Every year the government releases a Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) which measures an agency’s organizational climate and assesses how employees experience the policies, practices, and procedures of their agency and its leadership. In 2018, NASA ranked number 1 out of 17 large federal agencies in Best Places to Work in the Federal Government.
Although the overall agency ranking appeared at its best, a small yet not insignificant piece of the NASA community, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), which is responsible for nearly all of NASA’s Missions and Divisions' Information Technology (IT) strategic plans, budgets, and resources, ranked as one of the lowest offices within the larger score.
NASA
Enhancing the Employee Experience through thoughtful Visual Communications & Strategy
Having a visual strategy in place to help our organization communicate complex and nuanced ideas across all employee levels has made all the difference.
NASA OCIO Leader & Employee
Case Study
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Employee burnout was at an all-time high. Trust and transparency within the OCIO community were very low, and employees were overwhelmed with weakened resources. Many felt undervalued with no options for opportunities to advance in their career development. The decreased morale was causing high employee turnover, gaps in international security, poor leadership, and ineffective use of existing resources.
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In 2019, Robyn and her team set out to introduce the agency to a people-first approach –using core principles and best practices from Human-Centered Design (HCD) to start actively listening and engaging with the employees directly affected by the agency’s gaps. Multiple communication avenues were opened up to gather employee feedback using employee experience tools such as interviews, union-approved surveys, and focus groups. These avenues were designed for longevity so that the organization could continue to own and collect feedback long after our team was gone. NASA’s internal employee feedback cycle still exists today and is collected and maintained on a quarterly basis with actionable outputs helping to inform and understand employee priorities as it ties to the agency’s strategies.
Beyond employee feedback, our team helped the agency to bridge the disconnect between the highest levels of leadership and the employees they needed to acknowledge and support. Informed and transparent tightly designed sessions, were the first stepping stones to forming strong internal partnerships across their OCIO community from the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to analysts and office administrators who were all equally dedicated to NASA’s amazing mission. The underpinning of each effort has always been rooted in a strong visual strategy and communications plan that speaks for and with the people it needs to serve. Without making visuals a priority in this work, the impact of establishing and evolving an effective Voice of the Employee (VOE) program would have been far less effective.
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The Global Satisfaction Index (GSI) is a combination of employees’ satisfaction with their jobs, their pay, and their organization, plus their willingness to recommend their organization as a good place to work.
NASA’s OCIO GSI has grown +10 points from 2018-2020 (score 73 to 83).
A more detailed look into the 2020 FEVS agency-specific results is probably the best proof point in showing the significant increase year over year in several areas of the employee experience.