Survey Finds Feds Well-Managed

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) has released the results of a 2005 online survey of nearly 40,000 federal employees. Accomplishing Our Mission: Results of the Merit Principles Survey 2005 found that federal employees believe they are well-managed, have jobs that they like and are highly motivated to help their agencies succeed.

The survey also found continuing high job satisfaction despite perceptions of less organizational stability and fear of pending changes in the federal pay system.

The report presents several challenges that agencies face in the workplace. For example, hiring officials are often not satisfied with the applicant pool they must draw from to fill federal job openings.

Many nonsupervisory employees feel uninformed about performance evaluations, organizational changes and other issues. Both supervisors and nonsupervisors report some serious conflicts in the workplace that may erode the motivation of some employees.

The good news, according to MSPB, is that most employees and their supervisors have formed good relationships and are working together to meet these challenges. "A primary finding throughout this report is the importance of trust between employees and their first-line supervisors," said Chairman Neil McPhie. "Ensuring that the lines of communication are open and that employees are comfortable
talking with their supervisors are keys to maintaining this trust." On that, we probably can all agree.