Improving an agency’s standing in the annual best places to work rankings requires long-term commitment of management but there are some relatively quick fixes that can help, a House subcommittee has been told.
The House federal workforce subcommittee recently held its third annual look at agencies at the top and bottom ends of the Partnership for Public Service’s annual best places to work in government rankings.
An Agriculture witness said that department has risen seven points in the rankings since 2013 through forums such as employee advisory councils and brown bag lunch sessions with management in which employees can express concerns and get involved in solutions; boosting participation in individual development plans; linking employee performance plans more closely to the agency’s mission so that employees can better see the importance of their work; and support for diversity, inclusiveness and work-life balance.
A DHS witness meanwhile said that department–which consistently ranks near the bottom of the rankings–has made improvement a top priority and that results are being seen. She added that within the overall rankings, some DHS components score much higher, including the Customs and Immigration Service and the Coast Guard. The lowest-scored, such as the TSA and Customs and Border Protection, “have extremely difficult jobs that place them squarely in the public eye, often under challenging circumstances,” she said.
A witness from an agency that fell substantially over 2015-2016, the Surface Transportation Board, said that management is “acutely aware” of the drop and is engaging with employees on how to improve, and is stressing training for managers on how to lead, communicate, build teams and manage change. Factors contributing to the drop included frequent changes in leadership in recent years, declining employment levels, a pending relocation to new office space, and changes to the agency’s structure and mission under a 2015 law, the witness said.
