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Montgomery Township spotlights recruitment, internships and workplace culture on podcast
Summary
On a recent 'We Are Montgomery Township' episode, Township Manager Carolyn McCreery and HR Administrator Christine Willard discussed modernized hiring practices, social-media recruitment, internship successes and initiatives—like lunch-and-learns and on-site wellness programs—used to retain staff.
Carolyn McCreery, township manager, hosted Christine Willard, HR administrator for Montgomery Township, PA, on the "We Are Montgomery Township" podcast to outline how the township is recruiting and retaining staff amid local-government hiring challenges.
Willard said one persistent obstacle is perception: "Local government is a tough market," and many people assume such jobs are low-paying with limited advancement. To respond, the township has digitized its hiring pipeline, moving applications online so candidates "don't wanna have to meet with people in person to actually apply for a position," Willard said, adding that convenience has increased interest in open positions.
The township has also broadened outreach. "We've actually expanded the dissemination of our job postings to include social media," Willard said, citing a creative posting that used a fly-through video of the community recreation center for a program-director vacancy and which she said produced more applications. McCreery added that many residents do not fully understand the scope of local government services—from parks and paving to emergency services—and that explaining those roles helps recruitment.
Willard described youth and pipeline strategies the township uses: attending high school job fairs at North Penn High School to show students public-works and police department roles, and offering internships. "We had 2 very successful internships last year," she said, noting one intern later took a local-government job in another state while another was hired by Montgomery Township. The township also plans an HR-specific internship to involve students in job-description writing, recruitment and onboarding.
Retention efforts focus on workplace culture and practical supports. Willard described Montgomery Township's culture as familial and collaborative, saying staff now "socialize" across departments after quarterly "lunch-and-learn" sessions and a staff retreat designed to build teamwork. She credited internal communications—"staff snap," created by Public Information Officer Derek Muller—for reducing departmental silos and helping employees track board actions and presentations.
Willard emphasized on-site wellness and recognition as cost-conscious retention tools. The township runs annual flu-shot clinics and biometric screenings so employees can get preventive care without leaving work. Summer food-truck gatherings and on-site holiday parties recognize staff and service anniversaries while limiting expense to taxpayer-funded budgets.
On onboarding, Willard recommended structured first-day introductions: show new hires around, introduce them to colleagues, and schedule weekly check-ins in the early weeks so staff do not feel isolated. She said leadership matters: "You are our leadership," she told McCreery, adding that managerial trust and limited micromanagement help employees succeed.
Willard, who started with the township in August 2022 and said she has about 13 years in human resources, also addressed generational differences in the workforce and the need for adaptable schedules to accommodate employees across five generations.
The township plans to continue the initiatives discussed and to launch the HR internship. The episode ends with Willard's recommendation that Montgomery Township is a strong place to build a civic career.
