Largest Government Employee Survey in the World Highlights Increasingly Resilient and Engaged Federal Workforce

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Employee Engagement Scores at Five-Year High According to 2023 OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released governmentwide results of the 2023 OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) today. The OPM FEVS is the largest annual survey of government employees in the world that tracks how federal employees view their current work environment, including workforce management, policies, and new initiatives. OPM FEVS is an unmatched government data asset that collects employee feedback from more than 80 executive agencies to assist in driving improvement and supporting the workforce to serve the American people.

“This year’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey highlights that federal employees remain remarkably resilient, increasingly engaged, and value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the workplace,” said Kiran Ahuja, Director of the Office of Personnel Management. “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.”

According to Gallup, employee engagement for the total U.S. workforce declined for the past three years by a total of four percentage points. The OPM FEVS governmentwide employee engagement index increased one percentage point to 72% in 2023, tying the five-year high set in 2020. The increase is notable – the equivalent of approximately 6,300 respondents, or roughly a medium-sized agency, sharing more positive opinions in this year’s survey.

Other governmentwide results from the 2023 OPM FEVS include these highlights:

  • The Employee Engagement Index score, which increased to 72% positive overall, saw two factors improve. Employees’ perception of the integrity of leadership (Leaders Lead) increased two percentage points to 61%. Employees’ feelings of motivation and competency in the workplace (Intrinsic Work Experience) increased one percentage point to 74%. The factor measuring trust, respect, and support between employees and their supervisors remained at a high of 80% positive.
  • The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Index showed 71% of respondents reporting positive perceptions of agency practices related to DEIA, an increase of two percentage points from the DEIA score of 69% in baseline year 2022. All four distinct factors (DEIA) increased for 2023.
  • The Global Satisfaction Index, which scores satisfaction with agency overall, noted increases from several 2022 results:
    • Job satisfaction (68%)
    • Satisfaction with organization (62%)
    • Willingness to recommend their agencies to others (67%)
  • The Performance Confidence Index (PCI), which measures employees’ belief that their work unit can achieve goals and produce at a high level, remained consistent and a strong trend at a high of 84%.

OPM FEVS was administered as a governmentwide survey to federal employees who have onboarded with their agency as of November 2022 (employees not eligible for the survey are political appointees, contractors, and non-federal employees). A total of 625,568 employees completed the survey for a response rate of 39%.

The FEVS 2023 governmentwide results can be viewed on the OPM FEVS Public Dashboard. This tool provides the public with an innovative way to access the governmentwide and agency-size survey results.

Source: OPM.gov