If there’s one thing employees want from their leaders, it’s hope.
According to a recent Gallup survey, the majority of employees desire a clear vision of the future. When leaders act with transparency and consistency, it creates an environment where employees trust that their work contributes to a company’s mission.
Leaders can cultivate this kind of culture in many ways. At Dropbox, a cloud-based storage, sharing and collaboration software provider, leaders keep a pulse on how employees are doing through regular employee engagement surveys, and once they understand what needs to be adjusted, they act on it.
”Across survey responses, employees consistently point to transparency, trust and a shared sense of direction as defining parts of the Dropbox experience,” VP of Talent Acquisition Eric Trickett said.
Leaders at Zoro, a subsidiary of Grainger that sells maintenance, repair and operating supplies to business owners, take a similar approach to building employee engagement. By creating space for bi-weekly companywide meetings and monthly business reviews, employees gain insight into what other teams are building, making them feel more connected to their work and to each other.
“Our leaders trust team members and empower us to be curious, ask questions and share feedback,” Talent Program Manager Holly Knowles said.
Read on to learn how leaders at Dropbox, Zoro and six other companies drive employee satisfaction and trust by embracing transparent, empowering practices.
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Dropbox provides cloud-based solutions for file storage, sharing and collaboration, leveraging AI to transform knowledge work for over 700 million users.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
At Dropbox, employees are invited to own their impact from the moment they join. As a company approaching 20 years and serving more than 700 million users worldwide, that ownership comes with meaningful opportunity.
Employees are trusted to apply their skills and experience, experiment with new ideas and find better ways to build products and work together. That agency extends to their own careers and to helping shape Dropbox’s future. At Dropbox, employees don’t just contribute to what the company is today; they help imagine and build what comes next.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
Dropbox leaders build trust by listening systematically to employees and responding to what they hear. Regular employee engagement surveys give people at every level an opportunity to share candid feedback about their experience, while helping leaders identify where support, clarity or new ways of working are needed.
“Regular employee engagement surveys give people at every level an opportunity to share candid feedback about their experience, while helping leaders identify where support, clarity or new ways of working are needed.”
Leaders reinforce that trust by helping employees do their best work by removing barriers, creating more uninterrupted focus time and experimenting with AI to reduce lower-value tasks. In the second quarter of 2026, overall employee satisfaction was near an all-time high: Eighty-two percent of respondents said they feel cared about as people, 90 percent said their managers value their contributions, 92 percent said they have colleagues they trust, and 91 percent said their teams accomplish goals effectively.
How do employees describe Dropbox’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Employees describe Dropbox as a company that trusts its people, values their judgment and gives them the freedom to do their best work. They feel respected by their managers and confident in Dropbox’s direction, including its strategy, its customer-centered decision-making and the actions senior leaders are taking to position the company for long-term success.
Across survey responses, employees consistently point to transparency, trust and a shared sense of direction as defining parts of the Dropbox experience. These qualities build confidence within the company and give employees a story worth sharing beyond it: that Dropbox is a place where people are empowered to make a difference and inspired by what they are building together.
Zoro is a subsidiary of Grainger that sells maintenance, repair and operating supplies to business owners.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
At Zoro, we’re proud to be part of something bigger: helping businesses get the supplies they need to keep running. As a growing e-commerce company, we’re empowered to stay curious, be agile and build really cool things for our customers. Through our shared purpose and values, we connect our work to Zoro’s success by being customer-obsessed, winning and learning together, being transparent and taking ownership.
We also have a voice in how our culture evolves. Every year, team members get to share feedback on the work we do, the people we work with and our overall work environment through Zoro’s engagement survey. Our leaders use that feedback to help us keep getting better.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
Trust is built into Zoro’s values, specifically the expectation that we’re open, honest and candid with each other every step of the way. From where the business is today to where we’re headed and how we’ll get there, leaders play an integral role in clearly communicating priorities and the reasons behind decisions so teams can focus on the right work at the right time.
Our leaders trust team members and empower us to be curious, ask questions and share feedback. We create space for team member-led, bi-weekly companywide meetings, designed as an open forum where anyone can sign up to spotlight work they’re proud of and learn what others are building. Monthly business reviews also provide visibility into key work happening across the organization.
“Our leaders trust team members and empower us to be curious, ask questions and share feedback.”
How do employees describe Zoro’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Our goal at Zoro is to foster a culture where team members don’t just work here — they belong here. Embracing the unique talents and experiences of each individual allows us to show up as our full, authentic selves, while staying customer-obsessed and working together to help businesses and their people thrive.
Our collaborative culture is grounded in ownership, transparency and continuous growth. It shows up in the way leaders empower team members and in the flexibility our hybrid work model provides. It’s also reflected in the workplace recognition Zoro has earned based on team member feedback.
Wasabi Technologies’ software is designed to make cloud storage affordable, predictable and secure.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
Wasabi prioritizes promoting talent from within, whether through our internship program or lateral moves within the organization. This approach gives employees clear, accessible pathways to advance their careers and grow with the company, creating a team invested in each other’s success.
“Wasabi prioritizes promoting talent from within, whether through our internship program or lateral moves within the organization.”
Unlike many tech companies that mandated a return to the office after Covid-19, our leadership listened when employees said they valued working from home. Seeing that the business continued to thrive while employees benefited from greater work-life balance, they chose to keep remote flexibility as a core benefit. That decision continues to reflect a genuine trust in our people and a commitment to their well-being and the work they do.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
Humility and accessibility from leadership! Our co-founders, David Friend and Jeff Flowers, set the tone for the entire company through genuine humility and lack of ego. They actively collaborate with teams across the company and value input from everyone. That kind of leadership from the top creates an environment where people feel safe speaking up and being honest. When your leaders don’t have walls around them, transparency naturally follows throughout the organization.
How do employees describe Wasabi Technologies’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
From the outside, we’ve built a reputation as a company that outpunches our size. We have a strong brand presence and effectively communicate our value to the market, so customers and industry observers perceive us as a large and established organization, even though Wasabi still is a relatively young company. That’s a testament to how well we market ourselves and how solid our actual product and service delivery are.
Internally, people genuinely enjoy working here. We have a lot of long-tenured employees (I myself have been at Wasabi since April of 2017!), which speaks to how much people value being part of the team.
HCSS offers software solutions that are designed to help construction companies streamline their operations, offering support for tasks such as project management, crew safety and resource planning.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
One of the things that makes me proud to work at HCSS is our culture and the genuine sense of belonging the company works hard to create. Employees are encouraged to be themselves, grow in their careers and make a difference both within the company and in the communities where we live and work. Our values are a big part of that. Our ERGs are a great example. They give employees a chance to connect, build community and make a real difference. Recently, our ERGs came together to raise money to provide more than 500 backpacks to children in the Fort Bend community. Seeing employees rally around something bigger than themselves is a great reflection of who we are. It’s also the everyday opportunities to connect and learn that make HCSS unique. From our Wednesday company lunch meetings, where employees can share what they’ve learned, to Heritage Fest, there are so many opportunities to build relationships and get to know the people we work with. Ultimately, I’m proud to work at HCSS because our culture is an experience, and it shows up in how we support each other.
“Employees are encouraged to be themselves, grow in their careers and make a difference both within the company and in the communities where we live and work.”
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
At HCSS, leaders build trust by being accessible, approachable and willing to have real conversations with employees. Our leadership “Ask Me Anything” sessions give employees a direct opportunity to ask questions and get to know our leaders on both a professional and personal level. Transparency shows up in how our leaders communicate through change and explain the “why” behind decisions. Employees are encouraged to ask questions, speak up and share different perspectives. Our values emphasize the importance of building trust, especially “Be someone people trust” and “Genuinely care for the people you interact with.” Leaders make themselves available and make an effort to keep employees informed.
How do employees describe HCSS’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Employees often describe HCSS as a great place to work where people are valued and genuinely cared for. Their accomplishments are recognized and rewarded, and there’s a shared belief in what we are building together. HCSS is also known for its presence in the construction industry, but our reputation goes beyond the software we provide. Our customers experience the same sense of community and genuine care that our employees do, and many appreciate the relationships and culture that come with being part of the HCSS community.
Guided by the mission to “make financial health possible for everyone,” Possible Finance provides credit products and payment plans for Americans who face unpredictable income and are denied access to traditional banks and credit systems.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
At Possible, we foster a deep connection to our mission by hosting company-wide meet and greets with our customers, both virtually and in person. These recurring sessions provide a space for us to listen, relate and empathize with the real-world hardships and successes our customers face. When we hear these stories, it serves as a powerful reminder that our work directly impacts lives and that we are helping individuals gain control over their financial health. This focus on the human element behind our product motivates the entire team and fills us with genuine pride in the work we do every day.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
Our leadership team cultivates an environment of transparency through monthly companywide meetings designed to keep every team member connected and informed about initiatives across all departments. Regular, honest updates regarding business health and upcoming changes prevent ambiguity and build long-term trust with our leadership team. To ensure open communication, our leaders conclude each session with an “Ask Me Anything” segment, providing a dedicated space for employees to pose questions directly, share feedback and gain clear insights into the company’s direction. The “Ask Me Anything” format removes barriers, fostering a culture where leaders are accessible and accountable.
“Regular, honest updates regarding business health and upcoming changes prevent ambiguity and build long-term trust with our leadership team.”
How do employees describe Possible Finance’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Internally and externally, Possible is recognized for holding steadfast to our core values, while consistently reflecting on them to ensure they evolve with us. For over seven years, our CEO has maintained a practice where team members nominate colleagues who exemplify a specific core value each quarter. He personally selects a handful of these nominations to highlight companywide and ensures each nominee receives direct recognition for their contribution. This culture of genuine appreciation creates a workforce that truly believes in our mission; when employees live these values, the results are evident in our product innovation, sparked creativity and increased productivity.
YCharts’s platform is designed to drive smarter investment decisions and better client communication for the wealth management industry.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
At YCharts, we focus on creating a workplace where employees feel supported, heard, connected and valued. We fully sponsor medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and their dependents, providing security and peace of mind for our people and their families.
We actively seek employee feedback through onboarding surveys, 30- and 90-day check-ins, and semi-annual anonymous surveys. We listen, share feedback with the right people and, most importantly, take action on suggestions and concerns.
Our weekly town halls provide transparency into company performance, financial results and priorities, while creating a welcoming opportunity for new hires to introduce themselves and share more about who they are beyond their role. Our “YCollective Committee” is open to everyone and empowers employees to suggest, plan and participate in celebrations and recognition activities, even on a one-time basis.
“Our ‘YCollective Committee’ is open to everyone and empowers employees to suggest, plan and participate in celebrations and recognition activities, even on a one-time basis.”
We also prioritize connection and fun through our annual summer party and holiday celebrations, where employees can bring a plus-one. Finally, our hybrid work model supports work-life balance, while our office lunch stipend helps create opportunities for employees to connect in person.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
At YCharts, trust starts with being open and accessible. During our weekly town halls, leaders share company and departmental goals, business updates and financial performance. This gives employees a better understanding of how the business works across teams and how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
We also want employees to feel comfortable speaking up. Whether they have an idea, question or concern, we encourage open and honest conversations without fear of rejection or retaliation. We listen to feedback and work to act on it. Our executives are approachable and part of the everyday workplace. They don’t have private offices and instead sit alongside employees from different departments, creating opportunities for informal conversations and connection. Most importantly, our leaders lead by example and live our YCharts core values. They are not afraid to admit when they don’t have all the answers or are still learning. We believe we’re all here to support one another, learn together and grow as a company.
How do employees describe YCharts’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Our reputation starts with what our employees tell us. We consistently receive strong feedback from our people, including a 9.5 out of 10 onboarding satisfaction score in 2026 and an employee net promoter score of 65+ for the third quarter of 2026.
That employee experience is also being recognized externally. In 2026, YCharts was named a Best Place to Work by Crain’s Chicago Business and a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune. We were also recognized by Energage with multiple 2026 Top Workplace awards, including recognition for culture excellence, compensation and benefits, employee well-being, financial services, innovation, leadership, professional development, purpose and values, and work-life flexibility.
We’re proud of these recognitions, but what matters most is that they reflect what our employees experience every day. Our goal is to continue building a workplace where people feel supported, have opportunities to grow and are proud to be part of YCharts.
RapDev helps organizations adopt Datadog and ServiceNow in order to increase observability, optimize digital workflows and improve end-to-end developer experiences.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
Our employees take great pride in the caliber of the engineering we deliver to our clients and in the way we treat one another. On the work itself, we do not settle for what a client has asked us to build. Instead, we guide them toward what will serve them best over the long term, offering engineering suggestions beyond what they knew their platforms were capable of. We deliberately refuse to make clients dependent on us; we earn renewals through the quality of the engineering and by teaching client teams to support what we have built after the engagement ends. “Say yes, then figure it out” is a real operating model here, and our engineers take visible pride in accepting the harder problems others decline.
“‘Say yes, then figure it out’ is a real operating model here, and our engineers take visible pride in accepting the harder problems others decline.”
On how we treat each other: We do not tolerate ego. Everyone is willing to answer teammates’ questions and lend a helping hand when someone is stuck, taking PTO or dealing with an unexpected emergency. We express our appreciation in our #love channel and nominate one another monthly for the “Kept on Keeping On” award. We take care of our customers and we take care of each other. It’s as simple as that.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
I love this question because trust is built on transparency at RapDev. We operate on the principle that all of our conversations, data, challenges and wins should be shared in open forms of communication. In practice, this means open Slack channels, weekly all-hands and open-office dialogue. We push everyone to work through issues and ask questions in public channels versus DMs (and we track it to make sure it’s happening!). We share all of our key performance indicators and financial results with the entire company so that every “RapDevian” can see how the business is actually performing in real time. And our compensation bands are published on Notion so that every RapDevian can understand precisely how their own pay is determined. We hold ourselves to the same standard with our clients, proactively surfacing any challenge, delivery risk or decision that may affect their timelines. We find that this level of transparency accelerates and reinforces trust.
How do employees describe RapDev’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Externally, our customers recognize us for our creative engineering and “Say Yes” mentality. One of our engineers put it this way: With our team’s cumulative experience, there is really nothing we can’t do, so we are not afraid to take on a new challenge or an unfamiliar customer request. We can make big promises because we have confidence in our abilities, both individually and as a team.
Internally, we consistently hear that people stay at RapDev because of the people. We hire kind and humble people who enjoy what they do, love sharing their knowledge and don’t take themselves too seriously. One of our tech leads recently shared that she knew RapDev was the place for her because it felt like her interviewers were “in it” together with her during her technical interview, and one of our new grad employees shared that from his first day, no one treated him as the new grad — that everyone, including colleagues who had themselves started 10 days earlier, made certain he felt supported. This foundation of collaboration enables everything we do for our customers and makes RapDev a truly wonderful place to work.
Vacation rental property owners can use AirDNA’s software to access data to make more informed decisions.
What practices make employees proud to work here?
Companywide commitment to constant evolution makes me proud to work at AirDNA. As soon as a new feature or product is released, teams across the organization are working on the next iteration to create something even better. The question is not, “how can we do this as fast as possible?” but rather, “How can we build the best thing possible within the time that we have?” This is not a dogged pursuit of perfection, but a commitment to daily, incremental improvement.
How do leaders build trust and ensure transparency?
Our leaders have built trust by creating a culture of public, vocal praise when our teammates crush it. Knowing that your colleagues are looking out for ways you’re succeeding promotes a sense of trust, safety and the ability to openly ask for help. We start every all-hands meeting by doing shout-outs, and they are always a hit. People from every team — including our executive leadership team — raise their hands, and celebrate our wins and the colleagues who made them possible. It feels great to work at a place where getting called out in front of everybody means you’ve done something right. Plus, it’s fun to recognize the people who put in hard work day in and day out. Knowing that your teammates and leaders are looking for what you are doing right makes it feel safer to ask questions, share ideas and ask for help when you need it.
“Knowing that your teammates and leaders are looking for what you are doing right makes it feel safer to ask questions, share ideas and ask for help when you need it.”
How do employees describe AirDNA’s reputation inside and outside the organization?
Within the organization, we pride ourselves on having the best data in the industry, due to both its historical depth and what we have created with it. More importantly, we encourage curiosity and knowledge-sharing. It is not only the data scientists and engineering teams who know this data inside and out. Every team, from marketing to support to sales and beyond, is truly interested in understanding our data. This helps us collaborate internally and better serve customers. Outside of the organization, we are turned to as an authority on the short-term rental industry. Our PR and research teams maintain close connections with world-class publications, and they trust us to answer short-term rental data questions. For customers, what sets us apart is not only our deep datasets, but the real people who help them answer questions that really matter. Whether it’s troubleshooting a billing question or diving headfirst into nitty gritty data questions, our customer-facing teams leave our users feeling heard.
