According to the Partnership for Public Service’s recent Employee Engagement Survey, employees give their federal agencies failing marks. A dismal 39 percent of federal employees think they can actually attract the right people to their jobs. The survey is based off of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM’s) Federal Viewpoint Survey, which measures if fedsRead… Read more »
In the seminal military treatise, The Art of War, author Sun Tzu writes, “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” This maxim holds true during workplace transitions. Change for Govies is constant, taking on varying forms. Whether it’s a system upgrade, turnover, reorganization, or downsizing, it is bound to happen at your agency.Read… Read more »
Acendre’s blueprint for improving federal employee engagement utilizes data and people analytics to augment the “people interaction” piece of employee engagement. People analytics allows agencies to glean the information that spots trends, identifies opportunities and calls out problem areas for correction. A key area of focus and expertise for Acendre is business intelligence and analytics… Read more »
Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for many public sector organizations, especially in light of an aging workforce and an upsurge of retirees. One effective method to uncover the reasons employees jump ship, be it to the private sector or elsewhere in the public sector, is the exit interview. What is an exit interview?Read… Read more »
Many of us govies spend a lot of time at work surrounded by drab-colored cubicle walls with limited privacy or personal space. Although I long for the day that I will have a door and dream for the time when I will be able to control my own lighting (bye-bye harsh fluorescents), I have foundRead… Read more »
In my recent posting on ‘ceiling diplomacy‘ I gave names to elements of office dynamics. Below I‘ve provided a list of additional words that fit the bill. The below terms, definitions and usage will help you communicate your frustrations about office politics more effectively. 1) me-signments (noun) – Assignments you’ve taken upon yourself (i.e., FamilyRead… Read more »
A multigenerational workforce is the new norm. Four generations are working together for the first time, leading to varying levels of expectations – and this means that HR workers need to accommodate the different needs inherent to each generation. This requires balancing the desire to hire fresh eyes and maintaining the older workforce’s talent formedRead… Read more »
There can be a lot of stress at the end of summer. Fall’s coming on fast and that means the extra work of end-of-year campaigns and deadlines, year-end reviews, Election Day, and the holiday season. The blissful summertime quiet of your office is vanishing as your coworkers return from their vacations. And, perhaps your boss has suddenly stopped procrastinating about year-end planningRead… Read more »
Looking back through almost 25 years of federal employment, I’ve seen a noticeable decline in workplace camaraderie and socializing within my organization. I’m not the only one seeing this; others have noticed this trend as well. I sent out a survey to a few retirees and long-term co-workers in an attempt to coarsely gage any trends acrossRead… Read more »
How many times have you read something, or taken a training, and almost immediately forgotten what you learned? Don’t feel too bad! The fact of the matter is that we lose 77% of what we learned within 48 hours. Fortunately, there are proven ways to help you retain knowledge. Research from Bob Mosher & ConradRead… Read more »