FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan and Report - Strategic Goal 5: Objective 5.3

Fiscal Year 2024
Released March, 2023

Topics on this page: Objective 5.3: Uphold effective and innovative human capital resource management resulting in an engaged, diverse workforce with the skills and competencies to accomplish the HHS mission | Objective 5.3 Table of Related Performance Measures

Objective 5.3: Uphold effective and innovative human capital resource management resulting in an engaged, diverse workforce with the skills and competencies to accomplish the HHS mission

HHS supports strategies to uphold effective and innovative human capital resource management.  HHS is focused on building and sustaining a strong workforce through improved recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts.  The Department is leveraging training and professional development opportunities to develop and manage a high-performing workforce while providing leaders and managers with the insight and tools to effectively carry out change management, organizational learning, and succession planning.

The Office of the Secretary leads this objective.  All divisions are responsible for implementing programs under this strategic objective.  In consultation with OMB, HHS has determined that performance toward this objective is a focus area for improvement due to the challenges of return-to-work and future-of-work activities and the many associated risks and opportunities.  The narrative below provides a brief summary of progress made and achievements or challenges, as well as plans to improve or maintain performance.

Objective 5.3 Table of Related Performance Measures

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is leading efforts to improve the different aspect of the workplace conditions that lead to engagement.  OHR is focusing these activities in three key strategic areas for employees: (1) Intrinsic Work Experience, (2) Opportunities for Professional Development and Growth and (3) Engagement, which are aligned to the HHS Strategic Plan, OMB planning, and OPM human capital initiatives as well as unique HHS organizational priorities.  The intent of these efforts is:

• To increase the Department’s conditions conducive to engagement
• Develop opportunities for employees to improve skills and enhance professional development.
• Improve employees’ feelings of motivation and competency relating to their role in the workplace.

One of the five key drivers of employee engagement, Intrinsic Work Experience, considers employees’ feelings of motivation and competency related to their role in the workplace, such as sense of accomplishment and their perception of their skill usage. Compared to other very large and large federal agencies, HHS continues to excel in this area despite barely missing its target by 0.5%⁶⁶.

Employee Satisfaction with Opportunities for Professional Development and Growth reflects the employees’ perceptions as to the opportunities they have to improve their skills in their organization and if their talents are used well in the workplace. The HHS Learning Management System (LMS) is used across the Department for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content.  In FY 2022, employees reported high levels of course satisfaction for all courses taken in the LMS.

Employee engagement is foundational to achieving the level of active strategic management needed for building and sustaining the 21st century workforce. The OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) measures employee engagement because it drives performance.  Engaged employees look at the whole of the organization and understand their purpose within the agency’s mission.  This understanding leads to better decision-making. The 2021 FEVS was administered from November 8, 2021 – December 10, 2021. FY 2022 results indicate that HHS continues to improve its Department-wide Employee Engagement Index score, rising to 77.9% for the FY 2022. 

Endnotes

⁶⁶  Office of Personnel Management Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Results 2022 https://www.opm.gov/fevs/reports/governmentwide-reports/governmentwide-reports/governmentwide-management-report/2022/2022-governmentwide-management-report.pdf