The Partnership for Public Service is committed to the idea that a highly engaged workforce drives productivity and service quality. That’s not an unproven theory—from the private sector to government, employee engagement is directly connected to employee output and organizational performance. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their peers by 147% in earnings per share.
While the federal government isn’t looking to maximize profits, it still needs to keep an eye on the bottom line and operate effectively and efficiently. Yet government lags the private sector in employee engagement—and the gap between the sectors is growing. The 2016 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® data revealed a slight increase in overall federal employee engagement to 59.4 out of 100—but that’s compared to the private sector’s 77.1, according to data from the survey research firm Sirota. Clearly, there is room for improvement.
While budget constraints, hiring and pay freezes and public mistrust make it challenging for federal leaders to engage their workforce, we’re helping agencies implement strategies to improve employee morale and productivity. Through strong leadership and attentiveness to workforce needs, the federal government can improve employee engagement and better serve the American people.
Strategies for Success
First released in 2003, our annual Best Places to Work rankings are the most comprehensive analysis of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal workspace.
By analyzing the data, agency leaders and Congress can understand the key drivers of employee engagement and work to develop a healthier, more satisfied and increasingly productive workforce. Agencies looking to engage their employees should start by following these strategies.
Senior leaders should prioritize employee engagement
Change cannot happen without buy-in and commitment from leadership. Executives should use Best Places to Work survey data as a roadmap to drive change—and they need to be held accountable when these measures of success don’t indicate improvements.
Communicate often and in many forms
Low employee engagement is often a reflection of poor communication. Agency leaders need to use multiple communication methods to connect employees to the mission, the agency and their coworkers to improve workforce satisfaction.
Make changes based on employee feedback
Employees need to know their voices are heard. Design and execute short-term activities based on employee comments, and then solicit feedback to gauge how those efforts are received. When employees see tangible results, it helps to build trust and improves organizational culture.
Invest in employees
The Best Places to Work data has consistently identified leadership as the key factor determining employee engagement. And yet, effective leadership has continuously been one of the lowest-rated workplace categories. That trend continued in 2016 with a score of only 53 out of 100. To drive engagement and performance, agencies need highly capable leaders throughout their organization, from the executives at the top to career employees at the team level.
Leadership development programs help agencies improve both management and engagement. Participants improve their leadership skills and appreciate that their agency recognizes their contributions by investing in their professional growth. In addition, those employees who work under supervisors that have formal leadership training also feel more engaged and connected to their work. According to Gallup, 59% of employees are more likely to be engaged when their supervisors also feel engaged.
The Partnership has numerous leadership development opportunities for employees of all experience levels and backgrounds. We help leaders adopt low- and no-cost solutions to enhance employee engagement, and we provide training programs tailored to the specific leadership needs of employees.
REPORTS
The Partnership and Deloitte release the 2017 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
December 6, 2017
Publication Type: News Release
Publication Topic: Develop Strong Leaders,Engage Employees,Inspire and Hire Mission-Critical Talent,Modernize Management Systems
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO IMPROVE, RANKINGS SHOW BIGGEST INCREASE IN ITS HISTORY 2017 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government data show the federal workforce is highly mission-focused and committed to serving the public WASHINGTON – The nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte today released the 2017 Best Places to Work…
New Best Places to Work report compares fed engagement by mission area
February 23, 2017
Publication Type: In the News
Publication Topic: Engage Employees,Inspire and Hire Mission-Critical Talent
Ten Years of Best Places to Work Rankings: How Six Federal Agencies Improved
December 18, 2013
Publication Type: Research and Publications
Publication Topic: Engage Employees
What are the most successful strategies agencies use to improve their workplaces? How can they use Best Places to Work analysis or employee survey data to understand where they are thriving and where improvement is needed? The Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte examined the past decade of Best Places to Work rankings to profile…
Connecting HR, IT and Contract Specialists to their Agency Missions
July 18, 2016
Publication Type: Research and Publications
Publication Topic: Engage Employees
HR, IT and contract professionals are mission enablers, vital to accomplishing the work of their agencies. How can agencies retain these key employees? What steps should federal managers take to ensure their productivity and contributions to the organization? The Partnership for Public Service and Deloitte’s Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® analysis identify three key…