FEVS Score Booster and Engagement Tool
The purpose of this tool is to increase each employee’s engagement to your workplace and agency
mission. This will strengthen the climate of your work unit and improve your Federal Employee
Viewpoint Survey scores. Having an open discussion about elements impacting engagement will
create a valuable opportunity for you to learn more about your employee, your work unit, and your
operations. Use this tool to facilitate a meaningful dialogue throughout the year. It is advisable to
cover areas of primary concern to you before the Survey is disseminated by OPM.
Before using this tool, you may want to let your employees know in advance, either in a staff meeting
or via email, that you will be meeting with them to discuss the FEVS and areas of engagement.
Supervisors should approach the discussion with genuine curiosity. Make the employee feel
comfortable that the goal is to learn, and that opinions, feedback, or ideas won’t be held against
them. This should be a collaborative effort.
Ask open-ended questions to facilitate a conversation that is focused on the employee. The idea is for
the employee to tell you not only about their goals, roadblocks, and priorities, but also how they
foresee the best way to address them. Together, you will identify the best option for moving to action
and how you can support them.
The topical areas below and the items surveyed are derived from past and present Federal Employee
Viewpoint Surveys. The “Discussion Points” in each area will help you get the conversation started.
It’s not necessary to cover all the areas in this tool in one meeting. Cover the high priority items first,
then you can discuss the other areas at dierent mes throughout the year. This tool is a fillable PDF,
so take notes, document agreed-upon ac�ons, and then save it for future reference and updates.
Note: For organizations with bargaining unit employees, supervisors should ensure all labor relations
obligations have been met in accordance with law and existing collective bargaining agreements.
Employee:
Supervisor/Manager:
Date of This Discussion:
Date of Next Discussion:
Feedback
Items Surveyed:
I know what is expected of me on the job.
Discussions with my supervisor about my performance are worthwhile.
My supervisor listens to what I have to say.
My supervisor provides me with constructive suggestions to improve my job performance.
In the last six months, my supervisor has talked with me about my performance.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Giving Feedback
Poor Performance
Receiving Feedback
Performance Coaching
Improving Performance
Discussion Points:
What elements of your job are unclear?
What ideas do you have to elevate your
performance?
If you had to pick one area to improve, which
would it be and why?
How can I help you improve your
performance?
What do you find the most challenging? How
can we turn that around?
Let’s strategize about prioritizing your
workload.
Notes:
Actions:
Professional Development
Items Surveyed:
I am given a real opportunity to improve my skills in my organization.
My talents are used well in the workplace.
My training needs are assessed.
My supervisor provides me with opportunities to demonstrate my leadership skills.
Supervisors in my work unit support employee development.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Delegation
Accountability
Training for Employees
Develop Your Employees
Discussion Points:
What are your professional goals?
Why are these goals important to you?
What obstacles may you face? How can we
overcome them?
What training have you identified to improve
your skills?
Let’s review your Individual Development Plan.
How should we update it?
What needs to be done next to achieve your
goals?
Is there a project that you’re interested in
leading?
What skills do you consider strengths and how
can we best use them?
What work do you find challenging or exciting?
Notes:
Actions:
Communication and Ideas
Items Surveyed:
I have enough information to do my job well.
I feel encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things.
Employees have a feeling of personal empowerment with respect to work processes.
Creativity and innovation are rewarded.
My supervisor listens to what I have to say.
How disruptive has the COVID-19 pandemic been to your ability to do your work?
Managers promote communication among different work units (for example, about projects, goals, needed
resources).
Managers support collaboration across work units to accomplish work objectives.
How satisfied are you with your involvement in decisions that affect your work?
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Creativity
Retention
Motivation
Using Feedback
Interpersonal Skills
Employee Engagement
Discussion Points:
What work processes do you feel need
improvement?
How would you go about making those
changes?
Tell me what resources or tools you need to
enable success.
Is the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting your
ability to do your work? How can we fix that?
Before we implement:
I would like to hear your perspectives.
What aspect of your job really gets you excited
or gives you professional fulfillment?
How can we carry that into other areas?
What feedback or ideas do you have that
would strengthen our operations?
Notes:
Actions:
Merit System Principles
Items Surveyed:
I can disclose a suspected violation of any law, rule or regulation without fear of reprisal.
Policies and programs promote diversity in the workplace (for example, recruiting minorities and women, training
in awareness of diversity issues, mentoring).
Arbitrary action, personal favoritism and coercion for partisan political purposes are not tolerated.
Prohibited Personnel Practices are not tolerated.
My supervisor is committed to a workforce representative of all segments of society.
Supervisors work well with employees of different backgrounds.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Ethics
Integrity
Receiving Feedback
Diversity and Inclusion
Whistleblower Reprisal
Diversity and Empowerment
Fair Treatment in the Workplace
Merit Principles and Prohibited Practices
Discussion Points:
Do you know how to make a report of sexual
harassment or discrimination? Let’s review the
policy.
Do you know how to make a whistleblower
disclosure? Let’s review the policy.
What can I do to make you feel more
comfortable coming to me with issues?
Let’s talk about any incidents you’ve observed
in the workplace that you felt were
inappropriate.
How can we build a more diverse staff?
What measures or activities can we do to
promote inclusivity?
Notes:
Actions:
Resources
Items Surveyed:
I have sufficient resources (for example, people, materials, budget) to get my job done.
My workload is reasonable.
Physical conditions (for example, noise level, temperature, lighting, cleanliness in the workplace) allow employees
tŽƉĞƌĨŽƌŵƚŚĞŝƌũŽďƐǁĞůů͘
My work unit is able to recruit people with the right skills.
The skill level in my work unit has improved in the past year.
My work unit has the job-relevant knowledge and skills necessary to accomplish organizational goals.
How satisfied are you with the information you receive from management on what's going on in your
organization?
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Active Listening
Problem-Solving
Oral Communication
Recruiting and Hiring
Discussion Points:
What resources do you need to be more
productive?
What equipment, software, or programs are
outdated?
What skills do you need to accomplish your
goals?
What can be done right now to improve the
problem?
Ask me any questions you have about things
that are happening in our agency.
Share with me some process improvement
ideas.
Notes:
Actions:
Work-Life Balance
Items Surveyed:
Employees are protected from health and safety hazards on the job.
My organization has prepared employees for potential security threats.
My supervisor supports my need to balance work and other life issues.
My supervisor treats me with respect.
I have trust and confidence in my supervisor.
Senior leaders demonstrate support for work-life programs.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Telework
FMLA Leave
Work-Life Balance
Workplace Violence
Prevention of Injuries
Employee Engagement
Discussion Points:
What suggestions do you have to better
facilitate your work/life balance?
Let’s review our agency’s health and wellness
programs.
How can we make our workplace a safer
environment, both physically and with respect
to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Let’s talk about how EAP can help with
workplace stress and even personal issues you
may be experiencing.
Let’s review your role in our Continuity of
Operations Plan (COOP).
Can you walk me through how you would
handle a telephone threat? An incident of
violence in the workplace?
Besides violence, what other behaviors do you
think should be immediately reported to me?
Notes:
Actions:
Mission Connection
Items Surveyed:
I know how my work relates to the agency's goals.
Managers communicate the goals of the organization.
Managers review and evaluate the organization's progress toward meeting its goals and objectives.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Customer Service
Develop Your Employees
Align Office Goals with Agency Strategic Plan
Align Individual Performance with Agency Mission
Discussion Points:
Let’s go over the agency goals that are a
priority for our work unit and how I see us
achieving those goals.
What feedback do you have about our plans to
accomplish these goals?
Here’s how I see your job connecting to the
agency mission. Do you have any questions?
Let’s talk about the goals you’re responsible
for and the importance of accomplishing them.
What work elements do you feel are
unnecessary?
Notes:
Actions:
Teamwork
Items Surveyed:
The people I work with cooperate to get the job done.
Employees in my work unit share job knowledge with each other.
Prior to discussion, review the Manager Advantage topics:
Team Building
Foster Inclusion
Effective Meetings
Conflict Management
Delegation and Work Assignment
Create a Supportive Work Environment
Discussion Points:
Should we do more information sharing at staff
meetings? How can we make this a standard
practice?
What other ways can we get employees to talk
to one another about work?
Are you inclined to share solutions and best
practices with others? Why or why not?
I’m thinking about forming a work group to
address the issue of:
Are you interested? What could you
contribute to the group?
Is there another area that you would like to be
cross trained in? Let’s talk about how we can
make it happen.
Notes:
Actions: