At the TVA Office of the Inspector General, We Strive to Create a Value-Driven and Collaborative Culture
We work to develop strong and trusting relationships that provide the foundation for outstanding performance and continuous improvement.
35 Years of Service and Support to the Tennessee Valley
The TVA Office of the Inspector General, and our success, have been built through the hard work of our employees. Listen to our employees talk about their experience, and what it is about our environment and culture that makes TVA OIG the best place to work.
A Supportive Environment
We believe that we can best serve the TVA if our employees are happy and supported. That’s why we provide everything from support for continued education to clear-cut career development paths.
Opportunities for Focused Career Development and Advancement
“Our office provides an environment of continuous learning and education because the TVA OIG knows that our greatest asset is our people. Our positions have career paths that provide a variety of work experiences and opportunities for advancement. We have development coaching to improve our skills and help us meet our career goals, and we offer a tuition reimbursement program and reimbursement for professional certification fees to employees who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees or professional certifications to enhance their knowledge and credibility.”
—Zac, Special Agent
Positive Work Environment and Office
“Our culture is a priority for everyone in the OIG, starting from the top all the way down. Senior management models the behaviors expected from all of us, which helps create the foundation for a positive work environment and keeps us all accountable. My colleagues and I have participated in several working sessions with varying levels of OIG leadership. During those sessions, it was nice to know they always welcomed and encouraged our thoughts and/or concerns. It is clear they heard and considered my input because they implemented it in the office's initiative for continuous improvement. This is one of many reasons the TVA Office of the Inspector General is a great place to work!”
—Joshua, IT Support Engineer
Job Security/Stable Environment with Little Turnover
“One of the many upsides of working at the TVA OIG is the job security. We have a stable environment with little turnover, which is a credit to our positive office culture and the many benefits we enjoy as OIG team members. When people come here to work, they want to stay. The OIG’s high retention rate offers a significant benefit when developing new team members. Also, it's worth mentioning that, historically, our office has been somewhat immune to the impacts of economic downturn. As someone who went through a layoff prior to coming to the OIG, I'm thankful for the stability that we have here”.
—Scott, Senior Auditor
Competitive Pay and Benefits
“In order to attract the highly skilled and diverse team members necessary to achieve our mission, we maintain a compensation package that ensures that our employees are paid fairly and competitively. The overall compensation package starts with competitive salary and bonus opportunities. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package with the opportunity to make health benefit selections that best meet your family's needs and a 401(k) plan with a generous match”.
—Beth Ritter, Manager, HR and Resource Management
Work/Life Balance
“We benefit in our office by having flexibility when it comes to our jobs. This leads to a healthy work-life balance. We have the ability to choose our schedule. We can also flex our schedule when needed to accommodate busy calendars and lifestyles. For me, as an employee, mom, wife, daughter, sister, etc., the work-life balance our office has achieved alleviates pressures, allowing me to focus and prioritize needs in order to get the job done on a day-to-day basis.”
—Lauren, Manager, Contract Audits
Rated Best Place to Work
The OIG has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service. The TVA OIG ranked first in the 2020 survey, and has been in the top quartile out of over 400 other federal agency subcomponents since 2015.
Our OIG team has worked extremely hard to create and sustain a productive work environment that is focused on making TVA better. Our office is proud to help TVA become better for the good of the people of the Tennessee Valley.
—Deputy Inspector General, Jill Matthews
Independence
We perform our work and report our results free from prejudice, bias, outside influence, and conflict of interest.
We provide accurate, objective information to our stakeholders and make recommendations to TVA; however, we do not make decisions for TVA.
We maintain our independence both in fact and appearance.
Integrity
We are honest and truthful and do not embellish the truth or leave out pertinent information.
We honor and protect the confidentiality of information.
We perform our best work and act in the best interest of our teammates, OIG, and TVA.
We comply with and encourage others to abide by laws, regulations, and applicable ethical standards.
We solicit counsel on ethical questions as quickly as possible.
Effective Communications
We engage in clear, regular, and timely communications.
We clarify expectations up front and clearly communicate "why."
We seek and value differing opinions, ideas, and approaches.
We actively listen to improve mutual understanding of others' points of view and intentions.
Trusting Relationships
We extend trust and focus on maintaining trust and, where needed, restoring trust.
We share our knowledge and information (as appropriate) to help each other be successful.
We acknowledge the role and value each person brings to the team.
When a conflict arises, we speak directly with the individual to resolve the conflict and do not speak negatively about others.
Accountability
We accept responsibility for our behaviors, actions, and results.
We keep our commitments.
We inform people early if we encounter barriers to meet commitments.
We hold each other responsible to model the OIG Behaviors.
Continuous Improvement
We learn from both our successes and mistakes and share lessons learned with each other.
We share our mistakes, frustrations, and failures, as well as our insights and best practices, so we all can learn and continually improve.
We ask for, give, and apply feedback (both praise and constructive) to continually get better.
We seek opportunities to increase our skills and knowledge and to identify better ways to perform our work.
We address problems by identifying root causes and offering solutions.
Leadership Council
The TVA OIG Leadership Council provides input and guidance to executive management, and supports effective communication throughout the organization. Each organization has representation within the council, and it provides an important forum for employees to raise concerns, make suggestions for continuous improvement, and engage with each other through various learning, stewardship, and social activities.
