Results of the most recent government-wide survey of federal employees continue to show that employees have mixed views of their supervisors, in some ways reflecting observations made in a recent MSPB report.
The survey findings were released by OPM in the fourth biennial Federal Human Capital Survey, which last year garnered responses from more than 200,000 federal employees in departments and agencies that represent virtually the entire workforce. The survey overall showed—as had the surveys of the past—that employees generally like their work, think it is important, think it gives them a feeling of satisfaction, know how their work relates to the agency’s goals and priorities, and believe they are held accountable for achieving results.
However, assessments of how their workplace is managed are mixed. Only half believe they are recognized for doing a good job, only around 40 percent say creativity and innovation are rewarded or that awards depend on how well employees perform, less than a third believe performance differences are recognized in a meaningful way or see steps taken to address poor performance, and only a quarter see a link between performance and pay.
Other findings: 53 percent are satisfied with their involvement in decisions that affect their work; 64 percent have trust and confidence in their supervisor; 75 percent believe their supervisor supports their needs to balance work and other life issues (down four percentage points); and 60 percent believe supervisors provide employees with the opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills.
Sixty-three percent of employees believe their performance appraisal is a fair reflection of their performance, down one point from 2006 and down three points from 2003.
