By Paula A. Paige{{IMG:~/media/A36B29600A264DC187A733617114564F.ashx?w=160&h=90&as=1&hash=549E9E0CACB8B6B72696269DEBD80CA08B9E4293}}
Corporate Strategic Communications, Office of Naval Research
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Office of Naval Research (ONR) led its peers in the 2010 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings released Sept. 1, coming in first in the “agency subcomponents” category for the Department of the Navy.
Including the Naval Research Laboratory, ONR placed 33 overall among 224 agency subcomponents, tying with three organizations from other agencies.
Produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation, the highly scrutinized rankings surveyed 290 federal organizations – 32 large agencies, 34 small agencies and 224 subcomponents – and are based on the responses of more than 263,000 employees. Now in its fifth edition, the rankings are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Employee biannual government-wide employee satisfaction survey conducted from February to March 2010. The survey is considered the most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government.
“We are encouraged by the Best Places to Work survey, particularly how we scored in the 'Employee Skills/Mission Match’ category," said Dr. Walter Jones, ONR’s executive director and senior civilian leader. "The survey also indicated that the majority of professionals at ONR are satisfied with supervisory support and the use of their talent toward the naval research mission.
"ONR's leadership is committed to building an environment that inspires technological innovation," Jones continued. "We are creating a workplace where employees can thrive, grow professionally and contribute to the mission."
The Department of the Navy is ranked first in the Department of Defense in the Best Places to Work ranking, taking the No. 15 spot among 31 large agencies.
Besides the overall index scores, organizations were also rated in other areas, such as effective leadership, employee skills/mission match and work/life balance. ONR was among the top in the employee skills/mission match and effective leadership areas, with an 81 percent and 70 percent score, respectively.
That came as no surprise to Genesta S. Belton, who has worked at ONR for 22 years.
“Career-wise, ONR offered me lots of opportunities for growth,” said Belton, director of Contracting Activity and Policy for ONR. “I’ve had three different promotion opportunities since I started here.”
Beyond opportunities for professional development, Belton said ONR also offers flexible work hours, an important benefit during the years when her now-college-age children were younger. Her supervisors allowed her to adjust her work hours, she said. “I came in earlier, so I could get out earlier and be there for my two girls when they got home from school.”
For the complete list of rankings, go to www.bestplacestowork.org.