The Foreign Service Journal, June 2014

52 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS 2012 to 41 percent in the 2013 survey. His overall approval rating (“fair, good, excellent”) for 2013 stands at 58 percent, also a significant drop from 2012 (78 percent). This decline is disturbing and will be pointed out to his office. Many FSOs originally liked the new initiatives. However, the prevailing sentiment now is that they are too numerous to coordinate and accurately report on, and many do not come with funding. The com- ments also reflect a recurring theme that work outside of Africa appears to be a lower priority for the Administrator. Working Conditions The survey indicates a significant perception that overall conditions at work are worsening (42 percent). This is not as bad as it was in 2011 (46 percent) or 2010 (55 percent); neverthe- less, it is a setback since 2012, when only 36 percent thought conditions at work were deteriorating. Pay and bonus freezes, work space concerns due to consolida- tion and micromanagement of the field by Washington were some of the concerns highlighted this year, and are possible explanations for the increased rating. Concluding Analysis Several important issues have been illuminated in this survey. First is the tendency for more recent employees in the workforce to have different views than their colleagues from previous generations. The different characteristics of this new generation of workers are increasingly being discussed in the media. In terms of numbers, the millennials are the largest generation in American his- tory and, with USAID’s recent mass hiring, the majority of our workforce now fall into this category. Thus, a bonus of the Development Leadership Ini- tiative program is that USAID has a unique opportunity to be a leader in this regard, simply by virtue of its large population of millennials. If we focus on their primary concerns—such as corporate culture, work-life balance, workplace flexibility, making a difference and being appre- ciated—we realize that they value the same things that are important to everyone! The difference is that millennials are more likely to voice their thoughts and to change jobs if their needs are not fulfilled. How the agency handles this will determine whether USAID emerges as a government leader in such issues as work-life balance, as well as how it fares in employee retention. Next, after a brief upturn, morale has taken a slide back down. Comments suggest that this is related to various factors, including the sense of a disconnect with signifi- cant guidance related to HR processes, and a feeling that Washington does not under- stand the challenges that FSOs face daily. Inequalities in benefits JEFFLAU