GovernmentExecutive.com

Americans think government jobs offer good benefits and security and that's about it, according to survey results released Tuesday.

The public rates federal jobs far below those in the private sector in terms of salary (not including benefits), opportunities for promotion, impact on important causes, competitive environment, chances for innovation, work environment and the quality of co-workers, the Gallup Organization found in its first poll on attitudes toward government work.

But the good news for agencies that have to hire enough new workers to replace the nearly 50 percent of employees ready to retire over the next decade is that 34 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds still indicated that they were interested in federal work.

Gallup canvassed about 2,500 people in September and October for its poll.

Not every federal agency fared the same. Gallup surveyed Americans on their knowledge of specific agencies and how interested they would be to work for them. Agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration scored high for awareness, but low for interest in actually working there.

Seven agencies scored well on both counts: the CIA, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Education, Justice, Defense and Homeland Security departments.

Gallup, which partnered with the nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government to conduct the poll, also zoomed in on people in three fields that are in high demand in government: science and engineering, law, and public policy and social services. Thirty percent of respondents in these areas expressed interest in working for the government.

Among all those surveyed, the ability to use education, be intellectually stimulated and be innovative were top factors in choosing a job. But innovation and creativity was the category where the government scored the lowest in comparison to the private sector.

Linda Springer, who leads the government's recruiting efforts as director of the Office of Personnel Management, said she was most surprised by Gallup's finding on the public's perception of opportunities for innovation. If Gallup surveyed actual federal employees, then the outcome would be different, Springer said at the headquarters of The Washington Post, where the groups unveiled the survey.

"I think you'd find that people feel they're doing a lot of innovative work," Springer said.

She said the high rate of interest in government jobs among young people is heartening.

COMMENTS

• I am a GS (for now) employee and love what I do. The low pay, serving my country, working in combat zones all comes with the job. But after 20 years of service I had good job security untill now. NSPS takes away what made working for the US government good then takes it away. The NSPS will force employees to withhold info to compete fot the crumbs that may not be there anyway, that will have a negative impact on the warfighter. It will be an Army of one(every man for himself)Now I wear my Battle Battle (Flak Jacket)with SAPI plates to protect me from the NSPS back stabbers not the Insurgents. DoD Civialian OIF & OEF vet Posted April 5, 2007 11:48 AM
• I really don’t care what the public thinks about pay or innovation in the federal work place. The current administration is doing everything in its power to undermine, dismantle and destroy morale in the federal workplace and doesn’t give a hoot about public perception. This article did not lay out anything new, nor did it change anyone’s perception about the federal worker. You can’t privatize federal law enforcement, the Defense Department, tax enforcement, etc. It takes a certain type of person to work these types of jobs as well as a certain dedication that accepts the fact that you don’t do this job for the pay. There are many more variables involved. At least I’m not a third generation big three auto worker who is getting the axe or a casualty of an Enron scandal holding nothing in my 401(k) after 25 years on the job. GovExec.com reader Posted December 14, 2006 11:20 AM
• As always, my co-respondents input tripped my brain into gear. Being a numbers person, I’m chagrinned to not have seen what “EJC in ATL” saw. Very astute! Having taught interviewing techniques, I’m well aware that question bias can guide participant's responses; and one can prove anything manipulating statistics. “More input next time, folks. Please?” That may allow us to screen the agenda from the data. As for “Contracting Officer:” While I’m a avid reader of PopSci, an admitted “Geek” (humbly), and simply love the advancements I’ve seen since I completed my own career as a green-suiter; I wonder as to the “progress” of anyone in D.C. controlling UAVs over the deployed area. May I bring your attention to “The Vision Thing” article of this newsletter’s Dec. 4 issue. And I quote: “In 2004, GAO reported that networking causes command to become overly centralized and overloads soldiers with so much information that combat operations bog down. As information flows up the chain, commanders thousands of miles from the battlefield but linked by real-time video and communications become involved in decisions at lower and lower levels.” Please note that this was not perceived as a good thing. I work here because, unlike Taxpayer, I love my job. We are innovative, we do care, and we try hard often under lousy circumstances. But, to be quite honest, sometimes the flow of all that information, like a river, has a negative effect. Some will say that back in ‘Nam, decisions were made up the chain; literally in altitude. Multiple commanders would hover in their choppers over the operational area at heights respective to their position, dictating up and down as circumstances changed. Now that is an exaggeration, but, like all legends, there is some truth to be gleaned. People are our greatest resource and sometimes all these new things just get in the way. Still, I know what it’s like to need a radio and not have one. As we innovate, incorporating technology into our systems; let’s check the systems. Listen to your people. The Emperor may actually be naked. Remember that the next time you hear “Eh? You’re breaking up.” Just as the camera goes dead. Tip off. GovExec.com reader Posted December 6, 2006 2:15 PM