Wakulla County interns present onboarding plan and customer-service upgrades to commissioners

Jennifer Hoffman, the county’s human resources director, introduced spring interns and invited them to present work they carried out for the Wakulla County government.

Rebecca Collins, a junior at Florida State University and the county’s HR intern, said she created a comprehensive onboarding plan that includes a manager guide, technology intake form, pre-hire checklist and a day-one agenda. "A strong onboarding process is critical for both employees and the county because it sets the foundation for employee success, satisfaction, and long term retention," Collins said, describing surveys she conducted across departments and tools she compiled for managers.

Mary Hall, an MBA student and county intern, described a standardized customer-service training package ready for scheduling, and said she redesigned procurement outreach by creating a Constant Contact landing page that automatically collects vendor information and builds mailing lists to reduce manual work for procurement staff. Hall also said she designed billboards, stickers and social posts for flood-awareness outreach and county communications.

Why it matters: County staff framed these projects as operational improvements intended to save staff time, improve communications with vendors, reduce early turnover among new hires and strengthen public outreach.

What’s next: Hoffman's presentation noted administrative regulation 1.15 (approved in November 2025) established internship standards; the interns said the materials are ready for implementation and follow-up with department managers.