What’s the secret to job satisfaction? According to the Merit
Systems Protection Board it’s being the right person for the
job, feeling respected for the work you do, and feeling that
your boss is competent.
With greater attention being focused on which agencies are
an “employer of choice,” MSPB analyzed the results of its
last four Merit Principle surveys to determine why some
agencies are so far behind others in job satisfaction when
satisfaction overall has hovered around 70 percent for
several years – roughly the same as the private sector.
The Partnership for Public Service’s 2005 ratings for the
best places to work in the federal government rated the
Office of Management and Budget first, and the Department of
Homeland Security and the Small Business Administration last.
“By far, the most influential factor in job satisfaction
appears to be the degree to which employees think their job
makes good use of their skills and abilities,” MSPB said.
It said combined with the feeling that the employee’s and
the agency’s work is meaningful, the employee will often
express job satisfaction.
MSPB also said higher job satisfaction correlated closely
with whether employees felt they are treated with respect,
“where employees believe their opinions count and where
they receive recognition for the work they perform.”
Finally, the third major component leading employees to
express job satisfaction is how well an organization is
managed, though while this aspect of a job does not operate
irrespective of being in the right job and feeling respected,
poor management can undermine job satisfaction, according
to MSPB.
