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By: FEDweek StaffFederal employees overall have more trust in career leaders than in politically appointed ones, and more trust in those they work closely with, says a report from the Partnership for Public Service.
The report, based on survey responses and in-person interviews involving about 500 federal employees total, said that one reason cited for the difference is that “appointees can have difficulty earning trust if staff perceive them to lack the institutional knowledge that many career leaders have or perceive them to be driven by a political agenda.”
Reasons for the difference, it said, include that political appointees in general have less institutional knowledge, do not stay long enough to build trusting relationships, and are viewed as putting partisan interests first.
That is consistent with results of the Partnership’s Best Places to Work in Government reports, which have found that employee engagement scores are overall higher in subcomponents led by career SES members than those led by appointees, it said.
Of workplace-related characteristics, employees had the highest level of trust in both types of leaders regarding their intent and competence to achieve mission and to be committed public servants—which “suggests that civil servants see the potential of political appointees to be good stewards of government.” The lowest assessment involved appointees’ support for employees’ careers—which “aligns with interviewees’ perceptions that some appointed leaders are more focused on implementing political agendas than on supporting their staff.”
It adds: “Trust is personal, and seven interconnected attributes of interpersonal leadership are the basis for building workforce trust in leaders.” It said those are transparency, two-way communication and mutual trust; reliability, consistency and accountability; fostering professional growth; empathy and care for the whole person; creating a culture of trust, respect and mutual care; fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility; and competent, nonpartisan leadership.
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