Culture Initiative Tracker

The City will define an internal communications strategy as a comprehensive plan that outlines the City’s approach to communication with employees and guidelines for interdepartmental communication.

As part of this strategy, the City will establish a variety of communication channels that facilitate the exchange of information among departments. These channels will allow information to reach the intended audience and inform departments of the roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments of their counterparts.

The City’s communication strategy will keep employees engaged beyond traditional communication channels such as emails. Options include creating an intranet (detailed in Initiative B1), scheduling regular meetings,  forums and employee town halls led by the Mayor, publishing internal newsletters or recording videos where departments can share updates, accomplishments, events, and other relevant information.

To further interdepartmental learning and awareness, the City is planning to introduce departmental open houses for employees where departments will set up informational displays, presentations, and interactive activities to showcase their roles, responsibilities, and the services they offer to the community. In these open houses, departments will also share success stories from community initiatives to encourage the strengthening of ties with Cleveland residents. The City will coordinate with departments to draft and communicate a schedule for open houses to maximize participation on the host side and the attendees side.

The City will recognize the hard work and dedication of outstanding employees who go above and beyond their scope of work on a City-wide level, in addition to department-specific recognitions and the monthly employee spotlight in the Mayor’s newsletter.

The City currently recognizes and celebrates City government employees who are known for their creativity and innovative thinking through the Mayor’s Innovator Award program, which encourages employees to nominate their peers for the award. The City will introduce other recognition programs of this scale to consistently acknowledge employees’ contributions to the City.

Managers will engage in simpler yet impactful gestures, such as sending kudos or appreciation letters through the Human Capital Management system (detailed in Initiative B2) or public expressions of gratitude, providing a diverse range of ways to publicly thank individuals for their noteworthy accomplishments.

The City will also consider reestablishing a reward program where managers provide recognition points to employees that they could redeem for a wide array of items available in a catalog.

The City will establish a comprehensive management and leadership training program designed to equip supervisors/managers (including field staff managers, district unit leaders, etc.) with the necessary skills, knowledge, and tools to effectively lead their teams. The program will cover key managerial topics such as motivating high-performing teams, building emotional intelligence, and understanding personal working styles. The training will also encompass essential topics related to inclusivity, unconscious biases and racial equity. It will equip managers with the skills needed to promote equity in both their community engagement efforts and workplace interactions.

The program will offer cohort-based courses where a group of managers will collectively progress through a series of courses, engaging in a collaborative learning experience that promotes accountability.

After completing a course, participants will be asked to provide feedback on their perceived benefits of the course, allowing the City to make the necessary improvements to the overall program in the upcoming years.

The goal of the program is to develop a highly skilled and effective management team that can drive organizational success, foster employee engagement, and deliver exceptional services.

Rotational opportunities will also be provided to expose supervisors to various functions of the City, fostering a well-rounded understanding of operations, challenges, and management practices.

The City will develop a continuing professional education program for all City government employees, regardless of rank, division, or department. Trainings will build upon the existing infrastructure and programming currently offered by individual departments and develop programming tailored to the learning needs of each individual department.

All trainings, including extracurricular learning activities, onboarding trainings, and the management and leadership training detailed in Initiative F1, will provide employees with hour credits and contribute towards meeting training requirements.

To centrally manage the program, there will need to be designated staff within Human Resources to develop and oversee the program. Courses and/or trainings will be facilitated through a learning management system module within the new Human Capital Management system (detailed in Initiative B2) and be integrated with relevant content libraries (e.g., Udemy, Coursera) for staff to customize learning journeys. The program will include online or in-person trainings in or outside of City Hall.

The available training library will have a set of core modules covering essential skills applicable to all employees, such as communication, diversity and inclusion, time management, and ethical decision-making. The trainings will also include public sector and industry trends impacting the city.

Departments will be able to identify unique training needs specific to their teams and submit customized training plans for specific roles.

The City will employ a comprehensive employee performance management system that centrally manages documentation of written and quantitative performance feedback. Performance management will be seamlessly integrated into the City’s Human Capital Management system (detailed in initiative B2).

The system will have tools to acknowledge good performance as well as tools to both identify causes of poor performance and mitigate it with performance improvement measures.

Employees will be provided with a clear and consistent rank expectations framework for completing job duties and tasks and adhering to the City’s guiding principles, including quality of work, setting a good example for other employees, commitment to customer service, etc.

Employees will be incentivized to perform at high standards through certain programs, such as City-wide recognition programs (detailed in Initiative E2) or gainsharing (detailed in Initiative O3).

The City has conducted a space assessment of City-operated downtown office spaces to identify opportunities to optimize their configuration. This involves enhancing staff office spaces. The City is currently performing a cost-benefit analysis to evaluate which aspects of this assessment will provide the maximum value to employees and residents.

The assessment considers the needs of a flexible work environment and proposes a shift away from rigid structures to more adaptable and dynamic workspaces. Implementation of flexible spaces will support easy adjustments in the future, allowing the office environment to evolve with changing work patterns.

The City will explore new types of modernized workspace layouts that will vary by departments and consider open floor plans where appropriate, with easy access to kitchen spaces and clean drinking water. The new layout will include larger collaborative workspaces across the office to foster teamwork and creativity. Breakout areas will be designated for activities such as phone calls, providing employees with dedicated spaces for focused work. Furthermore, conference spaces will be equipped with the right technology to enable hybrid teaming, such as conference calls.

In the design of the workspace layout, the City will consider inclusive spaces such as a mother’s room for pumping, a prayer or meditation room, dedicated quiet spaces for neurodiverse employees, and will expand access to gender neutral restrooms.

In addition to the workplace upgrades being considered in the space assessment (detailed in Initiative G1), the City will also enhance procedures and systems for maintaining equipment, supplies, furniture, and general building maintenance.

In order to increase visibility and enable tracking of employee needs, the City will implement a mechanism for employees to submit work orders and concerns regarding workplace conditions through a centralized system(s).

The City will create clear protocols for the prioritization and prompt resolution of physical workplace concerns (e.g., safety, cleanliness, infrastructure), outlining the step-by-step processes, roles and responsibilities of team members, and timelines for resolution.

The City will commit to safeguarding the longevity of equipment and providing employees with reliable tools and resources essential in carrying out their daily responsibilities. The City will implement routine inspections and timely repairs of office equipment and IT and will embrace innovative technologies and upgrades to remain in line with industry standards. The City will also inspect field equipment such as vehicles, lawn mowers, jack hammers, ladders, rakes, etc.

The City will also conduct regular assessments of tools and technologies to evaluate their relevance and efficiency in meeting employees’ evolving needs. For example, traditional desk phones are less essential for most day-to-day communications as employees are widely using Microsoft Teams and other collaborative platforms as a more efficient and integrated alternative.

The City will offer flexible benefits packages that cater to the diverse needs and preferences of employees, making the City a more desirable workplace.

In July 2023, City Council passed new legislation allowing up to 12 weeks of parental leave and updating vacation policy for new employees, making them eligible for two weeks of paid vacation after completing one month of service with the City. Employees are also eligible for 10 hours of paid sick leave per month.

Among other benefits, the City also offers competitive and comprehensive health care insurance plans and free parking in the municipal lot.

The City will expand on its Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support employees experiencing personal or work-related challenges. Components of the EAP will include counseling and resources to support, among others, with mental health, personal development, and financial issues.

The City is looking to explore additional benefits and policies that prioritize employee health and wellness. These could include flexible work arrangements (e.g., 5/4/9 work schedule, flexible start and end times), subsidized public transportation passes, after-hours or emergency childcare and additional benefits that support a healthy work-life balance to enable employees to thrive both personally and professionally.

To further invest in the professional growth of employees, the City is looking to explore partnership opportunities for tuition reimbursement programs to support employees’ educational pursuits. The City will also explore work-study partnerships to assist employees without a high school diploma in obtaining their GED.

These benefits, combined with a highly functional and inclusive workspace, will serve as key attraction and retention factors for talent within the City.

The City will elevate the perception of City government employment and services and convey the positive impact government employees have on the community. Investing in the City’s brand will improve its ability to attract talent motivated to serve Clevelanders, leading to improved service delivery for residents.

The City will highlight its commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and public service excellence, and will showcase employees as dedicated stewards of the community, spotlighting their impactful contributions to the well-being of Cleveland residents.

The City will expand the use of social media platforms and leverage partner agencies or earned media strategies to showcase the impactful contributions of its employees, and will establish regular touchpoints for the Mayor and senior leaders to engage with students and local colleges and universities.

The City will also consider the feasibility of partnering with a vendor to create official and exclusive Cleveland City merchandise in a physical store and/or online website. As an example, the CityStore in New York is the City’s official store for New York-related gifts located in the Manhattan Municipal Building. The City will also consider setting up pop-up shops in various neighborhoods as a promotional activity (e.g., promote City Pride items).

The Office of Communication is the City’s hub for strategic messaging regarding the work and progress of the City administration and will lead this effort. In fact, the City is currently working with a third-party vendor to deliver more engaging multimedia content to the public, part of a comprehensive communications strategy.

The City will standardize internal HR processes across departments to simplify internal procedures, clearly articulate processes, and increase transparency. When proper approvals have been secured, the process itself is relatively simple, however, additional work will be required to increase awareness of opportunities among staff.

The City will establish transparent criteria (and corresponding documentation with simple messaging) for transfers to allow employees to have a clear understanding of the qualifications required for other roles at  
City Hall, either within their department or elsewhere. Through this documentation, the City will establish more clear pathways to career growth that outline the steps and milestones required for career advancement for specific roles and departments. These pathways will be aligned with the updated job classifications detailed in Initiative C5.

The City will also encourage supervisors to support and approve internal transfers as new roles become available, as one of the ways to provide clear paths to upward mobility within the City and alternative roles, which may be more aligned to an individual’s skills and interests.

In addition, the City will also develop rotation programs to enable employees to temporarily move to different roles or departments. These rotations will allow staff to acquire new skills, whether they return to their original role or opt for a different career path within the City.

The Human Resources Department is collaborating with the Finance Department to confirm that job positions and employees receive the compensation that accurately reflects responsibilities and contributions, rectifying issues stemming from an outdated compensation structure.

This initiative involves a meticulous examination of compensation structures across various departments to identify and address any potential disparities in pay. The study is not designed to yield immediate pay increases for employees, which may not be feasible in the short-term. Rather, it will establish a foundation for more equitable compensation practices, more competitive within the local labor market.

The study will encompass a comprehensive analysis of job roles, responsibilities, and skill requirements to establish a consistent framework for salary structures. It will also consider criteria such as years of experience, education, and professional certifications that contribute to variations in pay.

This initiative aims to understand the current landscape of salary challenges in the City. Subsequent steps in this initiative will be contingent upon budget considerations and will be conducted as part of an ongoing effort to continually improve compensation practices. The City will conduct a cross-departmental compensation study on a regular basis.

The Human Resources Department is collaborating with the Finance Department to confirm that job positions and employees receive the compensation that accurately reflects responsibilities and contributions, rectifying issues stemming from an outdated compensation structure.

This initiative involves a meticulous examination of compensation structures across various departments to identify and address any potential disparities in pay. The study is not designed to yield immediate pay increases for employees, which may not be feasible in the short-term. Rather, it will establish a foundation for more equitable compensation practices, more competitive within the local labor market.

The study will encompass a comprehensive analysis of job roles, responsibilities, and skill requirements to establish a consistent framework for salary structures. It will also consider criteria such as years of experience, education, and professional certifications that contribute to variations in pay.

This initiative aims to understand the current landscape of salary challenges in the City. Subsequent steps in this initiative will be contingent upon budget considerations and will be conducted as part of an ongoing effort to continually improve compensation practices. The City will conduct a cross-departmental compensation study on a regular basis.