It’s Not About the Perks, It’s All About the Purpose

Insights from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey

If we’re being honest, most managers will admit that sometimes, it can be a little difficult to motivate ourselves, let alone others who fall under our charge. Sometimes the work is unexciting, the workplace may be grueling, or there just may be other things going on outside of work. Whatever the reason, it’s important to keep each other and ourselves motivated to do the critical work of government. Here’s the cheat code to understanding federal employee motivation.

The 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEV) shed light on several predictors of job satisfaction among federal employees. In our last blog post, we named the top 10 predictors of federal employee job satisfaction, according to this 2022 Federal Employee Job Satisfaction Report:

1. Feeling of personal accomplishment
2. Satisfaction with involvement in decisions that affect work
3. Satisfaction with the recognition received for doing a good job
4. Talents are used well in the workplace
5. Workload is reasonable
6. Satisfaction with pay
7. Senior leaders support policies and procedures to protect employee health and safety
8. Having trust and confidence in the supervisor
9. Employees in the work unit achieve the goals
10. Supervisor support for balance of work and other life issues

In the same blog post, we dug a bit deeper into the first three predictors: feeling of personal accomplishment; satisfaction with involvement in decisions that affect work; and satisfaction with recognition received for doing a good job [at work]. In this post, we’ll unpack more from the next three predictors of job satisfaction: talents used well in the workplace; reasonable workload; and satisfaction with pay.

4. Talents Used Well in the Workplace

One of the most significant predictors of job satisfaction among federal employees is the feeling that their unique and valuable talents are not going to waste — federal employees who reported feeling that their skills and talents were being put to good use were more likely to have higher job satisfaction.

When organizational managers can give employees more opportunities to leverage their unique talents and skills, it not only contributes to a sense of accomplishment, leading to boosts in morale and engagement, but in turn, adds to overall job satisfaction.

5. Workload Is Reasonable

Workload management is another key predictor of federal employee job satisfaction. Many federal employees deal with complex tasks and responsibilities, which can lead to stress and burnout, if workload is consistently excessive. Managers need to strategically align the work to resources available — this includes considering staffing, processes, automation, and effective time management. In turn, effective workload management contributes to reduced stress and improved overall well-being.

6. Satisfaction with Pay

Finally, while many federal jobs come with competitive salaries and benefits, it’s crucial to recognize the importance of pay. When federal employees believe that they are compensated adequately for their skills, experience, talents, and contributions, it positively impacts job satisfaction. That being said, remember that offering performance-based incentives and recognition programs can also help boost employee satisfaction.

Conclusion

The 2021 FEVS has provided valuable insights into the predictors of job satisfaction among federal employees. Talents used well in the workplace, reasonable workload, and satisfaction with pay are just three key factors that significantly influence how satisfied employees are with their jobs. In the next iteration of this series, we’ll continue to look at the top 10 predictors of federal employee job satisfaction by examining the remaining predictors:

A life-long learner and mentor, Gerome Q. Banks is a Doctor of Education, Federal talent management strategist, senior government analyst, author, Master Career Coaching Professional, and researcher with nearly 20 years of professional public sector experience, strategic HR experience, and affinity for leader development and federal talent.

In his professional and personal time, Gerome works with federal agencies, nonprofits, and individual federal employment jobseekers to craft government talent management strategy.

Before devoting his work to talent management thought leadership and scholarship at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Gerome spent years of his career as a Servicemember, Department of Defense civil servant, and social scientist at The Pennsylvania State University.

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