Washington, DC - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released the results of the 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey (EVS), the largest governmentwide survey ever, which shows that federal employees are strongly committed to serving the American people. The governmentwide results illustrate that workers are committed to their missions, feel their work is important, know how their work fits into the broader agency missions and feel accountable for the work they do. Agencies will use these results to further improve employee performance and make government work as effectively and efficiently as possible for the American people.
Ninety six percent of employees responded that they are willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done while 91 percent say they are constantly looking for ways to do their jobs better.
"The Employee Viewpoint Survey is a critical tool for agencies governmentwide to pinpoint problems, such as the lack of employee engagement, and fix them," said OPM Director John Berry. "Employee engagement is key to mission success. That's why leading private companies survey their employees. Engaged employees who feel accountable for delivering results will provide the American people the best service."
Dedicated and engaged federal employees are critical to delivering effective, efficient service to the American people.
"We have doctors fighting diseases, law enforcement officers protecting us from serious threats, agriculture researchers helping farmers grow more food, and nutritionists helping children eat better, just to name a few of the things our public servants do every day," said Director Berry.
EVS has proven to be an invaluable tool that provides agencies and managers across federal organizations with objective, actionable information that enables them to identify best practices to scale and areas needing attention.
After last year's survey, OPM and the Office of Management and Budget asked agencies to develop action plans for priority areas needing attention and as a blueprint for change. They will also look for ways to make the 2012 survey an even better resource for managers as the Administration continues to drive efficiency and do more with less across the Federal government.
This year's survey gives the agencies feedback to know whether the strategies they adopted seem to be making a difference and to figure out where to focus next year.
Overall, several results illustrated federal employees' satisfaction with their work:
- 69 percent of employees recommend their organization as a good place to work,
- 92 percent feel their work is important,
- 84 percent feel accountable for achieving results, and
- 85 percent know how their work relates to their agency's goals and priorities.
"In the last century, America's civil servants—both civilian and military—split the atom, touched the surface of the Moon, decoded the human genome, and invented the Internet. We beat the Great Depression, segregation, fascism, communism and more," said Director Berry. "Today, we work to assure America adapts and endures in an age when communication is instant and connections are global. We do it by having the right people, and the right know-how, and the can-do attitude that permeates American history."
EVS is the largest of its kind. This year the survey was sent to 540,727 employees across the government.
Survey results can be viewed at www.fedview.opm.gov.