The Big Picture

Research consistently shows that increases in employee engagement lead directly to improvements in organizational performance. An engaged employee is satisfied with her job and organization; derives a sense of personal accomplishment from her work; believes that her talents are used well and that she is given the chance to develop professionally; and feels encouraged to innovate, among other factors.

Getting Back on Track

The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings offer the definitive assessment of employee satisfaction and commitment in federal agencies, and the 2009 version offers good news for those who care about the effectiveness of our government.

After leveling off from 2005 to 2007, government’s overall employee satisfaction rating has resumed its upward trajectory. This year’s government-wide index is up 2.4 percent, and since the initial rankings in 2003, the index is up 4.6 percent. The movement is not dramatic, but change comes slowly in large organizations and the trend is consistently and clearly moving in a positive direction.

Any Agency Can Improve

Looking at specific agencies, one of the biggest findings to emerge is that any agency can improve. In fact, 71 percent of federal organizations did in 2009.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Government Accountability Office ranked first and second in the 2007 rankings. These two agencies have maintained their positions in 2009. Perhaps more noteworthy is the fact that both agencies significantly improved their scores, even though they were already top-ranked. If NRC had simply maintained its 2007 index score, it would have lost the top spot, suggesting that to stand still is to fall back when it comes to employee satisfaction and commitment.

On the other end of the spectrum, the three lowest-ranked agencies in 2007 were the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration. This year, all three are among the top four most improved large agencies, with SBA improving its index score by 30 percent to become this year’s top riser. These agencies still have work to do before they make it to the top 10, but they prove that agencies can overcome challenges to create healthier workplaces.

Notable Newcomers

The 2009 rankings are not only filled with a number of fast risers, but many high-ranked newcomers. The Surface Transportation Board is a Best Places rookie and tops the 2009 rankings for agencies with less than 2,000 employees. The next two agencies in this category – the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Congressional Budget Office – are also included in the rankings for the first time. In the large agency category, the most noteworthy debut belongs to the Intelligence Community, which earned a top five ranking.

Leadership Remains Key Driver

So we know that a broad array of agencies saw their Best Places scores improve significantly. The logical follow-up question is, “How did they do it?”

For the fourth time in a row, the primary driver of job satisfaction in the federal space is effective leadership. While this finding is no surprise, the reasons behind it are. In a first, the 2009 Best Places rankings break down which factors shape employees’ views of their leadership. Conventional wisdom holds that the greatest influence on an employee’s satisfaction is his or her immediate supervisor. However, the 2009 Best Places rankings reveal that it is actually the quality of an agency’s senior leadership that has the greatest bearing on employee views.

Public Sector Lags Private Counterparts

While employee satisfaction is on the rise overall, federal agencies still have work to do if they hope to attract their fair share of America’s top talent. The federal government consistently lags the private sector according to several indicators of worker satisfaction. Government trails the private sector most dramatically when it comes to effective leadership, particularly with regard to management’s sharing of information with employees.

 

© 2009 Partnership for Public Service