City of Mustang Named to the Oklahoman’s Top Workplaces List

The Oklahoma Municipal League wishes to congratulate the City of Mustang as one of six first time winners making the list of 20 mid-sized employers as the Oklahoman’s Top Workplaces for 2018.

For the past six years, the Oklahoman has published their top workplaces in the categories of small, midsize and large employers. The City of Mustang is the only municipality to be recognized for the distinction this year.

Mustang City Manager, Timothy Rooney, said the city is very honored to have been recognized in this manner and he credits approximately 170 staff and employees for their success in creating a positive work environment.

“We are very fortunate to employ a great group of professionals who are dedicated to respectfully serving each other and our residents with the highest level of services and programs possible,” Rooney said.

Rooney believes there are four main reasons that the city creates a positive workplace environment. Those include the tuition reimbursement program for employees obtaining their bachelor’s degree in any area or a master’s degree in their field of employment; implementing flexible work hours; the sick leave buy-back program; and their annual employee appreciation week, held each summer.

“We have tried to implement benefits and programs that show our employees that we are listening to them and that they are appreciated for their hard work,” Rooney said.

As a part of the selection process, a survey was sent out to each employee by a third-party contract company, representing the Oklahoman. Under anonymity, the employees were asked to complete and return the survey.

Rooney said that asking employees to complete a survey could have been a huge risk in being selected, but it has proven to be a very valuable tool in learning what the employees like and don't like about their employment. He said that many of their recommendations have already been implemented with others still being considered.

Rooney noted that often it is difficult for municipalities to compete with the private sector in finding quality employees, but, that he believes his staff is willing and eager sometimes to take less pay to serve the community in which they live. He thinks that attitude is a huge reason for the City of Mustang to be one of Oklahoma’s top workplaces.