Uninspired Workplaces, So Says Survey Regarding Federal Agencies

Federal workers are feeling less inclined to innovate on the job because of a lack of encouragement from their bosses and leadership.

While nearly 9 out of 10 workers said they are trying to break from the norm and think outside the box to improve their job performance, only slightly more than half of federal workers — 54.7 percent — said they receive encouragement and recognition from their bosses to do so, according a recent Partnership for Public Service report.

And only one-third of federal employees — 33.4 percent — believe they will be rewarded for creativity and innovation.

“The bottom line is that federal workers are motivated to improve the way they do their work, but they do not feel supported by their organizations,” according to a summary of the report. “The downward government-wide trend and the negative employee views on some key workplace indicators are troubling signs for sustaining a government that is able to innovate to meet new challenges.”

The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, which works to “revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve,” has been measuring federal workplace innovation since 2010.

This survey, spanning 2012 to 2013, contains the lowest scores since the organization began taking a close look at innovation and creativity at U.S. government agencies.

Classified by the size of the agency, the top-5 most inspired and creative places to work are:

● Large: NASA, State, Commerce, Health and Human Services, EPA.

● Mid-sized: FTC, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Science Foundation, FCC, FDIC.

● Small: Surface Transportation Board, Peace Corps, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, National Endowment for the Humanities, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

The full report is available here.