CCA Employee of the Year: Are You the Next Nominee?
Five characteristics to get you there
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2009 CCA Employee of the Year Marty Fleischacker gets involved with the community.
There’s no denying that each CCA Employee of the Year is a deserving one. From mentoring new staff to pioneering community outreach programs, they are among the most generous and influential citizens in their communities and facilities across the nation.
With more than 60 facility nominations to review each year, CCA’s Employee of the Year selection committee has a tough responsibility in narrowing down the pool of candidates to the few tapped for review by CCA President and CEO Damon Hininger.
So what is it about those top nominations that grab their attention? InsideCCA uncovered the five common characteristics of a standout employee.
1. Loyalty
Typically, CCA employees of the year have served a number of years with the company. CCA Employee of the Year 2011, Lake City Correctional Facility’s Khalid Rentz, served CCA for 12 years before recently being named.
“Those employees who evoke a great sense of loyalty – to the company, the facility and their coworkers – tend to really standout,” says Louise Grant, CCA vice president, Communications, and a member of the selection committee.
More specifically, decision-makers say it’s not just loyalty in the typical sense of serving CCA for a long period of time, but also that which comes from the passion of working at CCA and in corrections.
2. Joy and Happiness
It’s not surprising for those employees who are described as "friendly" or "exudes happiness" to catch the attention of committee members.
“We read all the clichés in the nomination form, but they are always true of the employee and of Employees of the Year in general,” says Grant. “'Always lends a hand, always has your back, and brightens the room’ are ways we hear them described.”
Crowley County Correctional Facility's Marty Fleischacker, CCA's 2009 Employee of the Year, says of friend and 2010 recipient Nechol Owens, “There is something about her joy, her laugh and spirit. You can just be sitting in a meeting with her and feel her positive influence and kindheartedness.”
3. Innovation
Employees who truly enjoy their jobs are driven to help the company succeed and thrive. Often those employees are continuously looking for ways to improve their environment.
Fleischacker was celebrated for his exuberant personality, enthusiasm for education and the innovative ways he enriches the lives of others – in the community and facility. Similarly, Employees of the Year are generally active in the local community and at the workplace in ways that go over and beyond their official job descriptions.
4. Diversity of Roles
Many nominations include employees who “wear a lot of hats.” Employee of the Year selection committee members agree that a typical awardee is involved in many aspects of facility operations, from volunteering on committees to spearheading special projects.
Owens, training manager at Whiteville Correctional Facility, also serves as public information officer, chair of the peer review committee, and president of the employee engagement committee.
5. Mentoring
The most ubiquitous of all Employee of the Year commonalities – mentoring – has been among the top characteristics of these stellar employees.
“I spend about 90 percent of my time mentoring,” says Fleischacker. “I enjoy it.”
“Almost without a doubt, our Employees of the Year care about mentoring newer employees, whether it is their role to do so or not,” explains Grant.
Rentz spends his free time from the facility running a recording studio that caters to at-risk youth. Once in the studio, Rentz uses his time to be a positive influence and mentor.
“When you look at all these traits, you get a sense for the type of person who rises up to the level of a CCA Employee of the Year,” says Grant. “It’s so inspiring to read the nominations each year. When you read one after another, it makes you very proud.”
January 16, 2012