In an HR tech market defined by rapid change, vendor churn, and rising expectations around AI, ADP’s staying power just got another high-profile endorsement. The company has once again been named to FORTUNE® magazine’s 2026 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies, marking its 20th appearance on the influential corporate reputation ranking.
Two decades on the list isn’t just a milestone—it’s a signal. In a sector where trust, compliance, and scale matter as much as innovation, ADP’s continued presence reflects its ability to evolve without losing credibility with customers, investors, or employees.
Why This Recognition Still Matters
FORTUNE’s World’s Most Admired Companies list isn’t a popularity contest. Compiled in partnership with Korn Ferry, the ranking evaluates companies across criteria that matter deeply in enterprise buying decisions, including:
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Quality of products and services
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Effectiveness in global business operations
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Innovation
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Quality of management
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Ability to attract and retain talent
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Social responsibility and long-term investment value
To make the list, companies must rank in the top half of their industry, based on peer evaluations from executives, directors, and analysts. In 2026, that meant standing out among hundreds of global enterprises across 29 countries.
For ADP, the recognition reinforces its reputation not just as a payroll giant, but as a foundational HR platform provider in an era where reliability is under pressure.
A Reputation Built on Consistency—and Adaptation
ADP’s challenge has never been relevance; it’s been reinvention at scale. As newer HR tech vendors push modular tools, AI-first platforms, and rapid deployment models, legacy leaders face scrutiny over whether they can innovate without sacrificing stability.
According to Maria Black, President and CEO of ADP, the company sees people—not technology—as the anchor point for that evolution.
“As people and technology continue to grow together and transform the workforce, we’re more focused than ever on keeping people at the center,” Black said. “That means finding new ways to amplify human creativity and connection by applying AI to empower their contributions and solve true pain points.”
The framing is deliberate. Rather than positioning AI as a replacement force, ADP continues to emphasize augmentation—using automation and intelligence to reduce friction, not remove humans from the equation.
AI, Trust, and the “Human” Enterprise
That message resonates in today’s HR landscape. As AI adoption accelerates across payroll, compliance, workforce management, and analytics, buyers are weighing not just features, but risk, governance, and accountability.
ADP’s brand strength lies in being a vendor enterprises trust with mission-critical systems—paychecks, tax filings, regulatory compliance—while gradually layering in smarter automation and AI-driven insights.
Being named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies in 2026 suggests that ADP’s balancing act—modernizing without destabilizing—continues to land with its peers.
How the List Is Built
FORTUNE and Korn Ferry evaluated approximately 1,500 companies worldwide, including:
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The 1,000 largest U.S. companies by revenue
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Non-U.S. companies from the FORTUNE Global 500™ with revenues of $10 billion or more
From that pool, 685 companies across 29 countries were surveyed to determine industry leaders. Only those scoring in the top half of their respective industries earned a place on the final list.
The full 2026 ranking appears in the February/March issue of FORTUNE, available on newsstands beginning February 17.
What This Signals for the HR Tech Market
ADP’s continued recognition highlights a broader reality in HR tech: while innovation cycles are accelerating, enterprise buyers still reward consistency, trust, and operational excellence.
In a year when AI is reshaping HR roles, vendors, and buying criteria, reputation may matter more—not less. And ADP’s 20-year run on FORTUNE’s list positions it as a benchmark against which newer players will continue to be measured.
The takeaway? In a market obsessed with what’s next, ADP’s enduring presence suggests that how companies evolve can matter just as much as how fast they do it.
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