S.E.R.V.E.

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

In the Fall of 2014, New Hanover County (NHC) implemented a new training and development initiative called S.E.R.V.E. (Succession, Evolution, Retention, Viability, and Engagements). This initiative was created to address attrition, staffing growth, and a need for retention. Purposefully designed to align with the county’s vision, strategic goals and shared values, S.E.R.V.E. creates a unified training structure that benefits our employees and serves the citizens better. Through S.E.R.V.E., our departments are more unified, the county’s commitment to public service is at the forefront, employees are more customer-focused and innovative, and leaders are being developed. The training and certification courses utilize subject-matter experts inside the county, professors from the local university, nonprofit leaders, mental health experts, and more. This creates varied trainings that engage a diverse staff, all at a nominal cost to the county. Since its inception, 255 supervisors in cross-functional cohorts have been through supervisor training; 90 members of staff have been enrolled in a two-year succession and leadership development program, with over 19 receiving recognition and/or promotions in the organization that are attributed to their participation in the program; and all 1,700 staff in the county are participating in the mandatory customer service trainings each year, which are focused on continuous improvement in the way we serve our citizens and work together as departments.