The Big Picture
It may be tempting to shrug off efforts to ensure that federal employees are satisfied with their jobs and their organizations, but satisfaction drives employee engagement and ultimately leads to better performance. Investing in the federal workforce and paying attention to employee viewpoints isn't about happiness, it's about building a more effective government and delivering results for Americans.
The 2011 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings offer the most comprehensive assessment of how federal employees perceive their jobs and agencies, providing insights into issues ranging from leadership and pay to teamwork and work-life balance.
The rankings also provide a benchmark to measure agency progress, to identify signs of trouble, and to spur our government leaders to improve the way they manage their most important asset — their employees.
Job Satisfaction Declined
The 2011 Best Places to Work results show a decline in employee satisfaction compared to 2010, but not as big a drop as one might have expected given the difficult economic and political climate that has led to a federal pay freeze, the possibility of reduced worker benefits, threats of government shutdowns and the certainty of significant agency budget reductions.
The Best Places to Work government-wide employee satisfaction score for 2011 stood at 64 out of 100, representing a 1.5 percent decrease from 2010, but still 5.7 percent higher than 2003 when our rankings were first published.
The new rankings show improvement in worker satisfaction scores by only 31 percent of federal organizations, compared with 68 percent in 2010, demonstrating that 2011 was a challenging year for most agencies. At the same time, the rise in employee satisfaction at some agencies suggests that a determined focus on good management can have a positive workplace impact in the workplace even in tough times.
Agencies at the Top
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was first on this year's Best Places list of 33 large agencies, moving up two slots from 2010. The FDIC unseated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which ranked second this year after holding the top spot three times in a row. Third place went to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which had ranked second in 2010. The NRC and the GAO both showed declines in their worker satisfaction scores. Among small agencies, the Surface Transportation Board ranked 1st for the third survey in a row, and reached the all-time high Best Places to Work employee satisfaction score of 91.1 out of 100.
Agencies Falling Behind
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) was the lowest rated large agency for a second year in a row, recording a 7.1 percent decrease in employee satisfaction. It was followed by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) with a 5.9 percent decline. This is the third survey in a row that employees gave the SEC lower marks, sinking the financial regulator from 3rd place in 2007 to 27th place today. Among small agencies, the Federal Maritime Commission recorded an 18.8 percent decline in employee satisfaction. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which ranked last among small agencies, registered a 16.8 percent fall off in job satisfaction compared to 2010.
Agencies on the Rise
In addition to being the top-ranked agency, the FDIC was also the most improved large federal agency, with an increase in employee job satisfaction of 8.5. It was followed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which jumped from 14th to 9th place in the rankings and raised its standing among employees by 5.3 percent.
Among small agencies, the Selective Service System saw a 31 percent jump in its Best Places to Work score, while the Federal Labor Relations Authority recorded an 11.6 percent increase. Within the Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Mint increased its employee satisfaction score by 21.2 percent, and moved from 201 to 57th in the rankings, while the department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing registered a 16.6 percent increase, and rose from the 219th to 174th slot among agency subcomponents. The Office of Postsecondary Education, part of the Department of Education, improved by 20.8 percent in the 2011 regarding employee job satisfaction, but still ranked 239th out of 240 subcomponents.
Notable Newcomers
The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board was not part of the Best Places to Work rankings in 2009 and 2010, but in 2011 was ranked 2nd among small agencies with an employee satisfaction score of 89.3. The Farm Credit Administration placed 5th among small agencies after not taking part in the rankings for several years.
Leadership Remains Key Driver
While many factors are involved in shaping how employees view their workplace, the 2011 survey for the sixth time in a row showed the primary driver in the federal space is effective leadership, and in particular, senior leadership. Two other key factors influencing satisfaction revealed by the analysis were a belief by employees that their skills were well-suited to their agency's mission and a satisfaction with pay. In 2011, leadership continued to receive low scores from employees. Satisfaction with pay declined, while workers gave high marks for the link between skills and mission.
Public Sector Lags Private-Sector Counterparts
Employees in the private sector continued to be more satisfied with their jobs, organizations and supervisors than their counterparts in the federal government. While worker satisfaction declined in 2011 for both federal employees and for workers in large private companies, the drop off was slightly less for the private sector. According to an analysis by Hay Group, the 2011 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government index score for large private sector companies was 70 out of 100, a slight drop from 70.6 in 2010. For federal agencies, the score was 64 out of 100, a drop from 65 in 2010.
The Best Places to Work analysis shows that the federal government outperforms the private sector in only one area, scoring two points higher on satisfaction with the opportunity to improve skills. On the issue of recognition for doing a good job and satisfaction with involvement in decision-making, the government lost significant ground. In 2010, there was only a three point gap on each of these questions, and now there is a six point gap. In addition, there continues to be a large divide on satisfaction with communication from management, with federal employees being substantially less satisfied by 14 points.
The Best Places to Work rankings — the most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government — are produced by the Partnership for Public Service.
