Freedal e yeolemp e egmegntan : The Motivating Potential of Job Characteristics and Rewards A Report to the President and the Congress of the United States by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board December 2012tH e cH air Man U.S. Merit SySteMS Protection Board 1615 M Street, nW Washington, dc 20419-0001 t he President President of the Senate Speaker of the House of r epresentatives d ear Sirs: in accordance with the requirements of 5 U.S.c . § 1204(a)(3), it is my honor to submit this U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) report, Federal Employee Engagement: The Motivating Potential of Job Characteristics and Rewards. a n engaged, high-performing Federal workforce is especially important in an era of reduced resources and heightened expectations. Using Federal employee survey data and insights from personnel psychology, this report discusses how Federal agencies can design jobs and provide rewards to encourage employees to put forth their best efforts. First, Federal agencies can do more to make Federal jobs truly motivating. We found that employees who believed their jobs had desirable characteristics such as skill variety, autonomy, and performance feedback were more likely to perform well. However, many Federal employees reported that their job lacked one or more elements necessary to a high level of motivation. a ccordingly, Federal agencies should look for ways to modify jobs or working conditions to make better use of Federal employee’s skills, insights, and initiative. That is, Federal agencies and managers should strive to make the promise of public service a reality, by affording employees the greatest possible latitude to use their talents to accomplish meaningful and challenging work. Second, Federal agencies can make better use of rewards, both monetary and non-monetary.