Top 3 Ways to Motivate Federal Employees to Success

A recent Pew Research Center study found that while only half of American workers are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs, most are highly satisfied with their relationships with co-workers and managers, but few are content with their pay or opportunities for promotion. Similarly, according to a 2022 Federal Employee Job Satisfaction Report, only about 42% of federal employees are satisfied and just 29% very satisfied with their jobs.

So how can federal managers capture, improve, or leverage predictors of federal employee job satisfaction to ensure federal employees are fulfilled and performing at their best? By focusing on a few of the top predictors of job satisfaction. According to the same 2022 Federal Employee Job Satisfaction Report, here are the top 10 predictors of federal employee job satisfaction, based on an analysis of a random sample of responses to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

Top 10 Predictors of Federal Employee Job Satisfaction

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 following several blog posts, we will focus more on each of these predictors, starting with the top 3 predictors of federal employee job satisfaction: 1. feeling of personal accomplishment, 2. involvement in decisions that affect work, and 3. recognition for doing a good job.

Top 3 Predictors of Federal Employee Job Satisfaction, Explained

1. My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment

This Indeed article offers several tips for creating a sense of personal accomplishment, including:

• creating achievable goals
• providing learning opportunities
• building momentum
• setting deadlines
• offering useful support
• recognizing team accomplishments
• constructively embracing failure

2. Involvement in decisions that affect work

In addition to decision-making being a critical part of the federal manager’s daily agenda, including the team in decision-making has quite a few additional benefits. It is not easy, and for some decision-makers, it can take more concerted effort, but involvement in work decisions increases federal employee satisfaction and experience. According to this Harvard Business School piece, here are some of the additional advantages of team decision-making:

• overcoming consensus
• increasing engagement
• enabling collaboration and communication
• surfacing your own blind spots
• getting buy-in from the people who need to implement

3. Recognition for doing a good job

And as explored in previous blog posts, a sense of employee involvement and contribution is critical to creating satisfied and engaged employees. This even includes giving and receiving recognition. Some employees will not want public recognition, some may prefer money, and others still may want time off. The important thing is that managers ask about what kinds of recognition are most meaningful and important to employees.

By understanding what is most important to and motivates federal employees, managers can improve workplace conditions to leverage employees’ experiences and retain top talent. In the next blog post, we will further unpack predictors #4-6:

• My talents are used well in the workplace.
• My workload is reasonable.
• Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your pay?

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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