By Anita Todd
HAINES CITY – The City of Haines City has once again been recognized as one of CareerSource Polk’s Best Places to Work in Polk County for 2024.
Although the honorees were announced in August, CareerSource Polk President and CEO Stacy Campbell-Domineck formally shared the news with City Commissioners during their Sept. 4 meeting.
“I commend you because that process requires a very extensive application, but the most important piece is the feedback from at least 25 percent of the individuals who work here,” Campbell-Domineck told commissioners.
Haines City was one of 20 businesses to earn the distinction. The application process evaluates three key areas: the application itself, employee survey results, and input from judges. Questions focus on an employer’s commitment to workplace diversity, work/life balance, workforce education, training and development, employee recruitment, and retention. Applicants may also highlight what sets them apart from other organizations.
As part of the process, employees complete a confidential survey about their workplace satisfaction, including how well their employer supports work-life balance.
“This isn’t about what charities a company donates to,” explained Kathy Suttles, Director of the Business Services Division for CareerSource Polk. “We are interested in how they treat their employees – things like work/home balance and good things they do for their employees.”
Chandra Hall, Director of Human Resources for Haines City, said city leaders are proud of the recognition but remain focused on continued growth.
“We do not present as being a perfect organization, but an organization in progress that is committed to listening to the concerns expressed by employees and working on a strategic plan to address where we are and where we want to be as an award-winning company.”
Hall added that the feedback collected during the process guides ongoing improvements.
“We are a fast-growing city with a small-town feel working to create innovative ways to attract, retain, and engage our employees as we serve the citizens of this community. Having an understanding that with this growth comes a huge responsibility for us to adapt, develop, improve, and reinforce our structures, processes, and strategies is critical. As a result of this understanding, the City strives to achieve greater success in all that we do year after year. It is certainly not a quick fix, but a strategy that requires hard work and time.”
This marks the third consecutive year Haines City has received the honor, making it eligible for Employer of Distinction designation.
