U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

President Obama has made it clear: the Federal government needs to deliver results for the taxpayers. Our civil servants are the people who deliver those results, and we at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are doing everything we can to make them the best, most productive workers in the world.

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (formerly the Federal Human Capital Survey) has been updated to gather more useful data that will help us improve our workplaces and increase productivity. The survey, now done annually, helps us listen to our employees and focus on employee perceptions that drive job satisfaction, commitment, engagement, and ultimately contribute to the accomplishment of agency missions.

Publishing the results of the survey is only the beginning. The next step is to develop a "Blueprint for Results." In a new initiative, OPM will provide customized support to help agencies use their survey data to drive organizational change.

Over a quarter-million government employees responded to the survey this year, and there is much good news to report. Employees are more confident in their leaders, and have increased respect for their honesty and integrity. They are proud to work for the Government and feel an increased sense of personal accomplishment. The vast majority believe their agency is accomplishing its missions and would recommend it as a good place to work. We hope to build on these results to increase employee engagement in improving agency operations.

Identifying and exposing problem areas, while at times uncomfortable, is essential to improving government operations. Performance management, including the management of poor performers, and the promotion process are areas of concern. We've added a new section on Work/Life to better understand the impact of these programs. They should be given extra consideration; significant room for improvement is possible.

In keeping with the Obama administration's commitment to Open Government, transparency, and accountability, we will make the survey data more readily available to the public. OPM's goal is to make the Federal government the model employer for the 21st century.

On behalf of President Obama, I'd like to extend our gratitude to all employees who participated, and our deepest appreciation for the work our people do each day for the American people.

Sincerely,

John Berry
Director