Many Federal Employees Consider Leaving Jobs, Survey Says By Christopher Lee Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 25, 2003; 12:00 AM
More than one-third of federal employees who took part in a government-wide survey released today said they were considering leaving their jobs, a finding that Bush administration officials call troubling.
A little less than half of the 34.6 percent who are considering leaving said they were planning to retire within three years, according to the Federal Human Capital Survey. That means the much-reported impending wave of federal retirements is only part of the challenge officials face in attracting and keeping talented workers.
"Now we've had our attention drawn to a whole other set of people -- not an insignificant proportion -- who are saying, 'I'm getting out of Dodge,'" said Doris Hausser, assistant director of the Office of Personnel Management. "And we've got to be concerned about that. . . . Retention is something we have to pay attention to."
OPM conducted the study of more than 100,000 government workers from May to August last year, then spent the next six months analyzing the results. The survey, which will be repeated every other year, is part of the administration's broader efforts to improve management of the federal workforce.
The 100-question survey went to a representative sample of federal employees across the country and asked for their opinions on matters ranging from job satisfaction to pay and benefits and recognition of good performances. It is the first survey of its kind since the early 1990s, officials said.
OPM officials said they were heartened by many findings, including those showing that 68 percent of workers are satisfied with their jobs, 64 percent are satisfied with their pay, nearly two-thirds are happy with their retirement benefits and 91 percent believe they do important work.
Other results were less encouraging, officials said. For instance, fewer than half of all employees said they are satisfied with the recognition they get for doing a good job, with only 30 percent saying awards programs provide real incentives for workers to do their best. Moreover, only 27 percent of employees said steps have been taken to deal with poor performers. And only 36 percent said the leaders in their organization generate high levels of motivation among workers.
"The survey findings have been fascinating," OPM Director Kay Coles James wrote in an introduction to the report. "They indicate that most employees understand the importance of their work and are satisfied with their jobs and compensation. They also indicate where the government can do better."
Hausser said the survey suggests that federal agencies could do better in developing and training leaders and getting the most out of workers' talents. She acknowledged that some of the results appear contradictory, such as the findings that workers believe they aren't being recognized for good work and yet are satisfied with their pay.
"I think it's the way the pay is distributed," Hausser said. "The pay they are getting is fine, but we probably ought to be able to distribute it a little more sensibly to take performance into account."
The survey results are to be made available online today to agencies and the public at www.fhcs.opm.gov. The results will help managers identify areas in which their agencies can improve and will provide a benchmark against which the effectiveness of workforce management reforms can be judged.
While the government-wide results are interesting, Hausser said, "the real heavy lifting and the real rich data analysis is going to occur at the agency level."