The Acorn Group success story: Over 7,000 recognition moments in one year – and a culture transformed

The challenge

From fragmented recognition to a connected culture

As a fast-growing organization with a complex structure, Acorn needed a modern, digital recognition experience that could unite teams, increase visibility, and reinforce its evolving values. Before launching Benifex, Acorn Group’s recognition approach was siloed, inconsistent, and underused. Recognition wasn’t visible beyond immediate teams, nominations could only come from managers, and the system lived within a discount platform not designed for engagement. Reward budget tracking was overly complex, and the impact of recognition was limited.

As part of a wider cultural evolution, Acorn Group needed to:

• Shift from top-down to peer-led recognition
• Create visibility across brands and teams
• Embed values in day-to-day recognition
• Simplify reward delivery and budget tracking
• Improve engagement, retention, and onboarding

These needs were amplified by an ambition to unify diverse teams under a single, people-powered platform.

The solution

Launching a dynamic and inclusive platform

Acorn Group partnered with Benifex to launch a company-wide recognition platform branded as Your Today. It launched on Colleague Appreciation Day in March 2024, with every employee receiving a £25 reward from the CEO – a £38,000 investment that immediately sparked engagement.

The platform brought visibility, flexibility and creativity to recognition. Employees can:

• Use GIFs, emojis, and company value tags
• Recognize peers for personal and professional milestones
• Like, comment and celebrate in real time
• Use different interactions for a social-style feel

Recognition is also embedded from day one into onboarding, campaigns and learning journeys. New starters are celebrated publicly when they join, and recognition is tied into initiatives such as Mental Health Awareness Week and Neurodiversity Week.

Empowering managers and driving autonomy

Divisional budgets are now manager-owned, with full autonomy over how to use them. In the Claims division, for example, 80% of the budget is used for ad hoc, manager-led recognition, with the remaining 20% going to quarterly awards.

The flexibility of the platform allows teams to run recognition linked to internal campaigns, learning goals, and even scavenger hunts and fantasy football competitions.

Rewarding what matters

Employees can tag posts to life moments like birthdays, promotions and weddings. The L&D team and managers play an active role in driving visibility, using fun and creative tactics like QR scavenger hunts, fantasy football leagues, and themed campaigns tied to values and events. Rewards are no longer one-size-fits-all; every team member can choose something meaningful to them. In some areas, managers have even reallocated social budgets to the platform due to its impact. Today, 70–80% of rewards are distributed via the platform.

Results

Engagement and culture impact

• 7,000+ recognition moments in the first year (over triple the total from the previous five years!)
• 275% increase in award nominations (from 200 to 750)
• 75% platform engagement rate
• Peer-to-peer recognition now exceeds manager-driven posts
• Value tags and personal milestones are consistently used

Moving the needle on organizational success metrics

• Employee engagement rose from 68% (2022) to 76% (2024)
• 80% of employees said Acorn Group is a great place to work (UK average: 54%)
• Attrition dropped to a projected 23.33% in 2025, with the Claims division improving by 12 points
• Monthly attrition hit a low of 1.6% in April 2025
• 99% of reward budget was used
• £85,000 in reward spend since launch

By embedding recognition into daily habits and linking it to values, life moments, and business campaigns, Acorn Group has successfully transformed its culture and strengthened its employer brand – all while boosting engagement, retention, and team connection.