USA 
United KingdomHow Elsevier sustains high employee engagement through a thriving workplace culture
What does it take to build a culture employees actually value - not just tolerate? For Elsevier, the answer lies in three simple pillars: purposeful work, continuous growth, and colleagues who genuinely care...
In 2026, Elsevier, a science and healthcare publisher based in New York was recognized with the prestigious Best Company Outlook Award by Comparably. It reflected a deeply established culture, widely recognized as the Elsevier Experience, that is characterized by purposeful work, growing every day and colleagues who care.
Sarah Meurer
VP of Global Internal Communications, Elsevier
The winners are determined by anonymous employee ratings. This year's list features 100 companies across industries, with Elsevier, Calix and TP topping the rankings, alongside recognizable names like Adobe, Google, Palo Alto Networks, Trader Joe's, and Costco.
As a global leader in advanced information and decision support for science and healthcare, Elsevier’s success is powered not just by innovation but also by a culture in which employees are engaged, empowered, and aligned to help advance human progress together.
So, what sets Elsevier apart? And what can other organizations learn from what Elsevier has achieved with its culture? HR Grapevine spoke to Sarah Meurer, VP of Global Internal Communications at the company to find out.
What makes Elsevier’s culture and mission so unique?
At the heart of Elsevier’s award-winning outlook is a combination of a clear mission, a business strategy focused on delivering customer value, and an inclusive, engaged and sustainable culture.
For nearly 150 years, Elsevier has helped advance science and healthcare to advance human progress, and that same mission drives us today.
Our colleagues come from the science and healthcare communities that we serve – many are researchers, former doctors, nurses, educators. They have a profound understanding of the challenges our communities are working to solve and bring deep domain expertise to develop solutions that help them in their critical work.
We use AI tools internally to help our teams test and learn from emerging technologies, support their daily work, and build their skills and confidence
This collective affinity with our mission forms the basis of our business strategy. Our belief is that by working together with our communities, and by connecting trusted content and innovative technologies, we can provide insights and solutions that help impact makers succeed and drive better outcomes. And by embedding inclusion and sustainability into our products, processes and culture, we can ensure progress benefits all.
How do you support employee growth and development?
Another unifying aspect of our culture is a strong focus on continuous progress and growth.
Part of that comes from partnering with and having a front row seat to the advances our customers are making every day such as breakthroughs in basic research, drug discovery, climate science, patient care.
It also comes from an organizational commitment to personal growth and development. A few examples:
- AI fluency: Elsevier recognizes that the future of work is being shaped by technology, especially AI. However, success lies in how organizations bring people along on that journey. We use AI tools internally to help our teams test and learn from emerging technologies, support their daily work, and build their skills and confidence to thrive in an AI-driven world. They have access to the latest models, training, and resources
- Learning Labs: These cover a range of topics to help everyone learn about innovative tools, deepen customer understanding, hear from experts in different fields
- Manager CORE: Elsevier upskills leaders to better support, inspire, and guide their teams
In what ways do you show commitment to Elsevier staff?
High employee engagement and long tenure don’t arise by chance, but stem from deep commitment to building the right culture, with meaningful, sustained investment and a sense of shared ownership in the company’s success.
Elsevier’s approach to work has evolved significantly in recent years, particularly in response to the pandemic. With inclusion and sustainability as key commitments, the company leads with:
- Flexibility as a default, not a perk
- Strong focus on work-life balance
- Deeply embedded commitment to (and investment in) psychological safety, and wellbeing, with our award-winning MindLife program
- Firm commitment to being net zero by 2040, with a science-led climate action program
- An empowered network of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that provide tailored support and targeted action across diverse topics and communities
- Competitive remuneration and benefits packages and world-class incentive schemes
These initiatives create a sense of belonging and shared success, where employees are not just contributors but stakeholders.
By putting purpose, customers, and people at the heart of its business strategy, and by nurturing talent, encouraging creativity, and enabling innovation, Elsevier creates the conditions for employees to thrive
By putting purpose, customers, and people at the heart of its business strategy, and by nurturing talent, encouraging creativity, and enabling innovation, Elsevier creates the conditions for employees to thrive. And when people thrive, so does the organization.
For organizations looking to strengthen their own culture and employee engagement, here are a few tried and tested lessons:
- Create a culture grounded in purpose and clarity
- Invest in both technology and people
- Be transparent and consistent in communication
- Empower employees with ownership and flexibility
Companies that put people first find the results follow naturally.
