Employee-Led,Employee Engagement in the Federal Government

The Problem.

Estimates show that in recent employee engagement studies, employees who are disengaged cost organizations approximately 35% of their payrolls. Disengagement is purported to cost organizations US$343 billion annually, including US$65 billion of taxpayer dollars of lost employee productivity for the federal government alone.

The Solution.

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) undertook a substantive employee-led, employee engagement initiative, resulting in improved employee satisfaction and sense of ownership in creating a positive place to work. Using a case review method, the authors share personal stories of insight and challenge that detail specific steps taken to increase levels of engagement in the federal government.

The Stakeholders.

Researchers and HRD practitioners interested in designing, implementing and evaluating employee-led employee engagement initiatives for public service workers, will find this case study offers insights into the many facets of a successful intervention.