Employee engagement and job satisfaction

Key chapter findings

This chapter has reported a range of positive results which suggest that the APS continues to be a healthy institution with generally high levels of employee engagement and job satisfaction.

Overall, two-thirds of employees were satisfied with a range of factors associated with employee engagement. Satisfaction with the individual factors ranged from 46% through to 83%. Those areas which scored relatively low satisfaction results, particularly Agency Culture, Merit, Career and Development Opportunities, and Senior Leaders, are areas which agencies may wish to focus on to improve the extent to which their employees are actively involved with their work and their organisation. These issues are discussed in more detail in subsequent chapters.

Agencies may also benefit from looking at the satisfaction of particular groups of employees with factors that affect employee engagement. The employee survey results suggest that there is considerable variation with satisfaction between groups, with a need to look particularly at the satisfaction of mature-aged employees. Issues directly within the control of agencies can also influence satisfaction with employee engagement factors, including ensuring that performance feedback occurs and encouraging a harassment-free workplace.

Levels of pride within the APS remain extremely high, with eight out of 10 employees proud to work in the APS and seven out of 10 employees proud to work in their current agency. This is a very positive result which is important in positioning the APS as a good place to work.

Employees continue to be more likely to identify as an employee of their agency than as an APS employee. This is understandable, particularly at more junior levels. A strong sense of agency identity is likely to assist in achieving agency outcomes.

The employee survey did not ask employees to rate the relative strength of their identity as APS or agency employees, only to identify their primary identity. Nevertheless, particularly for EL employees, it is important that employees recognise the broader APS environment within which they work, especially in light of the push to deliver more holistic and integrated outcomes to the Australian community.

This year there has also been a substantial increase in overall job satisfaction, and results for the APS compare favourably with results for the broader Australian working community. The issues that employees regard as most important to their job satisfaction have been reasonably constant over time. They consistently include good working relationships, flexible working arrangements, and salary. Regular feedback, and recognition for effort, having a good manager, interesting work, and opportunities to utilise skills have also been rated highly. All of these are likely to be issues that agencies can focus on to strengthen employee job satisfaction.

Variations in what employees in different classification groups rate as important reinforce the fact that agencies will benefit from being mindful of the diverse needs and preferences of their employees. In particular, SES employees put much more emphasis than other employees on attributes related to the intrinsic nature of their work, such as the chance to make a useful contribution to society and seeing tangible results from their work. Nevertheless, as for all classification groups, good working relationships are the most important influence on their job satisfaction.

The APS continues to show positive results in the area of work-life balance, with almost three-quarters of employees satisfied with their work-life balance in their current job. The high levels of satisfaction reflect the wide range of agency work-life options in place to support employees. This is an area the APS can continue to build on as it markets itself as an ‘employer of choice’ in an increasingly tight labour market.

The flexibility provided by agencies appears to have allowed employees to manage the increased tendency for employees to work more than standard hours, without substantially affecting their work-life balance or overall job satisfaction. With broader research, however, indicating an association between long working hours and poor work-life outcomes, this is an area that agencies should monitor, particularly for EL and SES employees.

The positive results obtained this year suggest that the APS is perceived by the majority of its employees as a good place to work. A continuing focus on issues of employee engagement and job satisfaction is likely to provide payoffs to the APS through enhanced performance, the retention of quality staff and the development of a reputation as an employer of choice.