A recent IPMA-HR member poll reported some good news about the state of the public sector workforce. The poll had some bad news as well.
The good news? In the survey 81% of the respondents said that their agency was no longer conducting layoffs. This is a welcomed turnaround from a few years ago when it seemed everyone was cutting back. The survey also found that 54% of respondents are feeling the impact of an improving economy. I can sense this turnaround with my clients too. Public agencies are beginning to think about employee development again. They are starting to focus on the future, instead of hanging on for dear life.
It’s true that many in the public sector are breathing a little easier these days, feeling as if the pressure to cut budgets, reorganize functions, and tighten the belt have passed. But let’s not get too cocky. The IPMA-HR member survey also produced some concerning results.
The survey found that only 20% of the respondents indicated that the employees in their agency are full engaged. That leaves a whopping 80% of public sector employees, according to this survey, who are not engaged in the work of serving their communities!
We know from years of research that workplaces with a high percentage of disengaged employees also experience high levels of turnover, greater use of leave, and more team conflict.
Granted, the sampling in this survey was small with a little over 125 respondents. Still, it begs the question…if things are getting better, are they really improving?
How’s the level of employee engagement in your agency? Email me to share how it’s going in your agency.
