A highly engaged and motivated workforce drives productivity and provides better service. But the government lags well behind the private sector in employee engagement—and the gap is growing.
2019 Best Places to Work engagement score compared to 2019 private sector data
Government wide Best Places to Work in the Federal Government data: Partnership for Public Service
Private sector data: Mercer | Sirota
WHAT WE’RE DOING
The Partnership helps federal agencies improve employee engagement through our annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings. These rankings help agency leaders assess employee engagement, alerting them to signs of trouble and providing a roadmap to improve job satisfaction and the overall workplace experience. We also use Best Places data to provide agencies with guidance and training on employee engagement strategies.
2019 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
The federal government’s 2019 Best Places to Work employee engagement score was 61.7 out of 100, a 0.5-point decrease from 2018.
This modest dip came at a time when a lengthy government shutdown affected about 800,000 of the 2 million federal employees. Critical leadership vacancies across government, and various political crosscurrents played a likely role in this decrease.
The 2019 data shows government-wide improvements in some aspects of the employee experience, with small increases in eight of 10 categories. The biggest gains occurred in training and development and performance-based awards and advancement, both up by 0.8 points. Effective leadership and several of its subcategories—senior leaders, fairness in the workplace and individual empowerment—rose by 0.3 points. In addition, 66.8% of respondents said they are receiving real opportunities to improve their skills, up 1.5 points, while 61.2% said they feel encouraged to discover new and better ways of doing things, up 1.0 point. In addition, 89.3% view their work as important—the same as in 2018.
However, other categories had declining scores. Satisfaction with pay, for instance, dropped 0.4 points, and support for diversity dropped 0.2 points.
45.0% of the agencies included in the 2019 rankings registered an increase in employee engagement. This percentage dropped from 72.3% and 73.8% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but increased from 39.6% in 2018.
Overall, the 2019 Best Places data shows that federal agencies need to improve the employee work experience in numerous ways—from training and developing leaders, and building more positive work environments to providing employees with the resources they need to do their jobs. Having a highly-motivated and engaged workforce is critical to a well-functioning government and the success of our country.
Learn More
Custom briefings
We provide custom agency briefings, data analysis and action planning to help agencies learn from their Best Places to Work data and improve employee engagement.
For more information about our custom offerings, contact Michelle Amante at [email protected]
Contact usEmployee Engagement
Training Programs
Federal Employees,GS-12-14
Building a Culture of Engagement: Virtual Training Series
Helps frontline supervisors and managers use appreciation, communication and empowerment to engage employees.
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Federal Employees,GS-13 and Above
Engagement Coordinator Collective
Agencies need employees who are dedicated to employee engagement initiatives. The Partnership for Public Service’s Engagement Coordinator Collective empowers participants from across the federal government to guide their agencies through a robust engagement planning and initiation process.
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Federal Employees,GS-12 and Above
Employee Engagement Ambassadors
A high level of employee engagement leads to stronger agency performance, improved program results and increased retention rates, all of which help agencies carry out their missions more effectively.
Read MoreCustom trainings
Our subject matter experts can provide customized sessions that meet an agency’s specific employee engagement challenges. Our team will help identify—and address—key issues that adversely affect the employee experience.
For more information about our custom offerings, contact Michelle Amante at [email protected]
Contact usEmployee Engagement
Research
15 Editions of Best Places to Work
Our anniversary report, produced in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, reflects on both the opportunities and requirements for the next era of federal employee engagement.
Engaging a Remote Workforce
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many federal employees have transitioned to full-time remote work for the first time in their careers. In this issue brief, the Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group identified several ways that agencies can engage their employees as they continue to work away from the office.
Beyond the Beltway: How Federal Leaders Can Engage Employees Working Across the Nation
In “Beyond the Beltway: How Federal Leaders Can Engage Employees Working Across the Nation,” the Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group explore what federal leaders can do to engage employees working away from agency headquarters.
A Prescription for Better Performance: Engaging Employees at VA Medical Centers
RECENT NEWS
Max Stier to the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management and Accountability
January 14, 2020
Publication Type: Congressional Testimony
Written testimony of Partnership for Public Service President and CEO Max Stier prepared for the House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management and Accountability hearing entitled “Seventeen Years Later: Why is Morale at DHS Still Low.”
2019 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® Rankings Show Modest Drop in Employee Engagement
December 17, 2019
Publication Type: News Release
Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group release new data highlighting top performing and most improved federal agencies across government WASHINGTON – The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service and global management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group today released the 2019 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings, which show a federal…
Feds maintain ‘resilient’ engagement despite the shutdown
December 17, 2019
Publication Type: In the News
The federal workforce’s engagement in their jobs dipped only slightly in 2019, despite a record-breaking government shutdown to start out the year, but some agency subcomponents fared worse than others.
NASA Ranks as the Best Place to Work in Government for Eighth Year
December 17, 2019
Publication Type: In the News
Partnership for Public Service notes a “modest drop in employee engagement” overall across government.
Direct link found between employee engagement, quality at VA hospitals
March 27, 2019
Publication Type: In the News
Publication Topic: Engage Employees
There’s a lot of evidence from the private sector that more engaged employees tend to drive better business results. But unsurprisingly, it appears to be true in federal agency settings as well. That’s the conclusion of new research recently published by the Partnership for Public Service and the Boston Consulting Group.
PARTNERSHIP BLOG
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- The federal government’s new value proposition: the future of work
- The Partnership for Public Service launches the Alliance for Congress, a new initiative to support Congress and strengthen our democracy
- Diversity in federal leadership matters: Perspectives from a public servant
OUR EXPERTS
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