Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does the Best Places to Work Index measure?
   The Best Places to Work Index measures employee satisfaction and commitment. The overall rankings are based on the Best Places to Work Index score. The measurement model for Best Places to Work was created by our partner in 2003, CFI Group, which uses the same methodology for the highly regarded American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
   
   
2. How is the Best Places to Work Index score calculated?
   The Best Places to Work Index score is calculated based on three different questions in the office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Those survey questions include:
   
   • I recommend my organization as a good place to work.
   • Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your job?
   • Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your organization?
   
   To calculate the score, we use the percentage of positive responses (Agree or Strongly Agree; Satisfied or Very Satisfied) in a weighted formula. Our sponsor, Hay Group, determined the weightings by performing a regression analysis on the employee survey data included in their normative database (approximately 75,000 employees). Scores for the three Best Places to Work questions were regressed on the outcome variable – intent to remain in the organization. They looked at the percent of variance in "intent to remain" accounted for by each of the three Best Places to Work questions. The more the question predicted intent to remain, the higher the weighting. The weightings for the formula are proprietary.
   
   
3. How are the workplace dimensions calculated?
   The workplace dimension scores are calculated by averaging the percentage of positive responses (Agree or Strongly Agree; Satisfied or Very Satisfied) in ten work environment categories. The categories are effective leadership; employee skills/mission match; strategic management; teamwork; pay; work/life balance; performance-based reward and advancement; training and development; support for diversity; and family friendly culture and benefits. The formula is not weighted. To see the survey questions included in each category, click here.
   
   
4. How were the workplace dimensions created?
   The measurement model for Best Places to Work was created by our partner in 2003, CFI Group. They used structural equation modeling to determine the clusters of questions included in each workplace category.
   
   
5. What are the definitions of “senior leader” and “supervisor”?
   The 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey included the following definitions:
   
   Executives: Members of the Senior Executive Service or equivalent.
   Senior Leaders: The heads of departments/agencies and their immediate leadership team. Typically these individuals would be members of the Senior Executive Service or equivalent.
   Leaders: This is your agency’s management team. This includes anyone with supervisory or managerial responsibilities.
   Managers: Those in management positions who typically supervise one or more supervisors.
   Supervisors: First-line supervisors who do not supervise other supervisors; typically those who are responsible for employees’ performance appraisals and approval of their leave.
   Team Leaders: Not official supervisors; those who provide employees with day-to-day guidance in work projects, but do not have supervisory responsibilities or conduct performance appraisals.
   
   Our Senior Leader and Supervisor dimensions include the following:
   
   Effective Leadership - Senior Leaders
   • I have a high level of respect for my organization's senior leaders.
   • In my organization, leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce.
   
   Effective Leadership - Supervisors
   • Overall, how good a job do you feel is being done by your immediate supervisor/team leader?
   • Supervisors/team leaders in my work unit provide employees with the opportunities to demonstrate their leadership skills.
   • Discussions with my supervisor/team leader about my performance are worthwhile.
   • Supervisors/team leaders in my work unit support employee development.
   
   
6. What does the Staff/Manager Alignment score measure?
   The staff/manager alignment score analyzes the degree of alignment (or disconnect) between agency staff and managers across 50 survey questions used in the Best Places to Work analysis. "Staff" includes any employees who do not have supervisory responsibilities. "Managers" include any senior leaders, managers, or supervisors.
   
   The score capitalizes on a unique advantage of the federal government – the ability to compare alignment of staff and managers in individual agencies to a government-wide benchmark. This allows us to make clear distinctions between agencies that have normal gaps and those that may be at risk due to very large gaps in staff and managers perceptions.
   
   
7. What is the definition of “large” and “small” in the agency rankings?
   Agencies with more than 2,000 full-time permanent employees are included in the "large" category. Agencies with between 100 and 2,000 full-time permanent employees are included in the "small" category. Subcomponents, the agencies within large agencies, need to have at least 100 full-time permanent employees. The number of employees was determined by using OPM's FedScope database. Our criterion was based on the number of full-time, permanent employees as of fiscal 2010, unless otherwise noted.
   
   
8. What is the data source used for the Best Places to Work rankings?
   Our rankings are based on the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey and nine additional employee surveys conducted by agencies. These separate but analogous surveys were taken by the 17-agency Intelligence Community, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Government Accountability Office, the Smithsonian Institution, the Peace Corps, the Farm Credit Administration, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation., the Millennium Challenge Corporation,. and the Army Audit Agency. The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey was administered by OPM in April and May 2011 and distributed to 540,727 executive branch full-time permanent employees. The OPM survey achieved a response rate of 49.3 percent, resulting in a final sample of 266,376 employees. The agencies included in the study account for 97 percent of the executive branch workforce. In the Best Places to Work rankings, we used OPM's weighted data. The additional nine separate agency surveys represent nearly 10,000 additional respondents, not including the Intelligence Community (number of respondents is classified). For more information about OPM's methodology, please click here.
   
   
9. How did you determine Effective Leadership was the "key driver" of the Best Places to Work Index score?
   Our sponsor, Hay Group, performed a regression analysis to determine which workplace categories were the best predictors of the Best Places to Work Index score. Government-wide, and for most agencies, the key driver was Effective Leadership.
   
   
10. Can all agencies participate in the Best Places to Work rankings, and can agencies take part if they are not required to administer the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey?
    An agency must have at least 100 full-time, permanent employees to participate in the Best Places to Work rankings. Please contact the Partnership at 202-775-9111 to discuss the requirements. Eligible agencies not participating in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey can be part of Best Places to Work if they conduct a comparable survey that includes our three index questions. The survey needs to be administered during the same timeframe, and have a 50 percent response rate.
    
    
11. When will the next Best Places rankings be released?
    The results of our current rankings are based on the employee survey conducted by OPM in 2011. After OPM releases the next public data file in 2012, we will produce new rankings a few months later.
    
    
12. What is the source of the private-sector data?
    The private-sector data reported in our Private Sector Comparison is from OPM. OPM reports comparable data from the private sector based on average employee survey results from large, primarily U.S. corporations. To see OPM's private-sector report, please click here. The Hay Group also supplies private sector data that is incorporated into our analysis.
    
    
13. What is the source of the demographic data included in the agency profile?
    The demographic data is from the OPM's FedScope. The data are based on the number of full-time permanent employees as of fiscal 2010, unless otherwise noted. The locations, links, and agency missions, we derived from publicly-posted agency information.
    
    
14. How are the high and low performance averages calculated?
    For the large agencies, the high performing average represents the average of the top five large agencies in that particular category; the low performing average is the average of the bottom five agencies. The high and low performing averages for the small agencies were calculated in the same way. For the subcomponents, the high performing average is the top 35, and the low performing average is the bottom 35.
    
    
15. Why are there different numbers of agencies for some of the category and demographic rankings?
    The rankings are based on varied totals because we have three different sets of agency rankings (large, small, subcomponents) and a few agencies do not participate in all of the categories.
    
    
16. Why are many small agencies and subcomponents missing from the demographic rankings?
    To calculate a Best Places to Work Index score for a demographic group, we require at least 30 employees in the category. If there were less than 30, we did not report a score.
    
    
17. Why does the Effective Leadership category have sub-dimensions?
    We divided our Effective Leadership category in four different sub-dimensions to help users interpret the findings more precisely. The scores for Senior Leaders and Supervisors, for example, tend to differ. We determined the sub-category clusters by using factor analysis.
    
    
18. What can an agency do to improve its Best Places Index score?
    We offer a variety of resources and levels of help for agencies to better understand their data and build a plan to improve their employee satisfaction. Please click here for more details.
    
    
19. I was thinking about applying for a job at an agency that is ranked low. Should I reconsider?
    Absolutely not! There are many other factors to take into consideration when thinking about taking a job. We hope that job seekers will use our Best Places to Work website as a resource. There are great jobs across the federal government, and low-ranking agencies may offer great opportunities to people who enjoy a challenge.

© 2011 Partnership for Public Service

“The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government” is a
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