Slide 1

Item No: A-1

October 15, 2015

Federal Employee 

Viewpoint Survey 

2015 Results 

Good morning Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. 

Thank you for the opportunity to present the Commission’s 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint 

Survey Results. 

Today, Shabnam and I will be presenting an overview of the Employee Viewpoint survey, the 

Commission’s survey results and rankings when compared to other federal agencies. 
Slide 2

What is the 

Federal Employee 

Viewpoint Survey?

 Measures job satisfaction of federal employees

 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 

administers survey 

 Administered annually

 Anonymous and voluntary responses 

 Open to all permanent federal employees

The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey measures the job satisfaction of federal employees. 

It is administered every year by the Office of Personnel Management. 

Permanent federal employees at every agency have an opportunity to provide voluntary and 

anonymous responses. 

Once the survey period ends, the Office of Personnel Management compiles the information 

and issues agency-specific results to every federal agency. 

The results, broken down by agency, office, and division level, are a powerful tool for 

employees wanting to share their perspectives on work experiences, office culture, and 

agency leadership. 

In turn, agency leaders are empowered to further analyze the results, recognize areas of 

strength, and initiate a plan to improve the agency as a whole. 

I will now turn the presentation over to Shabnam, who will provide you with some 

Commission-specific data. 
Slide 3

Participation Rate

2015: Highest response rate at 

the Commission

73% 66% 64% 53%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2012 2013 2014 2015

In 2015, 996 Commission employees completed the survey for a participation rate of 73%, the 

highest response rate at the Commission since the survey has been administered. 

As you can see on this graph, the participation rate has increased by 20% since 2012. 

The survey participants include full-time and part-time permanent employees at Commission 

headquarters and regional offices. 
Slide 4

1 Year Trend: 

2014 to 2015

% of Questions with 

Increases in Positive 

Ratings

Largest increase for a question: 7%

“I believe the results of this survey will be used to 

make my agency a better place to work.”

89%

Compared to last year’s results, the Commission’s scores in 89% of the questions went up. 

Specifically, 63 of the 71 questions on the survey had an increase in positive scores. 

The question with the largest positive increase related to the confidence employees have in 

the survey results being used to improve the workplace. 
Slide 5

OPM Analysis: 

FERC’s Ranking 

#4 Ranking

Employee 

Engagement

70%

73% 74% 76%

65% 64% 63% 64%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2012 2013 2014 2015

FERC Governmentwide

OPM uses the survey results to rank federal agencies. For the measure of employee 

engagement, the Commission is ranked number four out of the 37 large agencies in the 

government. Employee engagement is defined as employees’ sense of purpose, their level of 

dedication to the work, and their commitment to the organization and its mission. It is 

measured using the scores of 15 questions from the survey regarding employees’ views on 

leaders, supervisors, and intrinsic work experiences. The Commission’s score in the employee 

engagement measure is 76%, which is a 2% increase from last year and a 6% increase from 

2012. Compared to the government-wide results, the Commission’s score is higher by 12%. 
Slide 6

OPM Analysis: 

FERC’s Ranking 

#3 Ranking

Global 

Satisfaction

68% 70% 71%

74%

63% 59% 59% 60%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2012 2013 2014 2015

FERC Governmentwide

For the measure of Global Satisfaction, the Commission is ranked third among large federal 

agencies. Global Satisfaction is measured by 4 questions relating to employees’ overall 

satisfaction with their job, organization, and pay and whether they recommend the 

organization as a good place to work. The Commission’s score on the Global Satisfaction 

measure is 74%, a 3% increase from 2014 and a 6% increase from 2012. Compared to the 

government-wide results, the Commission’s score is higher by 14%.

In addition to the OPM analysis, the Partnership for Public Service also publishes a separate 

ranking based on the survey results. This is called the “Best Places to Work in the Federal 

Government” Index. In 2014, the Commission ranked number five in this Index. However, the 

2015 rankings have not yet been released. 
Slide 7

Commission Strengths

The work I do is important.

My supervisor supports my need to

balance work & other life issues.

How would you rate the quality of work

done by your work unit?

In the last 6 months, my supervisor has

talked with me about my performance.

My supervisor treats me with respect.

88%

90%

90%

91%

91%

Positive Ratings (%)

• Five questions from the survey that highlight the Commission’s strengths are the following: 

Employees’ views on supervisors treating them with respect and talking to them about 

their performance; 

• Their views on the quality of work within their units; 

• Supervisors’ support for work/life balance; 

• And whether employees believe their work is important. 
Slide 8

Action Planning

 FERC employees and the public will receive 

the survey results

 Office of the Executive Director will work with 

each office to:

• Analyze results at the office and division level

• Develop an action plan to maintain and improve scores

In terms of next steps, all Commission employees will receive the agency-wide results in the 

next few days. 

In addition, the results will be posted on the Commission’s website, FERC.gov, for the public 

to view. 

The Office of the Executive Director will be partnering with each office to discuss the office 

and division level survey results and develop an action plan to further improve the workplace 

in areas identified as strengths as well as areas identified as challenges. 

We are encouraged by the interest and enthusiasm of senior leadership and look forward to 

working with each office soon. 

Thank you for your time. 

Shabnam and I are open to any questions or comments you may have. 
Slide 9

Item No: A-1

October 15, 2015

Federal Employee 

Viewpoint Survey 

2015 Results