New Employee Orientation Changing How Members of Team FCCS Are Welcomed

Hoping to instill more of the Team FCCS Culture from day one, New Employee Orientation has been updated to include new initiatives like the FCCS Way, our agency’s Calls to Action, and training on being Safer Together both physically and online.

“We have to keep a pulse on what upper administration sees as the big picture,” said Amy Fields a trainer from the Professional Development team who’s worked with the curriculum for more than two years.

All new employees go through the two-day orientation, designed to give an overview of the agency, its principles and policies, and employee benefits.

Over the past several months, the team recognized a need to update the training to better reflect how FCCS has evolved its mission and message.

“It’s just more organized, and it’s put in a way that’s easier to grasp at the fundamental level,” said Bethany Workman, one of the trainers for New Employee Orientation (NEO).

She also noted how the updates align with our Call to Action on Valuing our Team FCCS Culture. The Calls to Action also help show how the work done by all employees - no matter which building, department, or position they work in - are all connected.

And new curriculum around the fundamentals of the FCCS Way, such as authentic engagement and equity, help reinforce how employees can work together.  

Associate Director of Professional Development Solena Gibson said the lunch with the Executive Council is still what most new employees rank as their favorite part of orientation.

“You hear the leadership team saying the same kind of thing, and it just adds so much incredible value,” Ms. Gibson said. “You can really see that we want this integrated into our culture.”

In recent months, new employees have also been introduced to the work of our Supportive Work Environment Committee. In October, SWE offered a mid-day treat to the NEO class and surprised the new employees with a visit from Ted E. Bear, the agency’s mascot.

The training team hopes these new changes and new ways of looking at the fundamental values within FCCS create a more intentional agency that better helps both the children and families we encounter and the community we serve.

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