Vol73-8 August 2023

Engage, Empower, and Equip employees

Reliable electricity and superior customer service are top priorities for SMECO, and we know that achieving those goals is not possible without skilled and engaged employees. The Engage, Empower, and Equip Employees pillar was included in SMECO’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan to ensure your cooperative is actively recruiting, developing, and retaining our vital workforce while continuing to build a safe and inclusive workplace culture.

Some initiatives in this pillar of the Strategic Plan include a robust succession and recruiting plan, efforts for a more inclusive workplace, increased safety, and more efficient work processes.

• SMECO is enhancing relationships with local colleges and universities to develop incoming talent and prepare for the challenges of operating the power grid of the 21st century.
• The cooperative established a Leadership Academy to prepare our next generation of leaders, ensuring the knowledge of seasoned employees transfers to those who will carry the cooperative forward.
• SMECO is building a minority taskforce with employees from throughout the company to enhance our ability to attract diverse talent.
• We are implementing a technical training program and a hazard recognition program to reduce risks and improve safety.
• We plan to digitalize additional processes for members and employees wherever possible to improve our self-service options and replacing time-consuming, manual processes.

When employees are engaged, feel empowered to share ideas in a supportive workplace, and have the best tools to execute their daily responsibilities safely and efficiently; it creates a positive atmosphere that translates to improved service for the members we serve.