The survey results also show some general improvement over 2014 in employees’ views of their leaders, both front-line and higher, although some of those measures remain below 2012 levels and are among the lowest-rated, in terms of positive responses.
One area of particular negativity among employees is whether senior leaders in their organization “generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the workforce.” That now stands at just 39 percent positive, up by a point from 2014 but still below the 43 percent level of 2012.
Similarly, views of senior levels maintaining high levels of honesty and integrity are only 50 percent positive, while the level of “high respect for my organization’s senior leaders” is just 51 percent positive. Those are down from 55 and 54 percent from 2012.
Officials said there is no standard definition of who a respondent considers to be a “senior leader”—in some cases, that could mean an office director, or an SES member or a political appointee.
Also at only the 51 percent level is whether managers promote communication among different work units, while support for work-life programs and managerial support for collaboration across work units stood at just 53 and 54 percent.
On the top end in questions about leadership, was that 81 percent say their supervisor treats them with respect, 78 percent the supervisor supports their work-life balance, and 76 percent say their supervisor listens to what they have to say.
