Summary & Evaluation of FERC’s 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Results

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Summary of FERC’s 2017 Survey Results

Based on the 2017 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results (FEVS), the Commission shows a positive 

trend in key measures, including the Global Satisfaction Index, Employee Engagement Index, and New 

Inclusion Quotient Index. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) uses these indices to summarize 

each agency’s results and to rank federal agencies (rankings yet to be released, as of August 2017). 

Global Satisfaction Index

The Global Satisfaction Index (GSI) was developed by OPM to measure employees’ overall satisfaction 

with their jobs, their pay, and their organization, plus their willingness to recommend their organization 

as a good place to work. This Index is an average of 4 questions from the FEVS, listed in the first graph 

displayed below and in the Reference section. According to the second graph displayed below, the 

Commission’s GSI has increased each year from 2013 to 2017. The 2017 GSI is 80%, four percentage 

points higher than last year’s Commission score. 
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Employee Engagement Index

OPM uses the Employee Engagement Index (EEI) to measure factors that lead to an engaged workforce, 

such as supporting employee development and communicating agency goals. This Index is an average of 

15 questions from the FEVS, listed in the first graph displayed below and in the Reference section. The 

questions are divided into three subcategories: Leaders Lead, Supervisors, and Intrinsic Work 

Experience. Similar to the GSI, as the second graph displayed below indicates, the Commission’s Overall 

EEI has increased each year from 2013 to 2017. This year’s Overall EEI is 81%, four percentage points

higher than last year’s Commission score. The scores in all three subcategories have also increased from 

last year. 
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New IQ Index

The New IQ stands for the New Inclusion Quotient. The New IQ is based on the concept that individual 

behaviors repeated over time will create habits necessary for inclusiveness. It consists of 20 questions 

that relate to inclusive work environments, listed in the Reference section. Similar to the other two 

indices, as the below graph indicates, the Commission’s New IQ Index has increased each year from 

2013 to 2017. The 2017 score is 74%, four percentage points higher than last year’s Commission score. 
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Reference: Indices

The FEVS encompasses several index measures. Individual survey items provide very specific information 

on a particular subject. However, an index can provide more comprehensive information on a wider 

topic area; an index combines several items that refer to different facets of a broader area of 

consideration.

The advantage to using an index is that the results are more stable than results from a single item. A 

single item is sensitive to changes that affect the smaller area it measures. However, an index, because 

it is made up of several items, requires many respondents to change opinions on several items to yield a 

change in the overall index result. 

Global Satisfaction Index

The Global Satisfaction Index provides a more comprehensive indicator of employees’ overall work 

satisfaction. The index is a combination of employees’ satisfaction with their job, their pay, and their 

organization, plus their willingness to recommend their organization as a good place to work. The four 

items that make up the Global satisfaction Index are:

• Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your job?

• Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your pay?

• Considering everything, how satisfied are you with your organization?

• I recommend my organization as a good place to work.

Employee Engagement Index

The FEVS Employee Engagement Index is a measure of the engagement potential of an agency’s work 

environment – the conditions that lead to engagement. This index includes three subfactors: Leaders 

Lead, Supervisors, and Intrinsic Work Experience. Each of the subfactors reflects a different aspect of the 

engaged work environment.

The 15 items that make up the Employee Engagement index are:

Leaders Lead:

• In my organization, senior leaders generate high levels of motivation and commitment in the 

workforce.

• My organization's senior leaders maintain high standards of honesty and integrity.

• Managers communicate the goals and priorities of the organization.

• Overall, how good a job do you feel is being done by the manager directly above your immediate 

supervisor?

• I have a high level of respect for my organization's senior leaders.

Supervisor:

• Supervisors in my work unit support employee development.

• My supervisor listens to what I have to say.

• My supervisor treats me with respect.

• I have trust and confidence in my supervisor.

• Overall, how good a job do you feel is being done by your immediate supervisor?
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Intrinsic Work Experience:

• I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things.

• My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment.

• I know what is expected of me on the job.

• My talents are used well in the workplace.

• I know how my work relates to the agency's goals and priorities.

New IQ Index

The New Inclusion Quotient is based on the concept that individual behaviors repeated over time will 

create habits necessary for inclusiveness. This index consists of 20 questions that relate to inclusive 

work environments, grouped into five categories: Fair, Open, Cooperative, Supportive, and Empowering:

Fair

• In my work unit, steps are taken to deal with a poor performer who cannot or will not improve.

• In my work unit, differences in performance are recognized in a meaningful way.

• Awards in my work unit depend on how well employees perform their jobs.

• Arbitrary action, personal favoritism and coercion for partisan political purposes are not tolerated.

• Prohibited Personnel Practices (for example, illegally discriminating for or against any 

employee/applicant, obstructing a person’s right to compete for employment, knowingly violating 

veterans’ preference requirements) are not tolerated.

Open

• Creativity and innovation are rewarded.

• Policies and programs promote diversity in the workplace (for example, recruiting minorities and 

women, training in awareness of diversity issues, mentoring).

• My supervisor/team leader is committed to a workforce representative of all segments of society.

• Managers/supervisors/team leaders work well with employees of different backgrounds.

Cooperative

• Managers promote communication among different work units (for example, about projects, 

goals, needed resources).

• Managers support collaboration across work units to accomplish work objectives.

Supportive

• My supervisor supports my need to balance work and other life issues.

• My supervisor/team leader provides me with constructive suggestions to improve my job 

performance.

• My supervisor/team leader listens to what I have to say.

• My supervisor/team leader treats me with respect.

• In the last six months, my supervisor/team leader has talked with me about my performance.

Empowering

• I have enough information to do my job well.

• I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things.

• My talents are used well in the workplace.

• Employees have a feeling of personal empowerment with respect to work processes.