Case Study: SSOE builds a global culture of recognition and boosts retention and engagement with Workhuman

SSOE Building a Culture of Recognition

SSOE is a 75‑year‑old architecture and engineering firm with 19 locations across three countries and a long record of client loyalty. To keep delivering high-quality, value‑driven work, SSOE needed to find and retain top talent by making employees feel consistently valued — with recognition that was visible across geographies, equitable given differing regional costs of living, and capable of capturing everyday moments like manager one‑on‑ones and service anniversaries.

In 2016 SSOE partnered with Workhuman to build C3, a global recognition platform featuring Social Recognition, Service Milestones, a Standard of Living Index for equitable rewards, and a visible social feed for peer nominations. The program increased the frequency and reach of recognition, drove 95% organizational participation in 2023 awards, supported a variety of award types, improved new‑hire retention during COVID, and correlated with higher overall employee engagement.

SSOE

Jennifer Wuertz

Vice President and Director, Human Resources