In Their Shoes Training

About the Program

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

Year: 2018

Good government is built on understanding the people it serves. “In Their Shoes” is an interactive employee training that sheds light on what customers experience when interacting with the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). In it, staff members are first asked to forget their job titles, experience and knowledge of child support. Staff members then receive copies of a fictional Summons and Complaint simulating the experience of customers. Employees are asked to write down the emotions and questions that arise in their minds. Later, staff members share their feelings and responses, including on how their finances may be affected. The experience provides valuable insight into what DCSS customers go through each day. Customers may feel a range of emotions and have a variety of questions, and nothing but a phone number to dial for answers. The goal of the training, developed in 2016, is to help DCSS staff develop a heightened understanding and level of empathy for customers by “walking in their shoes.”