New employees at Marietta Water in Marietta, Ga., used to learn the ropes through informal on-the-job training that lacked accountability.
These days, they’re held to a much higher standard: pass a state certification test in water distribution or wastewater collection or lose their job. That approach has led to better morale, lower turnover and increased efficiency.
“We figured we could improve the stability of the workforce by developing a higher-qualified employee,” says Bob Snelson, department director for the past 10 years. “The certification requirement also gets our employees classified at higher levels with higher pay.
“My first two years here, we had a
