The Lee County Tax Collector’s Office is dedicated to innovation. Its creative approach to employee training and mentoring led the Florida Sterling Council to recognize Lee County Tax Collector Larry Hart and his team with the Sterling Best Practice Award for Workforce Development and Retention. Hart accepted the award on May 31 during the 2019 Governor’s Sterling Award Banquet at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes.
“We have a staff of people who are second to none, and it’s my obligation to do right by them,” Hart said. “I’m thrilled to receive this honor, which serves as confirmation that we’re moving in the right direction.”
The Tax Collector’s Office’s increased its rate of retention for new hires who stayed past six months from 77.8% in fiscal year 2017 to 92% in fiscal year 2018. That caught the eye of the Sterling Council, which identifies high performing role-model organizations that demonstrate superior management approaches and results.
Hart and his team took a systematic approach to boosting its rate, establishing the “Inside Look” program, which gives applicants a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the job they’re seeking. It encompasses job shadowing, interaction between applicants and Tax Collector’s Office team members, and exposure to Tax Collector’s Office culture.
The organization also enhanced its onboarding program, developed a new training curriculum and established a new peer mentoring program. The training helped increase employee satisfaction from 91.2% in fiscal year 2015 to 96.76% in fiscal year 2019.
“We have the best and brightest working for us,” Hart said. “We want to make sure we keep them and keep adding to the ranks with more amazing talent. We’ll continue to find ways to accomplish that.”
See what the team at the Tax Collector’s Office is doing to make taking care of business easier for everyone in Lee County at leetc.com.
About the Sterling Awards
Established in 1992, the Florida Sterling Council is a public/private not-for-profit corporation supported by the Executive Office of the Governor. The council oversees the Governor’s Sterling Award for Performance Excellence and administers the Georgia Oglethorpe Award. The awards are presented at the culmination of the annual Sterling Conference that teaches participants how to elevate performance and increase productivity. For more information, contact Dione Geiger at 850- 922-5316 or visit floridasterling.com.
