In our last post, we shared easy, budget-friendly ways to boost employee engagement. The feedback was loud and clear: small teams, especially in local government, are looking for practical ideas that work.

Today, we’re diving into an example of how one Alberta municipality put those strategies into action. With some help from HR consulting services, they created a healthier, more energized workplace, and the results speak for themselves.

The Challenge: Burnout, Turnover & Not Enough Hands on Deck

Meet the Town of Silverridge*, a mid-sized municipality in Alberta. Like many towns, they were dealing with a few familiar challenges: high turnover in their admin teams, low morale, and frustrated employees who felt undervalued and unclear about their roles.

At the time, the HR “department” was one overworked generalist juggling everything from hiring to compliance. With a tight municipal budget, launching a big employee engagement program wasn’t in the cards. They needed an innovative, affordable solution that could make a real impact without stretching their resources even thinner.

*Fictional town

The Solution: Strategic Support, Step by Step

Silverridge partnered with an external HR consultant to build a practical, three-phase engagement plan. The consultant's role was to provide strategic guidance, conduct audits, and facilitate workshops. The goal was to strengthen communication, clarify roles, and empower leadership in a way that made sense for their limited capacity.

Phase 1: Listening & Learning

It started with a deep dive into the town’s workplace culture. Anonymous staff surveys and leadership interviews gave everyone a safe space to speak up. The consultant audited policies and communication flows and reviewed job descriptions to identify points of confusion. This exploration also revealed another source of frustration: confusion and dissatisfaction with the employee benefits plan.

This phase was crucial in understanding the existing issues and setting the stage for the subsequent actions.

Here’s what was uncovered:

• Less than 27% of employees felt recognized for their work
• Communication from leadership was inconsistent
• Job descriptions were outdated
• No formal feedback or coaching system existed
• Staff felt underserved by their benefits plan, citing a lack of clarity, limited flexibility, and confusion around how to access what was available. Some employees, particularly those with young families, expressed interest in enhanced orthodontic coverage. Others preferred scaled-down options, feeling they were paying for benefits they rarely used.

Phase 2: Turning Insight into Action

With these insights in hand, the HR consultant developed a customized roadmap aligned with Silverridge’s operational capacity and financial constraints.

Updated job descriptions and the introduction of KPIs helped reduce ambiguity and improve accountability. A casual monthly “Coffee with Council” created a regular space for open dialogue between staff and municipal leadership. A peer recognition program allowed employees to acknowledge one another's contributions in a meaningful, no-cost way.

Quarterly pulse surveys were introduced to maintain two-way communication without placing extra strain on HR.

Managers also participated in coaching workshops focused on building skills in feedback, communication, and conflict resolution.

Meanwhile, one of the most impactful changes came through a review of the group benefits plan. Staff shared that the existing information booklet was hard to understand. Working closely with the carrier, the HR consultant developed a version written in plain language and designed around employee input.

In addition, employees expressed a desire for more flexibility in their benefits, even if it meant a slight increase in contributions. A phased rollout of optional plan designs was introduced, and the result spoke volumes: nearly 50% of employees chose an alternative plan design that better suited their individual or family needs.

Everything was done in defined phases, making the process realistic and manageable for their small team.

Phase 3: Keep It Going

Once the momentum was there, it was all about consistency. The consultant helped Silverridge stay on track with:

• Regular reviews of data and employee feedback
• Leadership coaching check-ins
• HR policy manual improvements based on real input
• Gradual, responsive changes to internal comms

On the financial side, the consultant conducted a comprehensive financial review of the municipality’s benefits plan. Based on that analysis, they recommended transitioning from a traditional fully insured model to an ASO (Administrative Services Only) plan for health and dental benefits.

The advantages of this change were twofold: over time, the municipality stood to save significantly on premiums, and there was an immediate return as well. Because insurers no longer needed to hold reserves for claims runoff, Silverridge received a significant one-time refund cheque. That money was immediately earmarked for future engagement and wellness initiatives. 

Overall, the key to success was building habits, not just running a one-time initiative.

The Results: Real Wins, Real Fast

In just six months, the transformation was apparent:

• Turnover dropped 30% in departments that had been struggling with employee retention
• Employee satisfaction scores jumped 46%
• Absenteeism went down, and teams reported feeling more connected
• Service complaints from residents dropped because employees were more efficient and consistent
• Trust in leadership rose 55% (a huge win!)
• When asked if they’d recommend working there, the average rating soared from 5.8 to 8.6 out of 10

Silverridge didn’t need flashy software or an expensive rebrand. They focused on what really matters: listening, communicating, recognizing effort, and building trust.

This story proves that even with tight budgets, real change is possible when you’ve got the right strategy and support.

You Can Do This, Too

Not every municipality has the time or team to run a full engagement program. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck. With flexible HR consulting services, even the leanest teams can boost morale, retain top talent, and create a workplace people enjoy.

Do you want to explore what’s possible for your organization? Let’s talk. Book a free consultation and see how our custom HR strategies can help your team thrive without overspending.