HWS News
1 May 2025 HWS Earns National Recognition for Workplace Excellence
In a Newsweek poll, Hobart and William Smith has been honored for an organizational culture of leadership, integrity, compensation, belonging and work-life balance.
Hobart and William Smith has again been recognized for upholding standards of excellence – this time for workforce relations. Newsweek recently named HWS to its 2025 list of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces.
Notably, HWS is one of only 17 educational institutions recognized among the 500 companies to earn the distinction. HWS received a 4 out of 5 star rating, based on key performance indicators including leadership, integrity, compensation, career development, culture and belonging and work-life balance.
“We are honored to be recognized by Newsweek,” says Vice President and General Counsel Lou Guard, who provides leadership oversight for the Office of Human Resources. "At a time when institutions are navigating challenges related to employee well-being, the HWS model demonstrates what it means to prioritize people within a strong, relationship-rich environment.”
Guard notes this recognition highlights a longstanding institutional commitment to fostering an exceptional workplace culture—one shaped by the dedication and passion of faculty, staff and administrators.
Associate Vice President for Human Resources Tabatha Spinner adds, “I’m thrilled Newsweek has recognized the work we’ve done to support our employees. From comprehensive benefits to wellness and professional development programs, we are always looking for new ways to improve the wellbeing of all faculty, staff and students.”
Spinner highlights benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs and a variety of growth opportunities as central to HWS’ investment in a connected and collaborative workplace.
“We are also fortunate to be located on Seneca Lake in Geneva, New York, offering access to natural beauty and a relatively affordable cost of living in the Finger Lakes region,” she says.
Newsweek’s rankings are based on a comprehensive analysis of more than 3.5 million online employee reviews and publicly available data for 9,000 companies. The analysis was conducted in partnership with third-party data firm Plant-A Insights, using industry standard performance indicators
