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Southern New Hampshire University reduces voluntary turnover with a distributed workforce

Southern New Hampshire University’s Shine platform helps the university create recognition events and experiences along with access to Employee Networks (ERGs) to create a culture of appreciation and belonging.

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94%

employee retention rate

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3.6%

reduction in voluntary turnover

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95%

active users

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42.5k

recognition moments in a year

About Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has become a gold standard in designing employee engagement and recognition programs by remaining rooted in its Employee Value Proposition of “transforming lives, including yours.”

Against the backdrop of a distributed workforce that spans across 33 states and includes approximately 4,800 full-time and part-time employees, SNHU has systematically transformed its employee experience. We already shared about the successful start of SNHU’s Shine platform in their initial case study, but now we wanted to check-in on now they’ve accelerated their success in recent years. This case study will provide insight into how SNHU continues to enhance employee happiness and productivity through milestone celebrations, employee networks, and annual recognition events.

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Industry:

Education

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Number of full-time employees:

4,800

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Work modes:

In-office, hybrid, remote

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Platform features:

Employee recognition & reward, Employee communications

Scaling recognition in a distributed workforce: The role of Shine

Prior to the adoption of Shine, SNHU's recognition efforts were fragmented – spanning over 200 disparate programs without centralized oversight. Recognizing this gap, SNHU implemented the Shine recognition platform, powered by Reward Gateway | Edenred, to create a unified space for employee appreciation and communication.

A mixture of SNHU's values-based and peer-to-peer eCards shared by employees on their RGER platform, Shine.Through Shine, employees can send customizable eCards linked to SNHU’s core values, such as "Put People First" and "Embrace Collaboration," fostering alignment between the university’s mission and employee contributions. Notably, in the past year, the platform facilitated over 42,500 recognition moments, with 95% of employees being recognized and 37% actively participating in sending acknowledgments.

One standout feature of Shine is its ability to integrate recognition with service milestones. Previously, these efforts were manual and limited. Today, automated systems ensure timely and personalized recognition for milestones, including anniversaries as early as one year, providing employees with opportunities to feel celebrated earlier in their tenures.

“Shine provides an opportunity for us to embed our core values into recognition, to automate our service recognition milestone program, and it gives our employees more choice in how they're recognized.”

– Michelle Kaplan, Senior Program Manager for People Experience

Celebrating work anniversaries with Feel-Good Huddles

SNHU's employee experience hub, Shine, hosts their recognition program, internal comms and more!In addition to celebrating more employee and more anniversaries using Shine, SNHU has raised the bar for making work anniversaries visible and fun through its unique Feel-Good Huddles. These virtual gatherings serve as the centerpiece of milestone celebrations and draw high levels of participation from employees and their managers.

Hosted twice a year, Feel-Good Huddles include:

  • A visual “name scroll” celebrating employees reaching milestones, ranging from one year to fifty years of service.
  • Live or pre-recorded music sets mixed by an in-house employee DJ, encouraging attendees to participate however they feel comfortable—whether by dancing, chatting, or multitasking while listening.
  • A robust and interactive chat filled with GIFs, song requests, and recognition from peers and leaders alike.

The events are a hit, with over 500 employees attending a recent Feel-Good Huddle. These events not only celebrate longevity, but also create connection points for employees who may no longer work closely with colleagues they started their careers with at SNHU. For those who don’t make it online, the People Experience team has automated individual service recognition through the platform and posts a blog to Shine highlighting staff who have hit a milestone.

“We are now able to distribute almost 2000 service awards annually. We love how these create connection and belonging and we wouldn’t be able to do this without the automation that our platform provides.”

– Michelle Kaplan, Senior Program Manager for People Experience

Strengthening belonging through employee networks

At the heart of SNHU’s goal to "live and breathe equity" are its 39 employee networks, which range from recreational groups like cooking or arts and crafts to forums for parents and caregivers, communities of practice, and location-based groups for distributed employees.

A Service Recognition eCard moment shared between colleagues on SNHU's Shine employee experience platform.SNHU recognized the need to consolidate access to these networks, ensuring equitable opportunities for connection and collaboration. Employee networks are promoted and managed through the Shine platform, which serves as a one-stop destination for learning about and joining groups.

Key impacts of employee networks include:

  • Accessibility: Having all groups hosted and promoted through Shine has eliminated the need for personal invitations or extra digging, ensuring inclusivity.
  • High Participation: Currently, 59% of employees are part of at least one network.
  • Immediate Integration: New employees are introduced to these networks as part of onboarding, enabling connections within their first weeks on the job.

The inclusive nature of these networks helps employees feel valued for their unique interests while also building meaningful relationships that transcend geographic barriers.

Recognition events celebrate employees and drive usage

SNHU has expertly anchored its year-round recognition strategy with well-loved events, including Candygrams, Employee Appreciation Week, Summergrams, and a “Snowball Fight.”

Candygrams originated in 2021 during the pandemic as a way to foster connection in a virtual working environment. During this weeklong event, employees send candy-themed eCards to each other, complete with witty puns like “You’re always there in a CRUNCH!” Snowball Fight happens each December – a time when recognition sending might otherwise slow down. During this event, when an employee receives an eCard, they’re encouraged to send it to two others, creating an “appreciation avalanche.” Weekly prizes for top “snowball senders” encourage continued participation. These light-hearted campaigns succeed in elevating engagement by balancing gratitude with fun, ensuring that recognition feels genuine yet approachable.

Employee Appreciation Week (EAW) at SNHU is a marquee event, involving:

  • 30+ Live and Asynchronous Events: Activities include bingo, trivia, career panels, water cooler chats, and interactive photo contests.
  • Personalized Recognition: Employees receive customized eCards from university leadership, amplifying the public acknowledgment.
  • Broad Engagement: Over 31% of employees participate live, and event ratings consistently hover near 4.9/5. 

What makes EAW particularly impactful is the incorporation of employee voices. SNHU partners with 11 employee networks and more than 70 contributors to design this week of programming, ensuring activities resonate with staff across different levels, locations, and roles. To bolster inclusivity, accessibility features – such as PowerPoint Live (enabling high-contrast, zoom functionality, and real-time translation), live captions, and visual descriptions – ensure all employees can fully engage with events.

Insight-to-action impact: Results of SNHU's integrated approach

The success of SNHU’s recognition and engagement initiatives is evident in its metrics:

  • Higher Retention Rates: A 3.6% decrease in voluntary turnover has brought overall retention to an impressive 94%.
  • Robust Platform Engagement: 95% of employees actively use Shine.
  • National Recognition: Consistently named a "Great College to Work For" every year since the program’s inception 17 years ago.

By continually assessing employee needs and layering recognition initiatives into existing organizational structures, SNHU has successfully cultivated a sustainable culture of appreciation.

Southern New Hampshire University demonstrates that prioritizing employee recognition, belonging, and engagement is not just a "nice-to-have" but a critical driver of productivity and loyalty. Through innovative programming, meaningful celebrations, and the centralization of recognition on Shine, SNHU has created a community where employees feel both seen and valued. These efforts underscore a commitment to its core values and ensure that employees remain inspired to contribute to the university’s mission of transforming lives at scale – including their own.

“Our team has focused on collaboration across groups and integration across initiatives that has contributed to a stronger culture of recognition and a drop in voluntary turnover.”

– Michelle Kaplan, Senior Program Manager for People Experience 


Interested in getting your own employee experience platform to boost engagement and retention? Reach out to one of our friendly experts today!