As the pandemic has put immense pressure on government employees to deliver public services, new research finds that teleworking has improved team performance. Forty-six percent of government employees who telework – either fully remote or hybrid – say their team’s performance improved during the past two years. Only 35 percent of in-person government workers say their team’s performance has improved during the period, according to new research from Eagle Hill Consulting.
As the trend for remote work continues among federal and state and local governments, more than half of the government workforce reports teleworking, either in a fully remote (26 percent) or hybrid environment (24 percent). A higher number of younger workers in government report working fully remotely (34 percent) as compared to mid-career (24 percent) and older workers (11 percent). Those working in person are more likely to be older workers (70 percent).
The findings are based upon “The Eagle Hill Performance Management and Feedback Survey 2022,” conducted by Ipsos from May 10-12, 2022. The nationally representative survey included 1,001 adults aged 18 and older who are employed full-time or part-time, including those who work for a government agency. The survey polled respondents on aspects of performance management and feedback.
The survey revealed good news when it comes to trust. Even with employees no longer tethered to a traditional workplace, nearly all government workers (92 percent) believe their manager trusts them to get the job done. This high level of trust is consistent for various work environments: remote at 93 percent, hybrid at 87 percent, and in-person at 93 percent.
But since the pandemic began, most government employees report feeling more pressure to perform well (64 percent) and prove their value (63 percent).
“The pandemic was transformational for the government workforce, accelerating what employees have long desired: more flexibility,” said Melissa Jezior, president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting. “Our research is a clear signal that flexible work environments – both fully remote and hybrid approaches – can deliver performance results. And by providing government employees with more flexibility, government employers may have better outcomes when it comes to attracting and keeping workers at a time when public employers are really struggling to compete with the private sector.”
“While government employees have felt more pressure to deliver public services, workers are feeling more support from their supervisors during the past two years. The challenge going forward for government employers will be to sustain the positives that have emerged during the pandemic while finding new ways to best manage employee performance as the future of work continues to evolve,” Jezior explained.
More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.
