Government/Military/Educational Institution Category
City of Grand Prairie
Enthusiasm for Customer Service
Texas – The City of Grand Prairie is dedicated to making a difference in the community and ensuring that employees thrive. The city’s mission is to “create raving fans by delivering world-class service.” Employees embrace and exhibit this philosophy organization- and city-wide because they know that their work improves quality of life, builds pride and makes Grand Prairie a healthy place to live, work, play and visit.
Employee Involvement
The city focuses on involvement through employee committees, citywide events and participation in activities such as Habitat for Humanity builds, Arbor Day celebrations and even helping to construct a new community playground. The city actively reaches out to employees to make sure they are aware of key programs and benefits. In a recent survey, employees rated several communication vehicles, including the employee wellness newsletter, as being some of the most valuable resources.
New employee orientation is an all-day event at which departments demonstrate how their jobs contribute to the city’s business and service philosophy. This is a popular activity—even longtime employees ask to participate. At the City Manager’s Roundtable, a small, diverse group of employees can ask questions about development, growth and budget of the City Manager and his staff.
Health and Safety
The City of Grand Prairie is dedicated to health and safety. An innovative wellness program, Working on Wellness! (WOW!) focuses on employee education and activities to encourage healthy behaviors (see An Impressive Set of Wellness Practices). The city has a dedicated Human Resources Advisor overseeing wellness activities and program development, an Employee Relations Advisor assisting employees and management with concerns and promoting use of the EAP, and an Insurance Committee communicating benefits information and helping employees with enrollment. An annual health fair provides an opportunity for employees to obtain information from more than 40 health and benefits vendors.
The City of Grand Prairie maintains its excellent safety record through employee education as well as the development and implementation of action plans. Custom training on safety topics such as heat stress and lifting are available to employees and a general course on risk management is offered through the city’s management academy. A Risk Management Committee meets quarterly to review and track all city-related risk items, fostering a sense of teamwork, rather than a punitive approach to safety.
Employee Growth and Development
The city continues to find new ways to foster employee growth and development. Job sharing, diversity training, internships and training on conducting performance reviews are some of the basics available to employees. Grand Prairie Management Academy is a leadership series of 11 courses that employees throughout the organization develop and then teach to their peers. The courses arm participants with knowledge and skills that can be immediately applied on the job. Each course has a theme and topics include performance management, employment law, budgeting and finance, employee recognition and ethics.
The investing in Leadership Enhancement and Development (iLEAD) program was developed to provide employees with opportunities to improve their competitiveness for public sector management positions. Mentors work with employees one-on-one through the year-long program that includes a weekend retreat, ongoing education sessions, projects and a formal dinner with City Council and community leaders to learn networking skills.
Work-Life Balance
The City of Grand Prairie strives to help employees manage their work and non-work demands, which can be challenging in the public sector. Generous leave policies allow employees to use sick days for themselves as well as their dependents and flexible scheduling includes the option of a four-day work week in some departments. Discounts to local events, restaurants and entertainment venues are available and a dependent care account allows employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for daycare or elder care expenses.
The city also manages an Employee Welfare Fund to which employees can make nominal contributions, such as $1 per pay period. Should employees face difficult financial times, they can apply for assistance from this fund to help pay utility bills or buy groceries.
Employee Recognition
The city uses a variety of employee recognition methods including a formal program dubbed “Raving Fans.” The Raving Fans philosophy focuses on delivering service beyond customers’ expectations. Since employees are considered internal customers, this approach is also emphasized in everyday interactions at work.
Employees who go above and beyond are rewarded with gift cards or gift baskets. In addition to a variety of awards for individual and group achievements, the city hosts an annual banquet, and managers recognize their own employees at the department level. Even in City Hall, a Raving Fan wall displays photographs of city employees serving the public.
The Bottom Line
By partnering with employees, providing education and focusing on healthy behaviors, the city’s insurance claims projections have decreased by $1.5 million and are 15 percent lower on a per employee, per-month basis than they were three years ago. Employee health risks have declined, the use of preventive health screenings are up and employees report a reduction in their overall stress levels. Additionally, employees are taking fewer sick days and participants in the city’s weight management programs have shed a combined 1,500 pounds. Now those are numbers that employees and the city can rave about.