Federal Workforce: Preliminary Observations on Strengthening Employee Engagement During Challenging Times
Abstract
A growing body of research on both private- and public-sector organizations has found that increased levels of engagement generally defined as the sense of purpose and commitment employees feel towards their employer and its mission-can lead to better organizational performance. This testimony is based on GAOs ongoing work examining the federal governments efforts to improve employee engagement, including (1) trends in employee engagement from 2006 through 2014; (2) practices that could strengthen engagement levels based on the EEI results and the experiences of selected agencies and GAO; and (3) certain limitations of the EEI that will be important for agency managers and leaders to consider as they use this metric to assess and improve engagement within their own organizations. To identify engagement trends, GAO analyzed responses to FEVS questions from 2006 through 2014 from which the EEI is derived. To identify drivers of the EEI in 2014, GAO conducted a regression analysis. To identify practices that could strengthen engagement, GAO interviewed officials at OPM and three case study agencies (selected for sustained or increased EEI levels) that were responsible for engagement efforts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 16, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1183096
Entities
People
- Robert Goldenkoff
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office