Best Places to Work in the Federal Government®
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Best Places to Work in the Federal Government®

The most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of employee engagement in the federal government.

Visit bestplacestowork.org

For nearly two decades, the Partnership has been measuring employee engagement government-wide as well as within individual departments, agencies and subcomponents, working with Boston Consulting Group since 2018.

When the project began in 2003, employee engagement was a niche human resources concept. It has now become a priority for political and career leaders, garnered attention in the halls of Congress, and spun off into initiatives across the federal government.

Agency leaders and staffs have expanded their knowledge of employee engagement, developing strategies and implementing changes to improve their workplaces. Their efforts that have paid off. Despite disruptions and challenges that have included pay and hiring freezes, government shutdowns, budget uncertainty, political turmoil and increasingly complex missions, many agencies have made strides in engaging employees and creating more productive work environments.

Research

One of the most critical elements of employee engagement is leadership. This exploratory analysis by the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition® and Boston Consulting Group examined whether there is any difference in federal employee engagement if agency subcomponents are led by political appointees or by members of the career Senior Executive Service.

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.

Learn how to strengthen teamwork with approaches based on our research and discussions with agency leaders.

Learn how to foster DEI in the workplace with interventions based on our research and discussions with agency leaders.

“Any time [Best Places data] talked about the agency and agency leadership, I took it personally. I had to clean my own leadership style up before I could talk to anybody else about getting themselves in order.”

Charles Bolden, former NASA administrator

READ MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BEST PLACES

Our Experts

Arfa Alam
Senior Manager, Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
Bryon Casebolt
Associate Manager
Senior Manager