To: Board of Supervisors
From: Human Resources
Agenda Section: Departmental
SUBJECT:
title
Introduction of Workplace 2030! (Formerly Great Workplace Culture Change) - A Comprehensive Organizational Development and Culture Change Initiative
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive the presentation by the Great Workplace Culture Change Steering Committee and Working Group(s).
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Various Funds
DISCUSSION:
In January 2020, department heads from across the county organized to coordinate the advancement of an initiative to create an even more effective, high-performance organization (HPO) in which everyone is dedicated to serving internal and external customers. This effort was known as the Great Workplace Culture Change Initiative (GWCC) and was initially overseen by a steering committee comprised of seven elected officials and appointed department heads which included:
- Mari Wilson, Assessor
- Cody Roggatz, Director of Aviation
- Elishia Hayes, County Administrative Officer
- Connie Beck, Director of Health and Human Services
- Linda Le, Director of Human Resources
- John Ford, Director of Planning and Building
- John Bartholomew, Treasurer-Tax Collector
Data collected during the Great Workplace Culture Change Initiative enabled staff to gain valuable insights into the employee experience at the County of Humboldt. These data suggested there are existing opportunities to improve the workplace culture and employee experience in the domains of Communication, Management and Leadership, Teamwork and Collaboration, Staffing and Professional Development, and Diversity and Inclusion. Consequently, 5 temporary focus teams were created to provide the steering committee with strategic recommendations of specific initiatives to be implemented across these domains to help the county achieve its desired workplace culture. The Great Workplace Culture Change effort culminated in a collaboratively generated culture statement which will inform the work moving forward. As the county prepares to take the next step in its cultural evolution, and to ensure the institutionalization of the progress made during the Great Workplace Culture Change initiative, ongoing responsibility for this effort must be internal and include staff from all departments, divisions, roles, and backgrounds.
Moving into a long-term, strategic and intentional effort, Great Workplace Culture Change has been renamed and rebranded as Workplace 2030. Workplace 2030 is a comprehensive organization development initiative that seeks to change organizational culture, respond to staff needs, and position the county for successful achievement of its desired culture and organizational goals through the targeted introduction of initiatives designed to support the county’s organizational transformation through 2030. The steering committee for this program is comprised of the following individuals:
- Howard LaHaie, Assessor
- Cody Roggatz, Director of Aviation
- Elishia Hayes, County Administrative Officer
- Connie Beck, Director of the Department Health and Human Services
- Michelle Stephens, Assistant Director, Department Health and Human Services
- Zach O’Hanen, Director of Human Resources
- Chris Cooper, Director of Library Services
- Amy Christensen, Treasurer-Tax Collector
- Jeremy M. Clark, Ph.D., Organization Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager, Human Resources Department
- Laurel Johnson, Staff Services Analyst, Department of Health and Human Services
- Catarina Gallardo, Public Information Specialist, County Administrative Office
- Neftali Miller-Rubio, Racial Equity Manager, Department of Health and Human Services
In addition to the expanded steering committee, Workplace 2030 will be further expanded to introduce permanent focus teams - comprised and led by staff from various roles and departments - responsible for making ongoing recommendations to the steering committee for how workplace culture can be improved and progress maintained. The program is future focused and will leverage the existing GWCC design and structure. Several Workplace 2030 initiatives have been completed with several more planned. Completed initiatives include New Employee Orientation redesign, the introduction of organization-wide exit interviews, adding diversity and inclusion training to the mandatory training list, introducing Employee Resource Groups (Affinity Groups), and the introduction of multi-rater feedback to executive leader evaluations - currently being piloted. Planned initiatives include creating a leadership development and mentorship program, All Hands Training Day redesign, creation and rollout of the county’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, the creation of an Employee Experience Portal, and an on-going analysis of Human Resource systems and processes.
Through the culture change inspired by the GWCC and Workplace 2030, it is expected that the employee experience will be improved, and recruitment and retention benefits associated with these activities will be realized.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Financial impacts at this point include a professional services agreement with Gelinas James, Inc in the amount of $40,000 to provide consultation services including coordination, project planning, meeting facilitation and materials related to Workplace 2030. Related expenses were paid during Fiscal Year 2021-22 from the County Administrative Office-Management & Budget Team (1100-103) budget unit. Related staff time to participate in the ongoing efforts that are difficult to quantify; however, the impact of improving workplace culture can be quantified in the areas of employee recruitment, retention, job satisfaction, and productivity levels. In addition, recommendations and process changes implemented as a result of Workplace 2030 efforts may either redirect funding or alter work processes. Funding requests to your Board and/or state and federal agencies may be made in the future related to Workplace 2030 strategies as this work continues.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by investing in county employees .
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
Workplace 2030 Presentation
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: October 26, 2021
File No.: 21-1456