Office of the Mayor: Video Messages to Employees

The Challenge

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, information and guidelines were being released by a variety of sources like the White House, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, state and county departments of health, and individual organizations like Indiana University and IU Health. In addition to there being a lot of information to process, sometimes the content from the various sources was not in agreement, or Bloomington and Monroe County were adopting different policies (i.e. private gathering limits, or accessibility of government facilities and services). With guidelines changing fast, the City of Bloomington needed to figure out what information was valuable, meaningful, and reliable. City of Bloomington employees, especially, needed clarity on what was expected of them during this time. Many employees had questions specifically relating to their job functions, and general press conferences or video messages to the public were not addressing these concerns fully. 

The Idea

To communicate reliable information and prevent confusion and misinformation, in addition to a COVID-19 resource page, the Mayor began sending out video messages to employees about the current state of affairs, what we knew, and what we were doing with what we knew. For an example, see here. Mayor Hamilton recorded these video messages and distributed each one to all city employees via email, beginning in April 2020. Most often distributed weekly, sometimes the video updates were sent out more or less frequently depending on how fast information was changing. Whereas COVID-19 press conferences provided information about metrics like hospital capacity, pertinent Indiana University updates, and how city and county ordinances align or do not align with those determined by the state, the video messages to employees focused more on general virus trends and called on employees to model behaviors for residents. Oftentimes the messages provided updates on City Council actions taken in reaction to the virus, thanked employees for their continued efforts to take care of the community, and included the Mayor encouraging staff to reach out if they need anything. 

The Cost

Apart from the Mayor’s time involved in prepping for the videos, the cost of these events is minimal since they do not require a central location or media coverage. These video messages are free for staff to access in the form of unlisted Youtube links sent directly to their city emails. 

The Benefit

These regular video messages to City of Bloomington employees from Mayor Hamilton serve as one resource among several available at https://bloomington.in.gov/covid-19  for staff to gain the most up-to-date information on the COVID pandemic as it relates to the Bloomington community. By offering a more targeted message to city employees, Mayor Hamilton has not only kept employees informed but also strengthened the staff’s trust in local Bloomington leaders. In fostering a culture of solidarity, care, and compliance with public health measures, these video messages to employees serve to reinforce coordination of efforts and decision-making within specific departments and the City of Bloomington as a whole. 

Metadata

City Departments: Office of the Mayor

City Point of Contact: Yael Ksander

Partners: N/A

Partner Point of Contact: N/A

Type of Innovation: Brand New Service 

Date Implemented: April 2020