State employees are shaping a better California

Over a 10-week engagement, more than 1,400 California state employees shared insights on how to make our government more efficient.

All types of employees participated. For example, employees worked for the state for a varying amount of time. Most were not supervisors or managers.

What state employees said

We heard a clear story. Improving government efficiency involves more than updating technology or cutting costs. It requires a management culture that empowers employees and fosters innovation.

State employees drive excellent services forward. They are subject matter experts on what it takes to operate state government.

They shared great ideas that deserve our attention. For example:

  • Mentorship programs for young leaders to improve employee retention
  • Improved data sharing between agencies
  • Better communication between leadership and lower level staff
Staff icon
1,469
participants
Comments icon
2,477
comments
Ideas icon
2,627
ideas

Discussion themes

The more ideas shared about a theme, the larger the circle will be.

Discussion themes visualization

The more ideas shared about a theme, the larger the circle will be.

Explore the ideas

In this theme, employees shared many views about their work and career. They talked about pay, hours, benefits, and fair treatment for all staff. Many asked for better hiring, training, and support, and for clear roles and fair reviews. They also want chances to grow, to learn new skills, and to stay in their jobs.

In this theme, employees talked about the need to fix how work gets done. They want clearer steps, better records, and proven ways to improve daily tasks. Many said rules, forms, and slow handoffs get in the way and cause delays. They also asked for better tools, less paper, and faster, clearer policy updates.

In this theme, employees spoke about the need for better communication at work. They want teams and agencies to share more and work across silos. Many asked for clear records and shared tools, using simple language. They also want better ways to gather staff input and support many languages.

In this theme, employees talked about serving the public better. They want the public to access services that are faster and easier to use. Many want the state to listen more to residents and to use research to design better programs. For example, improving transit and public policies that affect daily life.

In this theme, employees shared ideas about how the state uses money and resources. They talked about buying products, managing contracts, and tracking spending to cut waste. Many asked for simpler fees, faster paybacks, and shared tools or staff to save money. They also noted the need to care for state buildings, roads, and parks.

In this theme, employees talked about fixing and updating tech at work. They want better tools, shared systems, safe data storage, and smart use of AI. Many asked for easier data sharing and tools that work for people with disabilities. They also shared ideas to improve public websites and online services.

In this theme, employees shared thoughts about leadership at work. They want state leaders to be fair, skilled, and held to clear standards. Many asked for better training and support for managers. They also want clear choices and honest, open communication from management.

In this theme, employees talked about where and how they work. They want flexible schedules, clear remote work rules, and better office spaces. Many asked for easier travel rules and faster paybacks for work costs. They also shared ideas to cut waste and protect the environment.

In this theme, employees shared views on how it feels to work in state jobs. They want a kind, fair culture with trust, respect, and openness. Many asked for less fear of change and more learning and testing of new ideas. They also noted the value of strong ties between staff and better ways to organize teams.

In this theme, employees talked about how the state makes rules and decisions. They want clearer policy steps and better insight into choices and spending. Many stressed the need to follow the law while also fixing slow or uneven structures. They also noted gaps between written rules and how work happens in real life.

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What we're doing

We are grateful for the contributions that state employees made to this effort. We want to take action on as many of these ideas as we can.

Here are some of the ways we're currently improving state government.

Governor’s Innovation Fellows

In July 2025, the California Office of Data and Innovation launched the Governor's Innovation Fellows program. The Fellows are state employees solving real problems. The program brings them together to improve services for Californians.

Results.ca.gov

Many state agencies and departments are already working on efforts to address efficiencies in government. We showcase these wins on the website results.ca.gov. Visitors to the site will see measurable accomplishments that are delivering real impacts.

Innovation Showcases

The state has reimagined how we run market research: the Innovation Showcase. Showcases bring together the private and public sector to co-create. They give the state direct access to new market insights. They also highlight practical ways we can increase efficiency and impact.

Innovation Community of Practice

The Innovation Community of Practice connects state employees who want to try new ways of doing things. It spotlights and amplifies the innovation happening through the Fellows program, and throughout the state. The Community is open to all state employees. Learn more and sign up today.

How we did the analysis

We combined human expertise and technology to understand employees’ thoughts. This hybrid approach allowed us to work at scale. It also enabled us to maintain the context and nuance that decision-makers need.

In an online platform, employees shared both written comments and responses. Some of the comments had multiple ideas. Some were a simple "+1" on other employees' comments.

We used AI to pull out all specific, actionable ideas from each main comment on the platform. In total, our analysis identified 2,627 ideas from the 2,477 comments. ​

We then categorized the ideas so that we could better understand them.

We used many approaches, including machine learning, topic modeling, and human review. At the end, we tagged all ideas from a set of 10 themes and 65 subthemes.

You can see the code, AI prompts, and the models we used to process and analyze data for this engagement on GitHub.

About the participants

California state employees are deeply committed to public service. 1,469 of them participated in this engagement. They appreciated the chance to share their knowledge. Their responses show they care about their work and the communities they support.

“It's nice to be able to share my opinions to broaden my perspectives on what it means to be a public servant.”
“I’m proud to be part of something bigger than myself, serving the public through meaningful and often behind-the-scenes work that helps keep essential operations running smoothly.”
“I love the relationships that I have built with the hard-working and dedicated state employees that keep the programs in this state available for everyone. I am continuously amazed at our ability to grow and meet the challenges that come at us every day.”

Tenure

Most employees self-reported the amount of time they worked at the state. About a third of them didn’t tell us this information. Of those who did:

  • 45% worked at the state for 10 or more years
  • 55% worked at the state for fewer than 10 years

Position level

Most employees told us their position level. About a third of them didn’t tell us. Of those who did:

  • Less than 1% said they were a director or above
  • 23% said they were a manager or supervisor
  • 42% said they were not a supervisor or a manager