Team: Supervised 1 recruiter and 3 professional staff and coordinated the work of 3 technicians and 1 management specialist.

Challenge: As the City of Oklahoma City's inaugural HR Communications leader, create a cohesive internal and external communications strategy that supported the unique cultures and needs of all 22 departments.

Solution: The Work for OKC brand effectively spanned the entire employee lifecycle—from recruitment to retirement and reduced the City’s vacancy rate to under 10% for the first time in 20+ years.

Research & Insights

• Employee Lifecycle Mapping: Identified key communication touchpoints across recruitment, onboarding, performance evaluations, and retirement.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted discussions with department heads, employees, and OKC residents to understand communication gaps and needs.

• Brand Audit: Reviewed existing communication materials to assess consistency and effectiveness.

• Key Insights: Front-line employees feel isolated and underrepresented. There is a “great divide” between emergency personnel, front-line personnel, and administrative staff. The general public does not have a clear understanding of the vast job classifications at the City and the City’s image is “stuffy”, “outdated”, and “governmenty”.

Work for OKC

Work for OKC must represent all departments, have a modern look, and be friendly.
”From the Airport to the Zoo, we have jobs from A - Z”.

Communications Strategy

Established strategic plan (Leading for Results), communications strategy & mapping in 2022. The primary focus is to drive applications, especially for hard-to-fill positions. The latest Strategic Business Plan is depicted.

Communication Materials

• Recruitment Brochures: Designed executive brochures for positions like Assistant City Manager and IT Director, a general recruitment brochure, and a pension brochure highlighting the city's benefits and culture.

• Water Bill Articles: Developed articles for water bills to inform residents about city initiatives and services.

• Hiring Event Materials: Created materials such as interview tips, application guidelines, application timeline and videos to assist candidates.

• Hard-to-Fill Job Videos: Collaborated with cross-functional teams to highlight key information for promotion.

• Job Alerts: Created postcard with QR code to sign up for email notifications when new positions were posted.

• Web Content: Developed graphics and content writing for two websites.

Bilingual Outreach

• Spanish Translations & Transcreation: Transcreated key documents and informational materials to ensure accessibility for Spanish-speaking employees and residents.

• Community Engagement: Coordinated bilingual community outreach programs to enhance engagement.

Hiring Events & Outreach

• Event Execution: Led the planning and execution of over 10 hiring events, including a digital recruitment event and two large-scale outreach job fairs for Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) high school students.

• Recruiter Training: Trained recruiters on best practices for engaging the public at marketing tents and job fairs.

• Media Appearances: Participated in radio, newspaper, TV, and phone interviews in English and Spanish to increase event visibility.

• Outcomes: Each event attracted 100–500+ participants, leading to successful recruitment for critical roles such as:

  • Lifeguards

  • 911 Dispatchers

  • Animal Welfare Officers

  • Water Line Maintenance Workers

  • Grounds Maintenance Staff

  • Call Center Staff

Media & Advertising Strategy

• Digital Campaigns: Developed web and social media ads to promote hiring events and city initiatives, with a focus on targeted reach and engagement.

• Broadcast Media Appearances: Represented the City of OKC across major radio and TV platforms, delivering consistent messaging in both English and Spanish:

  • Radio:

    • KJ103 – TJ, Janet & Jrod in the Morning

    • Perry Broadcasting – Power

    • The KATT

  • TV:

    • Telemundo

    • FOX – Living Oklahoma

    • KFOR / KAUT – Rise & Shine

• Live Broadcasts: Participated in real-time coverage for events to enhance engagement and build public trust.

• Media Inquiries: Addressed media as agency spokesperson and coordinated speaking events for CHRO.

Results

• Vacancy Rate: Reduced the city vacancy rate to under 10% for the first time in two decades in 2024.

• Recognition: The City of OKC received the Forbes Best Employer Award in 2024, the only municipality to make the list that year.

Testimonial

“I remember the first time I saw this graphic and was completely blown away! You are right that you created an entire brand. I’ve never seen something be so effective!”
— Stephen F., City of OKC Enterprise Systems Program Manager / Oracle Cloud Consultant

Visual Samples