Responses Wanted: It’s FEVS Survey Time

It’s that time of year when federal employees get their chance to tell leadership how they feel about their agency, their pay, their work-life balance, their supervisors, morale, and other work issues. 

The 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), the premier survey that measures how federal workers are feeling about their jobs, will be distributed in mid-May. It will be rolled out in two waves one week apart. Employees will receive several reminders to participate. 

FEVS was first administered in 2002 and typically receives more than 500,000 responses from federal workers, with the results used to identify challenges, benchmark successes, and gain insight into recruitment and retention. Last year, about 40 percent of federal employees participated.

In a memo announcing the 2024 survey, then-Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Kiran Ahuja wrote, “the FEVS is one of the most powerful platforms for Federal employees to share their work experience, a voice critical to achieving effective agencies and responsive public service in times of significant change and adaptation.”

A Call to Participate

To promote candid feedback, responses are confidential, and data is protected throughout the process. Survey results are aggregated for reporting purposes, and results for work units are only reported when ten or more employees in the unit participate.

“Strong survey participation is foundational to providing you with the highest quality data possible to support both your agency action initiatives and governmentwide priorities, such as the President’s Management Agenda,” wrote Director Ahuja.

Agency leaders will assess results through reports, dashboards, and a data-focused analysis tool. Report production beings once data from all 85 participating agencies is processed.

Changes for 2024

In the 2024 FEVS Agency Dashboard, agencies will be able to access more results that in prior years. The dashboard provides an expanded view that helps agencies interpret results.

“OPM’s investment in data visualization tools support innovation and is a major step toward helping agencies to access, digest, and fully utilize their FEVS to drive effective change initiatives,” wrote Ahuja.

And when those results come in, OPM said agencies should “cascade the results throughout your agency” as “taking action beings with results sharing.”

“OPM’s research consistently shows a strong relationship between response rates and employee belief that leadership will take action on the feedback they provide through the FEVS,” wrote Director Ahuja.

In addition, agencies are asked to interpret what the results mean and emphasize to employees that actions will be taken.

“This messaging is critical in that it reinforces to employees that their voice matters, and leadership takes employee opinions and feedback seriously,” said the memo.