2026 Virginia Employee Viewpoint Survey

The Commonwealth wants to better understand employee engagement and morale and identify workforce strengths and challenges. The survey covers areas including government administration and operations; recruitment and retention, including leadership, professional development, and mentorship; workplace wellness, including physical and psychological safety; belonging; and accessibility.

The findings will help identify strengths and opportunities for improvement and inform future workforce programs, policies, practices, action planning, and organizational improvements.

This is the first statewide employee engagement survey of its kind in Virginia since 1998. This year’s survey will establish an important baseline for understanding the employee experience and support a consistent, long-term approach to measuring progress over time.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is partnering with the nonprofit, nonpartisan, Partnership for Public Service to administer and analyze the survey. Through more than 20 years of producing their Best Places to Work in the Federal Government® rankings, the Partnership for Public Service has helped leaders understand the critical connection between workplace culture and organizational performance by measuring employee engagement, benchmarking results and partnering with public sector leaders to drive success.

The Partnership brings expertise in survey methodology, workforce research, and public-sector employee engagement. It serves as the independent survey administrator and will distribute survey invitations, administer the survey platform, manage responses, provide technical support, and support analysis and reporting. DHRM, the Governor’s Office, and participating agencies are partnering on the broader initiative, including communications and the use of survey findings to inform future workforce efforts.

Approximately 43,000 employees are expected to be eligible. The survey will be sent to classified employees within Executive Branch agencies who began employment with the Commonwealth on or before April 25, 2026. Wage or hourly employees, employees of Virginia’s institutions of higher education, and employees of independent authorities are not included in this year’s survey population.

The Commonwealth is beginning with a defined population of classified Executive Branch employees covered by the Virginia Personnel Act. This provides a consistent population for establishing the survey approach and understanding the day-to-day employee experience across agencies. We recognize that not every state employee is included this year, and that is not a reflection of the value of their perspectives. What we learn from this administration, including the survey approach and employee feedback—will help inform future employee-listening efforts. Other employee groups may be considered in the future based on what we learn, available resources, and interest.

If you are an eligible classified employee, you will receive an individual survey invitation at your work email address from the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org on October 6. If you do not see the email, please check your spam or junk folder. If you believe you are eligible but cannot locate your invitation, contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org for assistance.

Yes. While this year’s survey is limited to eligible classified employees within Executive Branch agencies, the Commonwealth values feedback from employees who are not included in the survey population. Employees who are not eligible for the survey may provide feedback to DHRM at employeesurvey@dhrm.virginia.gov. This feedback channel is separate from the Employee Viewpoint Survey and will be managed by DHRM.

Every response helps build a more complete picture of the employee experience across the Commonwealth. Your feedback can help identify what is working well, where challenges exist, and what employees need to do their best work. Broad participation will also provide a stronger baseline for understanding the employee experience and measuring progress over time.

No. Your survey link is unique to you and can accept only one response. Please do not forward or share it. Unique links help improve data quality and accuracy and prevent duplicate responses. If a colleague believes they are eligible but did not receive an invitation, they should contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org.

The survey will be open from October 6 through October 30, 2026. Eligible employees must submit their responses by 11:59 p.m. on October 30.

No. The survey is intended to gather feedback about employees’ overall workplace experiences. It is not monitored in real time and is not a mechanism for reporting, investigating, or resolving a specific workplace issue.

If you have an individual concern that requires assistance or attention, please use the appropriate Commonwealth resource:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Support for stress, family issues, mental health, grief, or similar concerns. Call 855-223-9277 or visit dhrm.virginia.gov/employeebenefits/employee-assistance.
• State Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline: Report suspected fraud, waste, or abuse by calling 1-800-723-1615 or visiting osig.virginia.gov.
• Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) AdviceLine: Get confidential guidance about workplace conflicts, employee rights, or options for resolving concerns by calling 1-888-232-3842 (1-888-23ADVICE) or visiting dhrm.virginia.gov/employment-dispute-resolution.
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): For discrimination, harassment, or workplace accommodation concerns, begin with your agency’s HR office. Learn more at dhrm.virginia.gov/workforce-engagement/equal-employment-opportunity.

Yes. Your participation is voluntary and your responses are confidential. Individual response data connected to your unique link will be held by the Partnership for Public Service for survey administration and analysis. Access to personally identifiable information and individual responses will be restricted to the Partnership’s data team. Commonwealth leaders, supervisors, and agencies will not receive identifiable responses or information showing how an individual employee responded.

Survey findings shared with the Commonwealth will be anonymized and aggregated. Results may be reported at the government-wide, secretariat, and agency levels. Results for organizational or demographic groups with fewer than 30 respondents will be suppressed or combined with other groups to help prevent identification. Demographic data will be used primarily for weighting purposes to help ensure the Partnership’s analysis reflects the eligible workforce.

At the conclusion of the survey, employees may be asked whether they are interested in participating in potential future focus groups. If you choose to express interest, your contact information will be stored separately from your survey responses and shared only with focus group organizers for recruitment purposes.

No. The Commonwealth and agencies may receive aggregate participation rates to understand response levels and determine where additional communications may be helpful, but they will not receive information identifying who has or has not completed the survey. They will also not receive your individual responses or personally identifiable information.

The Partnership will analyze and provide anonymized, aggregated findings at the government-wide, secretariat, and agency levels to identify strengths, trends, and areas where additional attention may be needed. Findings will help inform future action planning and workforce decisions. Results for groups with fewer than 30 respondents will be suppressed or combined with other groups to help prevent identification. Survey findings may also inform future employee-listening efforts, such as focus groups, to provide additional context about the experiences reflected in the data.

No. Participation is voluntary. Eligible employees are encouraged to participate because broad participation will provide a more complete picture of the employee experience across the Commonwealth.

Unique links help improve data quality and accuracy, prevent duplicate responses, and reduce the need to ask employees for information already available through existing workforce records. Your unique link does not mean Commonwealth leaders or your agency can see how you responded.

No. The Partnership for Public Service will send reminders only to eligible employees who have not yet completed the survey. Agency or statewide communications may still be sent broadly because the Commonwealth and agencies will not receive information identifying individual employees who have completed the survey.

The Partnership may connect survey responses with existing demographic and workforce information from Cardinal for analysis. This reduces the number of demographic questions employees need to answer. Personally identifiable information and individual responses will remain restricted to the Partnership’s data team, and the Commonwealth will receive only anonymized, aggregated findings.

After the survey closes on October 30, the Partnership for Public Service will analyze the results and prepare aggregated findings. Leadership briefings are planned for January 2027. Key findings and information about next steps will also be shared with employees.

The survey includes 55 questions and is expected to take approximately 12 minutes to complete.

Eligible employees may complete the survey during work hours. The survey can be accessed from a work or personal device using the unique link in the Partnership’s email invitation.

Yes. The survey can be completed in a web browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If you experience a technical issue, contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org.

The survey platform is designed to support screen readers, and the survey structure has been developed with accessibility in mind. If you encounter an accessibility or technical issue while taking the survey, contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org.

Yes. Use the unique link in your original email invitation to return to the survey and continue where you left off. You must submit your final response before the survey closes at 11:59 p.m. on October 30. If you cannot access your survey, contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org.

For questions about survey access, your unique link, or technical issues, contact the Partnership for Public Service at surveys@ourpublicservice.org. For questions about eligibility, confidentiality, or how results will be used, review these FAQs. Employees who are not eligible and would like to provide feedback may contact DHRM at employeesurvey@dhrm.virginia.gov.

Technical issues or problems accessing your survey:
surveys@ourpublicservice.org

Feedback from employees who are not eligible for the survey:
employeesurvey@dhrm.virginia.gov