Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma again named a ‘Top Oklahoma Workplace’ — and garners coverted national accreditation

Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma (GICO) has again been named as one of Oklahoma’s Top Workplaces, joining a list of 26 companies that The Oklahoman newspaper selected in the large category this year based on a comprehensive employee-driven evaluation process.

In other news from Goodwill, CARF International (CARF) announced that GICO has been accredited for a period of three years for its community employment, job development and organizational employment programs. This is the second Three-Year Accreditation earned by Goodwill.

According to a press release from his communications team, Jim Priest, CEO and President of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, said that “knowing the award was solely based on employees’ perception of their workplace makes it especially valuable.”

Priest continued: “Thrift retail may be what we’re known for, but we consider ourselves primarily in the people development business. Winning this title comes after two years of continuous innovation and strategic improvements to the workplace.”

According to Traci Moses, Goodwill’s Chief People Officer, the nonprofit’s leadership has committed to an employee-centered approach and focused on creating a positive workplace culture.

“We make it a point to welcome feedback from all corners and levels of the organization,” said Moses. “Our leadership constantly looks for ways to model value-based, servant leadership and consider our employees at the heart of every decision.”

This emphasis on transparency and employee ownership has also resulted in high levels of engagement across the organization, according to Moses. More than 65 percent of Goodwill’s 800-plus strong workforce participated in the survey resulting in this year’s award.

“Next to some obvious steps, such as relaxing the office dress code, flattening hierarchies, and increasing wages where we could – we really drilled down on what our employees need to be able to bring their best self to work,” Moses continued.

This year, Goodwill began collaborating with Worklife Partnership, a Colorado nonprofit specializing in personalized, immediate, one-on-one assistance when workers need it most.

Through Goodwill’s Begin@Home program, WLP provides around-the-clock resources to employees struggling with non-work-related issues, such as housing, transportation and family matters.

Since its launch, more than 70 employees have been served through the Begin@Home program with the average person taking advantage of four to five individual services.

“Our goal is to raise awareness around the availability of these resources and reach at least 35 percent of our workforce in the coming year,” said Moses about plans to expand the program.

Winning the statewide designation two years in a row was taken as a signal to Goodwill leaders that the wrap-around workplace services and that efforts to build a better, more people-focused organization are paying off – and perhaps more importantly, that employees can feel those changes.

“While we recognize that, as an organization, we’re not perfect, we find it encouraging to see that our employees feel engaged and included in our mission to help people in Central Oklahoma overcome challenges to employment,” said Priest.

Concerning the CARF accreditation CICO’s Amara Lett == Director of Training and Employment Services Amara Lett – reflected in a press release sent to The Oklahoma City Sentinel, “This is a proud moment for our entire team. The CARF accreditation demonstrates our dedication to our mission of helping Oklahomans struggling with employment.

“We look forward to continuing to be an organization known to help those in need with training to gain valuable career-ready skills for years to come.”

This designation is the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows Goodwill’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards, organizational leaders say. “An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable and of the highest quality,” the institutional press release continued.

Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that has been providing community employment, job development and organizational employment in the Oklahoma City area since 1936.

“Goodwill has undergone leadership changes, which has resulted in significant improvement in its employment and training programs and the culture of the organization,” CARF Accreditation Site Visitor Shirley Lyons said.

“This achievement highlights its forward-thinking strategic plan being an effective vehicle for moving the organization forward. The development of new types of services as it transitioned from the pandemic demonstrates the innovation of leadership and its commitment to the persons who benefit from its services.”

This accreditation will extend through Oct. 31, 2025.

CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is “to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served.”

Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services.