DHS Among Top Gainers in Annual FEVS Survey
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published its final report on the 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoints Survey (FEVS).
Overall, as suggested by the preliminary data that was released in November 2023, OPM found that employee morale and engagement rebounded slightly after two years of flat or declining scores.
The Global Satisfaction Index, which tracks employee satisfaction with metrics including their job, pay, and whether they would recommend their organization as a good place to work, tracked up two points governmentwide to a score of 64 out of 100.
The Employee Engagement Index, which measures effective leadership and other conditions conducive to promoting employee engagement, rose one point government to 72 out of 100, matching a five-year high.
Law Enforcement Gains
Some of the larger gains were found in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS saw a six-point increase in its Global Satisfaction score, landing its score at just over 60 and making DHS the biggest gainer in the category among very large agencies. DHS also saw a three point raise in its Employee Engagement Index score, which was the largest increase in that category as well.
Also, DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) both reported an eight percent increase in survey response rates, which is the highest among very large agencies.
DOJ also finished as one of the most improved very large agencies on its Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) score.
“These encouraging results provide opportunities for agencies to build momentum and support their workforce to leverage workplace flexibilities, continue advancing DEIA and remain motivated to continue delivering for the American people,” said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja in a statement announcing the initial results.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the top performer among very large agencies in all the major categories.
Smaller Agencies Swing More
Overall, smaller agencies tend to see greater movement in their scores year to year. For instance, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board saw the largest increase in global satisfaction, gaining 9.6 points. That was followed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 7.8 points.
The Export-Import Bank led the decliners with a 13.5 point drop in global satisfaction, followed by the Merit Systems Protection Board with an 11 point drop.