startups prioritize continuous learning and upskilling to ensure their teams stay at the cutting edge of their industries.
This includes:
Stipends for online courses, certifications, and conferences.
Internal knowledge-sharing programs, where employees can teach each other new skills.
Executive coaching & leadership training to help rising leaders develop their potential.
When employees see a clear path for growth, they are much more likely to stay and develop their careers within the company rather than looking elsewhere for opportunities.
Final Thoughts: How Startups Can Stay Competitive In The War For Top Talent
The companies that make Forbes’ Best Startup Employers list aren’t just offering great salaries—they are actively designing workplaces where people want to be.
By prioritizing employee well-being, autonomy, transparency, retreats, purpose-driven work, and continuous learning, these companies have cracked the code for attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent.
Want to take your team culture to the next level?
One of the best investments you can make is a strategic, well-planned offsite.
At Offsite, we’ve helped some of the best startup employers in the country create retreats that drive alignment, strengthen relationships, and boost engagement.
If you're ready to plan your next retreat, we’re here to help.
Click here to make a free account or email me at jared@offsite.com to learn more.