Dig Safely New York trains new employees virtually
Author: Devin R. Negrete, Dig Safely New York
When Dig Safely New York hires new Damage Prevention Representatives, they sit in a designated training room that is equipped with a row of computers, a smart board and an instructor. They receive hands-on experience, interaction with their new fellow coworkers and learn about the friendly work environment. However, this year has proven to be different due to COVID-19.
Earlier this year, Dig Safely New York added Microsoft Teams to the list of programs to enhance communications throughout the building. With Teams, you can meet virtually with people within or outside of your organization, share your screen, share documents and more. This has allowed Dig Safely New York to develop a virtual training class for new hires that keep them safe and socially distanced from the office. They have also created a PowerPoint that is screen shared with the new employees, allowing them to follow along. The “raise hand” feature can be utilized for questions without disruptions and speakers can be added at any time during the meeting or onboarding process.
While it is challenging not receiving one-on-one human interaction, Microsoft Teams allows Dig Safely New York to create jobs in Upstate New York and train employees in a safe environment while adhering to state and federal guidelines. COVID-19 has forced many companies to adapt to a “new normal” and this is just one successful solution Dig Safely New York plans to continue to utilize until it’s safe to return to the office.
Register now for Indiana 811 and Kentucky 811’s virtual conference
Author: Mary Patricia Kindt, USA 811
Registration for the one-day Virtual Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference, hosted by Indiana 811 and Kentucky 811, is now open! The virtual event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Indiana 811 and Kentucky 811 are proud to announce this year’s Keynote speaker is Commander Kirk Lippold USN (Ret.), the Commanding Officer of the USS Cole when it came under a suicide terrorist attack in Yemen. His can’t-miss speech will kick off the 2020 virtual conference and will be followed by more than 10 unique educational training webinars, which will cover a variety of topics for all damage prevention stakeholders in the Midwest and beyond.
Register now for the VMWDPTC!
Dig Safely New York reaches thousands for 811 Day
Author: Devin R. Negrete, Dig Safely New York
Hosting a celebration online isn’t always the preferred way of getting your message across, but, in times like these, it’s almost the only way to share that message safely and responsibly. That is why Dig Safely New York chose to celebrate 811 Day with an iPad contest across their social media platforms this year.
According to Broadband Search, about 3.8 billion people worldwide use social media and Americans spend an average of two hours and six minutes on those platforms. Of those people, Dig Safely New York were able to reach (total number of people who have seen your posts) 13,000 in Upstate New York.
For the contest, Dig Safely New York incorporated interactive images, messages informing the public of the contest and Field Representative social media takeovers. The takeovers were a major success in hitting each region with the field reps visiting active jobsites, sharing videos of their activities for the day and giving shoutouts to the other organizations they worked with that day. All in all, the contest was a great way to engage with online audiences and educate about what they do and the damage prevention message.