Hi Mike,

In Raleigh, our new employee orientation actually lasts three days, and typically, HR likes to choose at least two different locations to hold orientation so that new employees can visit a couple new buildings. Almost every department gets to make at least a short presentation, which not only gives you a feel for the department's work (and the fact that they exist, in the case of lesser-known departments like Community Development), but also gives you a contact in each department should you have questions. We also incorporate National Incident Management System training into our orientation, and even though it can be lengthy, knowing you're prepared in the event of an emergency does give you a sense of ownership within the city.

Individual departments also do their own orientation academies, and the one I did for Parks and Recreation included travelling around Raleigh in a city trolley, visiting several parks, and even riding one of the park carousels. We definitely try to balance out the wordy parts with the fun parts!

I've attached a copy of our most recent citywide orientation schedule. Hope that helps!

I know the City of Palo Alto was reinventing their process, and started a year or two ago. Jim Keene, the city manager, discussed it in the Change by Design interview with Bob O'Neill and Tim Brown (http://icma.org/leadingideas).

I also find using the book, "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko" by Daniel Pink (who spoke at the ICMA conference in 2007) to be a good conversation starter about making a difference/leaving an imprint and creating a "this isn't your parents' workplace" mentality.

Personally, I think the employee integration starts before even hiring someone - identifying the profile/type of person who best fits the organization's culture (either now, or where you want your culture to go), and trying to match that profile as close as possible during the interviews. Not to say you want all one type of person, but that you've mapped out what you want your organization to look like and find people that are (for example), comfortable with change or ambiguity, or don't mind an open-door atmosphere.

Two things we do here in Aspen. New employees meet with the City Manager where he talks about the kind of organization we aspire to be and how we are different from other places. I meet with them and discuss customer service and why they are important in creating an impression on the people who live here, work here and visit here with their interactions with them. I've attached the PP I use to guide those conversations.

Hello Mike,
I found a couple of documents that might interest you. The City of Englewood has leveraged culture to replace training to a degree:
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/1255/Leveraging_Internal_Knowledge_to_Create_a_Culture_of_Learning

The City of Montgomery, Ohio has worked to develop a company culture that encourages innovation and improvements:
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/301033/Innovation_through_a_Culture_of_Continuous_Improvement

You can always check the documents section of the Knowledge Network for information on many local government topics:
http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents

I hope this information is helpful for your organization.

Gabe Brehm
Knowledge Network Intern
ICMA