Job Satisfaction High Among Government Workers

Federal workers like their jobs.

That’s one major finding in the 2008 Federal Human Capital Survey the Office of Personnel Management released yesterday.

More than 210,000 workers participated in the survey. Ninety-one percent said the work they do is important, and 84 percent said they like what they do.
Every two years since 2002, OPM has surveyed federal employees to gauge their attitudes in four areas: leadership and knowledge management, results-oriented performance culture, talent management and job satisfaction.

The survey identified the top 10 agencies in each of those categories. When it comes to job satisfaction, the winners are: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Management and Budget, National Science Foundation, NASA, State Department, Agency for International Development, Social Security Administration, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Justice Department.

Nancy Kichak, an associate OPM director, made special note of the small court services agency, citing its presence in each of the four categories. It “has improved dramatically,” she said.

But everything isn’t great in the federal workplace. When it comes to rewarding workers or addressing poor performance, federal agencies did not fare very well.

Only 26 percent of the respondents said performance and pay raises are linked. Only 40 percent said employees are rewarded for creativity and innovation. Just 30 percent believe steps are taken to address poor performance. And about 30 percent believe “performance differences are recognized in a meaningful way.”

Click here to see the survey results.

Application Deadline

Have you ever seen a job announcement that gives you the feeling there’s really no point in applying, no matter how great the position may seem or how well qualified you are for it?

The Department of Homeland Security has an opening for the deputy assistant commissioner for public affairs that pays between $120,830 and $153,2000 annually. It’s a an important, big-time gig, and the job notice says the public may apply.

But job seekers may be excused if they missed the opportunity.

The period for applications was open only from Dec. 31 to Jan. 5. That, of course, included New Year’s Day and two weekend days. With an open period like that, it sounds like the fix was in for a favored candidate.

Reporting Discrimination

The organization Federally Employed WomenÖ is disappointed that so many federal agencies did not meet reporting requirements related to employment discrimination. Only half of the 167 agencies required to submit the reports did so in fiscal 2006, down from 68 percent the year before, according to Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionÖ data cited by FEW the organization.

“These reporting requirements are an important indication of how well agencies are achieving equal employment for all federal workers,” said Sue Webster, the organization’s president. “With only half of the agencies submitting reports, the public, federal workers and potential applicants have no way of knowing which agencies are working the hardest to ensure the employment and advancement of women and minorities.”

The lack of reporting concerns FEW the group because it affects the Federal Women’s Program in federal agencies. Office of Personnel Management regulations require that each federal agency designate a Federal Women’s Program manager on matters affecting the employment and advancement of women. The rules also require that federal agencies to allocate sufficient resources for the program.

More information can be found here.

The FBI Wants You

The FBI’s wanted list now has room for 2,950 names.

That’s the number of people, including 850 agents, the agency wants to hire by Sept. 30.

Assistant Director John Raucci said the hiring blitz is designed to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially foreign language fluency and computer science. “But, we’re also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm,” he said.

In addition to recruits competent in computers and foreign languages, the FBI says it also needs experts in: finance and accounting, security, intelligence analysis, compliance and quality assurance, training and education, records management, fingerprint examination, information technology, nursing and counseling, physical surveillance, electrical engineering, physical/natural/social sciences, administrative and clerical processes, and management/ and program analysis, and physical, natural and social sciences.

And if that’s not a wide enough variety, automotive mechanics also are on the list.

Go here for more information.

Contact Joe Davidson at federaldiary@washpost.com

By Eric Pianin  |  January 9, 2009; 9:01 AM ET
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