Increasing Employee Engagement
Washington State employees describe what makes them feel valued at work in the video above.
State government employs more than 70,000 people in Washington. Each year, State Human Resources surveys employees to assess their level of engagement in different domains. In 2017, more than 47,000 employees completed the survey.
While most employees report having positive overall experiences, there remains a need to increase employee engagement among many employees. Years of research has revealed the number one driver of organizational performance is highly engaged employees. In 2017, 38 percent of state employee survey respondents reported that they don’t have the opportunity to provide input on decisions impacting their work, and 43 percent indicated they aren’t encouraged to come up with better ways of doing things.
Relationships - Humans want to feel respected and connected at work. In 2017, 86 percent of the state's employee survey respondents reported that their supervisor treats them with dignity and respect.
Autonomy – Employees desire freedom and discretion in their jobs. In 2017, 62 percent of the state's employee survey respondents reported that they have the opportunity to give input on decisions affecting their work.
Mastery – People expect to learn new skills and develop expertise at work. In 2017, 63 percent of the state's employee survey respondents reported that they have opportunities at work to learn and grow.
Purpose – Meaningful work contributes to a person's sense of purpose. In 2017, 82 percent of the state's employee survey respondents reported that they know how their work contributes to the goals of their agency. Miya Cruz from Department of Corrections shares how a sense of purpose makes her work meaninful.
- To support people across state government, State Human Resources along with several state agencies developed an employee engagement problem-solving guide. The guide is intended to help state agencies apply scientific thinking (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to employee engagement problems.
- To provide employees with opportunities to learn and grow, the state Department of Enterprise Services partners with public and private-sector trainers to offer more than 250 in-person and virtual learning opportunities.
- To increase mobility and flexible work spaces for employees, the Office of Financial Management is piloting a co-working space in downtown Seattle, called ModWA.
For any questions or comments please email us at results@gov.wa.gov.
