Dec 5, 2025 4:10:20 PM | Employee Recognition Recognition Success Stories: Before and After Implementation

Every HR leader—from the C-suite to the front lines of People & Culture—knows people are their most important asset, yet the persistent challenge is making every single employee feel consistently valued across a complex organization. Appreciation often gets lost in systems that create risk instead of reward.

When recognition relies on manual processes, scattered systems, or infrequent annual events, it creates an inconsistent, high-administrative burden that’s fragmented and diminishes its value. This leaves employees feeling under-recognized and culture leaders frustrated by a lack of measurable impact.

At C.A. Short, we believe that true culture change requires the right technology paired with a guided partnership and a deep understanding of your unique operations. Rather than just providing a platform, we work alongside you to turn a patchwork approach to employee recognition into a unified, proven system. The stories of Adams County, Riverside Health, and CarolinaEast Health System illustrate exactly how this trusted partnership delivers a tangible impact.

Adams Country: From Infrequent Milestones to Continuous Appreciation

For Adams County, a local government in the Denver metro area, the existing recognition program didn’t reflect the county’s true commitment to its workforce.

The Problem

The need for a cohesive system was made clear in a 2016 survey: 66 percent of employees reported feeling under-recognized. The established approach to employee recognition was largely tied to annual events, which failed to acknowledge daily effort. Managers lacked the flexibility for timely, impactful appreciation.

The Solution

Adams County chose C.A. Short because we offer a personalized solution. We built a customized platform that transformed the traditional years-of-service model into a points-based system and integrated the county's wellness program, making appreciation a continuous part of the culture.

The Impact

The new approach delivered immediate, measurable impact. The platform achieved an immediate 60 percent utilization rate upon implementation, significantly outpacing the industry average of 30-40 percent and showing that a tailored approach directly drives engagement.

Riverside Health: Unifying a Fractured Culture of Care

Riverside Health, an integrated healthcare system with more than 9,500 team members, faced the complexity of managing recognition across a huge, decentralized operation.

The Problem

Riverside Health’s recognition was a collection of siloed, homegrown systems—some high-tech, others paper-based. This patchwork made consistent, equitable appreciation for the entire team—especially those on the road—nearly impossible and provided no actionable data to track effectiveness.

The Solution

We implemented the fully Riverside Health-branded "CelebrateU" platform as a single, consistent experience for all. By creating a user-friendly mobile app, we made recognition accessible to every single team member on the go. The use of "Care Coins" for a wide variety of redemption options ensured recognition was truly personalized.

The Impact

The shift to a unified platform delivered rapid, visible results: Employee complaints about inconsistent recognition completely disappeared. The new system was easy to adopt and use; total eCards sent increased by a remarkable 45 percent year over year (from 49,000 to 71,000).

CarolinaEast Health System: Empowering Managers and Peer-to-Peer Appreciation

For CarolinaEast Health System, success was measured by removing friction and giving appreciation back to frontline managers and peers.

The Problem

Recognition efforts were scattered across disjointed, manual processes. Managers often need HR approval for spontaneous recognition, making the process time-consuming and difficult. As a result, genuine peer-to-peer appreciation was nearly nonexistent.

The Solution

Our team helped roll out the "WAVE" platform (We Always Value Excellence) in just 6-8 weeks. The system was designed to empower managers by automatically distributing and replenishing points monthly, which enabled independent, real-time recognition without HR bottlenecking.

The Impact

The platform drove high engagement, with 65 percent of staff actively using it despite it not being mandatory. The administrative burden for program administrators was dramatically reduced to an estimated 30 minutes a month, freeing HR up to focus on culture strategy, not paper pushing.

Set the Foundation for a Lasting Partnership

The successes at CarolinaEast, Riverside Health, and Adams County confirm that, when employee recognition is easy to manage, consistent across the organization, and built around a strong partnership, it drives both financial and cultural outcomes.

At C.A. Short, our expertise delivers the measurable impact you need, and our proven security and dedication earn the trust you deserve in a specialized solution. This level of transformation is why our clients see us as an extension of their team. As one client put it, our team felt like family, and another said, "From day one, they were a partner."

We’re ready to be the extension of your team to turn your dedication to your people into a competitive advantage. If you’re ready to secure a true partner that can help you transform your culture, request a demo today.