A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
OPM's annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey is a valuable and powerful tool for government leaders, supervisors and managers as they work to make sure the Federal workforce feels engaged, supported and motivated. In that way, agency leaders can help this dedicated workforce continue to provide excellent service to the American people each and every day.
One of the best ways for managers to know whether they are living up to their responsibility to create a workplace culture that is engaged and inclusive is by listening to and acting on feedback from their employees. I want to personally thank the 392,752 people who took the time to provide us with their candid and unfiltered opinions on all aspects of their work life, from job satisfaction to prospects for advancement to relationships with colleagues and supervisors.
This year, the two strongest results of the 2014 FEVS reveal that more than 90 percent of Federal employees are willing to put in the extra effort necessary to get the job done, and that they consistently look for ways to do better.
We have made some progress since 2013. Employee satisfaction increased one or more percentage points on a number of the survey questions. And the previous drops in employee satisfaction slowed to about one percentage point in most instances.
I was pleased to see that employee satisfaction with immediate supervisors either increased or remained consistent. Declines related to the performance of senior leaders and managers may in part be due to the clarification of the senior leader definition; however, any decline should be reviewed and as agency leaders we need to respond appropriately.
We take employee input seriously. Managers and supervisors will use the insights they get from the FEVS to improve their organizations and working conditions. To help leaders and managers better use the valuable information the FEVS provides, OPM is providing training, tools and support to Federal leaders.
We have created a digital dashboard, called UnlockTalent.gov, which offers managers the kind of customized employee engagement data that will guide them in their efforts to strengthen and improve their workplace cultures. This dashboard includes detailed analyses from the FEVS survey, and it is a place for managers across government to share examples of best practices.
As part of the People and Culture plank of the President's Management Agenda, we are piloting other workforce approaches that can help make agencies more engaging places to work.
Our GovConnect project gives employees a chance to work on initiatives that go beyond their normal daily responsibilities. This enables our talented workers to develop new skills, and it helps agencies foster greater collaboration among employees. OPM is also supporting a government-wide Mentoring Hub, which helps bring together mentors and mentees in relationships that support growth and development.
While the Federal workforce continues to face challenges, there are great opportunities for the talented employees who come to work every day prepared to do their very best to provide the service the American people deserve.
Their ongoing focus and effort is an inspiration to me. I thank them for their feedback and for the incredible service Federal employees throughout the nation provide to the American people.
Katherine Archuleta
Director
U.S. Office of Personnel Management