Supporting Public Health Employee Engagement and Retention: One U.S. National Center's Analysis and Approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Occupational Health
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Employee engagement, characterized by positive views of supervisors, workplace, and job, is crucial for enhancing productivity and retention.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) aimed to assess employee engagement levels and identify barriers.
• Understanding employee perceptions is key for organizational success and workforce development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the extent of employee engagement within NCHHSTP.
• To identify specific barriers affecting employee engagement at NCHHSTP.
• To gather recommendations for improving employee engagement and retention.

Main Methods:

• A centerwide Employee Engagement Pulse Survey (EEPS) was administered in 2015 to NCHHSTP's full-time Civil Service employees, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers, and Title 42 service fellows.
• The survey included demographic questions, Likert-type scale questions on perceptions of supervisors, work environment, and job satisfaction, and open-ended questions for recommendations.
• A total of 727 out of 1,171 staff participated, yielding a 62% response rate.

Main Results:

• Positive perceptions of supervisors were high (94% for performance reviews) but lower for career development assistance (63%).
• Work experience perceptions showed high willingness to exert extra effort (98%) but lower scores for talent utilization (68%).
• Job satisfaction was high regarding coworker support (87%) but lower for professional growth opportunities (69%).

Conclusions:

• NCHHSTP staff generally hold positive views of their work, leadership, and the agency.
• Organizations can improve engagement and retention by actively listening to employee needs and recognizing achievements.
• NCHHSTP's approach to workforce development can serve as a model for assessing and enhancing employee engagement.