The Office of Personnel Management’s 2023 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (OPM FEVS) is on track to be administered in early May, according to OPM Director Kiran Ahuja.
In a memo sent to the heads of executive departments and agencies last week, Ahuja confirmed that the survey invitations will once again be rolled out in two waves over two consecutive weeks.
OPM FEVS is the largest employer survey in the country, reaching more than 1.6 million employees, according to the memo. Ahuja said points of contact at each agency and the Chief Human Capital Officer (CHCO) Council are updated continually to support agencies in their OPM FEVS campaigns.
“Strong survey participation is foundational to providing you with the highest quality data possible to support your agency action initiatives and government-wide priorities, such as the President’s Management Agenda,” she said.
“Successful strategies to improve response rates include tracking survey participation during fielding, communication of actions taken and, most importantly, frequent, and ongoing communication from agency leadership expressing strong commitment for the survey and acknowledging its importance,” she added.
Last year’s FEVS marked the return of the survey’s spring administration and fall release – after OPM administered the survey in the fall of the previous two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ahuja confirmed that the 2023 FEVS will once again feature the index for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), as well as the “innovation” component – both of which were new additions last year. Additionally, she said important topics such as resilience, customer responsiveness, autonomy, and information sharing will also return to the survey.
“Given the criticality of these topics to sustained performance in the future of the workforce, they will continue to be featured in 2023,” she said.
OPM will also retain the core set of questions used in prior years, which provide agencies with consistent metrics to analyze their workforce challenges and identify solutions.
Ahuja said the core questions, combined with the new content, will also allow the Federal government to work towards achieving the President’s Management Agenda priority to strengthen and empower the Federal workforce.
“Achieving the full value of the OPM FEVS is a year-round process. Communicating past results and identifying actions taken in response to survey findings are essential to engaging employee participation in the 2023 survey,” Ahuja said. “Full engagement and communication about the OPM FEVS from leadership at all levels will clearly show employees that their input is valued and can make a difference, boosting response rates and supporting widespread access to high-quality data.”
