2013 State of the Service
Employee Census
May 2013
1
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INTRODUCTION
What is the purpose of this census?
The Australian Public Service Commission (the Commission) conducts an annual survey of Australian Public Service (APS) employees for its State of the Service report. If you would like to see how employee survey results have been used in previous reports please go to
This is the second time the Commission has undertaken a census of all APS employees. The censuswill provide important data on employee attitudes to working conditions in the APS, including work-life balance, leadership, job satisfaction, recruitment and retention. It gives you the opportunity to comment on various aspects of your experience working in the APS and your agency.
The censusdata will be vital in helping the Public Service Commissioner evaluate the state of the APS. It will provide robust data at an agency level for smalldemographic groups.Census data may be used for research purposes in the future. Any such data is only made available in a collated format so that identification of individuals is not possible.
Who is conducting the census?
The Commission has engaged ORC International ( to conduct this census on its behalf.
How long will the census take?
This census should take around 30–40 minutes to complete (depending on the number of comments you make).Please take the time to complete the survey as your contribution isimportant.
Will my answers be confidential?
Your responses will be completely confidential. All data and information collected from the census will be stored in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
ORC International, an external firm of consultants, will analyse your completed census. No APS employee will be shown any completed census and no individual’s name will be associated with any of the results.
How was I identified to participate?
You were identified from the APS Employment Database(APSED) or by your agency to participate in the census. Employment data, including details such as sex and date of birth, is supplied to APSED from the human resource systems of APS agencies. Only ORC International will be able to link your census response with any information contained in APSED.
What happens after I take part in the census?
ORC International will collate and provide thede-identified results to the Commission for analysis and reporting in the State of the Service Report 2012–13. The report will be available on the Commission’s website at from early December 2013.
The Commission will give agencies a copy of their individual agency’s results of the census. However, these results will not include data where the identification of individuals may be possible. Comment data isnot provided to individual agencies.
Who can I ask for further information?
If you have any queries on completing this census, please contact ORC International .
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO COMPLETE THIS CENSUS
1.Please read each question carefully.
2.A number of different scales have been used throughout the census. Where there is a scale in response to the question, please select the option that represents the answer you want to give. For example, if you think that the weather outside today has been good, you would select the circle ‘good’ as below.
Very Good / Good / Average / Poor / Very PoorHow would you rate the weather outside today? / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
- Unless stipulated, please answer in relation to your current agency even if you have worked in more than one agency during the last 12 months.
- There are some open-ended questions in the censuswhere you can elaborate or comment on specific issues.
When is this census due?
The census should be completed and submitted by Friday 7 June 2013.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO COMPLETE THIS CENSUS
A.ABOUT YOU
B.GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
C.HEALTH AND WELLBEING
D.INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
E.RECRUITMENT
F.RETENTION
G.APS VALUES AND CODE OF CONDUCT
H. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT...... 30
I.LEADERSHIP...... 33
J.INNOVATION
K.SOCIAL MEDIA
L.FLEXIBLE WORK...... 37
M.FINAL COMMENT...... 41
Attachment A: The APS Values
Attachment B: The APS Code of Conduct
A.ABOUT YOU
Please note that your survey responses are confidential. All data and information collected from the survey will be stored in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
1.What is your sex?
1Male
2Female
2.How old were you at your last birthday?
……
3.Where is your workplace?
1Australian Capital Territory
2New South Wales
3Victoria
4Queensland
5South Australia
6Western Australia
7Tasmania
8Northern Territory
9Outside Australia
4.What is your substantive classification level?
[This is the classification level at which you were engaged or to which you were last promoted. It does not mean the level you may be acting in, or temporarily performing.]
1Trainee/Apprentice
2Graduate APS (including Cadets)
3APS 1—2 (or equivalent)
4APS 3—4 (or equivalent)
5APS 5—6 (or equivalent)
6Executive Level 1 (or equivalent)
7Executive Level 2 (or equivalent)
8Senior Executive Service Band 1 (or equivalent)
9Senior Executive Service Band 2 or 3 (or equivalent)
10Outside Australia—non-APS[1]
If you are unsure of how your classification translates to the APS standard classifications and you are unable to ask someone in your agency, please call
Marie Rowles at the Australian Public Service Commission between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time on (02) 6202 3843 before completing the survey.
5. What is your total length of service in the APS?
[Please include all periods of service in the APS]
1Less than 1 year
21 to less than 5 years
35 to less than 10 years
410 to less than 15 years
515 to less than 20 years
620 years or more
6. What is your total length of service in your current agency?
1Less than 1 year
21 to less than 5 years
35 to less than 10 years
410 to less than 15 years
515 to less than 20 years
620 years or more
7. What is your highest completed qualification?
1Less than Year 12 or equivalent
2Year 12 or equivalent (HSC/Leaving certificate)
3Vocational qualification
4Associate diploma
5Undergraduate diploma
6Bachelor degree (including with Honours)
7Postgraduate diploma (includes graduate certificate)
8Master’s degree
9Doctorate
8. What is your employment category?
1Ongoing
2Non-ongoing
3Not sure
9.a.Do you identify yourself as an Indigenous Australian?
1Yes
2No[Please go to question 10]
b.Are you identified as an Indigenous Australian in your agency’s human resource information system (i.e. have you informed your agency)?
1Yes
2No—I chose not to inform
3No—I have never been asked for this information
4No—For another reason
5Not sure
c.If you selected ‘No—I chose not to inform’ in the item above, could you please explain why you chose not to inform your agency?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
10.a. Do you have an ongoing disability[2]?
1Yes
2No[Please go to question 11]
b.Is your ongoing disability recorded on your agency’s human resource information system (i.e. have you informed your agency that you have a disability)?
1Yes
2No—I chose not to inform
3No—I have never been asked for this information
4No—For another reason
5Not sure
c.If you selected ‘No—I chose not to inform’ in the item above, could you please explain why you chose not to inform your agency?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
11. Are you of non-English speaking background (NESB)?
[For the purpose of this survey, you should indicate ‘yes’ to this question
only if you were born overseas and your first language was not English.]
1Yes
2No
12.In which of the following Asian languages do you have a sufficient degree of competence for work-related tasks?
[Please select all that apply]
1Cantonese
2Hindi
3Indonesian
4Mandarin
5Javanese
6Japanese
7Korean
8Vietnamese
9Bengali
10Sinhalese
11Urdu
12Punjabi
13Tamil
14Taiwanese
15Khmer
16Lao
17Thai
18Hmong
19BahasaMelayu
20Bahasa Indonesia
21Balinese
22Tetum
23Burmese ‘Myanmar’
24Nepali
25Tagalog
26Filipino
27Khalkha Mongolian
28Portuguese
29Kazakh
30Russian
31None of the above
13.Do you have tertiary qualifications in Asia-related studies?
1Yes
2No
14.Do you have any experience living or working in Asia?
[Please select all that apply]
1Yes—born there
2Yes—studied there
3Yes—lived there (but not entitled to work) for more than three months
4Yes—worked there in a government role
5Yes—worked there in a private sector role
6Yes—worked there in a not-for-profit role
7Yes—travelled extensively (i.e., for more than three months)
8No
15.a.Do you have carer responsibilities? [For the purpose of this question carer responsibilities is not limited to those in receipt of carer payment.]
1Yes
2No[Please go to question 16]
b. For whom do you have carer responsibilities?
[Please select all that apply]
1Child(ren)—under 5 years
2Child(ren)—5 to 16 years
3Child(ren)—over 16 years
4Parent(s)
5Other relative(s) (not including parents or children)
6Partner
7Other
The following question is for non-SES respondents only. SES employees, please go to question 18.
16.Which one of the following best describes the type of work you currently do?[3]
[Please select one category only]
1Accounting and finance (e.g. accounting, accounts receivable/payable, budgets, travel, procurement and contracting, grants management)[link to 17a]
2Administration (e.g. administrative support, executive support, secretariat, facilities and property)
3Communications and marketing (e.g. campaign and marketing, graphic design, change management, event organisation, public relations, stakeholder management, editing, writing, speech writing)
4Compliance and regulation (e.g. enforcement, quarantine, inspection, investigation, regulation and compliance, detention assessment)
5Engineering and technical (e.g. engineering, education, training and assessment, draftsperson/technician, patents examiner, land and asset management)
6Information and communications technology (e.g. networks and telecommunications, testing, helpdesk/support, databases, development and programming, systems analysis and design, systems administration, systems integration and deployment, web and multimedia content development) [link to 17b]
7Information and knowledge management (e.g. archivist, curator, librarian, records management)
8Intelligence (e.g. collection and analysis, production and dissemination, national security advice, personnel security)
9Legal and parliamentary (e.g. lawyer, legal adviser, court officer, freedom of information, ministerial and parliamentary liaison, legislation drafting and advice)
10Monitoring and audit (e.g. internal/external auditor, risk management, fraud control)
11Organisational leadership (e.g. board member, chief executive or managing director, statutory office holder, corporate and business planning, generalist management)
12People (e.g. human resources advice, industrial relations, learning and development, recruitment, payroll, workforce planning, occupational health and safety, organisational design)[link to 17c]
13Science and health (e.g. agriculture/forestry science, chemist, environmental science, life sciences, health and allied health professionals, health and welfare support)
14Service delivery (e.g. customer advice and support, gallery, museum and tour guides, hospitality, program delivery, visa processing)
15Strategic policy, research, project and program (evaluation, numerical analysis, economist, actuary,program management, project management, data analysis, research, strategic policy, policy development, policy advice)
16Trades and labour (e.g. vehicles and equipment maintenance/operation, transport and logistics, horticulture, gardening, labourer, trades)
17. a. Which one of the following best describes your accounting/finance occupation?
[Please select one category only]
1 Accounting (general) professional
2 Accounts receivable/payable
3 Budgets
4 Contract
5 Costing
6 Debt recovery
7 Financial Analysis, policy and planning
8 General finance
9 Grants management
10 Management accounting
11 Pricing/cost analysis
12 Procurement policy
13 Purchasing
14 Taxation accounting
15 Travel
b. Which one of the following best describes your information and communications technology occupation?
[Please select one category only]
1 Business process analysis/design
2 Databases and data
3 Development and programming
4 Helpdesk/support
5 Information/knowledge management
6 Infrastructure and facilities
7Networks and telecommunications
8 Procurement and vendor relations
9 Program-project management
10 Quality assurance
11 Security
12 Service management
13 Strategic leadership
14 Systems administration
15 Systems analysis/design
16 Systems integration and deployment
17 Testing
18 Training and development
19 Web and multimedia content development
c. Which one of the following best describes your human resources occupation?
[Please select one category only]
1 Business partner
2 Fitness for duty/return to work case management
3Human resource advice
4Human resource generalist
5 Industrial relations
6 Learning and development
7 Occupational health and safety advice
8 Occupational health and safety inspection
9 Organisational Psychology
10 Organisation and Methods analyst
11 Payroll
12 Recruitment/redeployment
13 Rostering and workload management
14 Workforce planning
15 Workplace relations
16 Workforce strategy
The following question is for SES respondents only. All other employees please go to Section B.
18.Which one of the following best describes the main type of work you are currentlyresponsible for?
[Please select one category only]
1Delivery
(The most significant contribution of the delivery role relates to outcome delivery and/or effective resource management. This may include development of delivery responses for policy objectives. Delivery roles are accountable for a measurable impact on the agency or APS as a whole [e.g. achievement of objectives through the management of financial, human and physical resources]. This may be directed to an ongoing delivery program, integration of multiple programs for delivery or to a finite government initiative.)
2Public policy and program design
(The most significant contribution of the public policy and program design job role relates to the provision of policy advice, reflecting research and analysis of financial and other implications and stakeholder views obtained through consultations, and articulation of policy in policy statements, regulatory or financial measures and legislation. The role also includes program design but not program implementation—the latter would be included in Delivery.)
3Regulatory
(The most significant contribution of the regulatory role relates to information gathering and risk assessment, and the design and implementation of compliance and enforcement programs within a governance framework.)
4Professional/specialist
(The most significant contribution of the professional/specialist job role is the provision of technical, professional, specialist, or strategic advice. This advice has a primary influence on adopted strategies, plans and targets and outcomes in terms of effectiveness or efficiency.)
B.GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
19. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding your current job:
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagreea. / I enjoy the work in my current job / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / I have a good immediate supervisor / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / My job gives me opportunities to utilise my skills / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / My job gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / I am satisfied with the recognition I receive for doing a good job / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. / I am fairly remunerated (e.g. salary, superannuation) for the work that I do / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g. / I am satisfied with my non-monetary employment conditions (e.g. leave, flexible work arrangements, other benefits) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
h. / My job requires me to utilise a variety of different skills / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
i. / My job involves completing a task that has an obvious beginning and end / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
j. / My job has a large impact on people outside my agency / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
k. / My job provides me with significant autonomy in making decisions / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
l. / I feel personally responsible for the work outcomes of my work group / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
m. / Sometimes the responsibilities of my job weigh me down / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
n. / I put my agency’s goals ahead of my personal objectives / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
o. / It is important to me that my achievements are clearly differentiated from others / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
p. / In my current job, I have enough time to think strategically / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
q. / I have a clear understanding of how my work group’s role contributes to my agency’s strategic directions / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
20.Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding your
immediate work group:
a. / The people in my work group are honest, open and transparent in their dealings / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / The people in my work group cooperate to get the job done / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / The people in my work group are committed to workplace safety / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / The people in my work group are accepting of people from diverse backgrounds / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / The people in my work group treat each other with respect / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
21.In the last 12 months, has your immediate work group been directly affected by any major workplace changes (e.g. functional, geographical, staffing changes)?
1Yes
2No
22.Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding your
immediatesupervisor:
a. / My supervisor provides me with regular and constructive feedback / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / My supervisor appropriately deals with employees that perform poorly / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / My supervisor works effectively with people from diverse backgrounds / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / My supervisor is committed to workplace safety / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / My supervisor is accepting of people from diverse backgrounds / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. / My supervisor treats people with respect / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
23.How often do you experience the followingin your workplace:
Always / Often / Sometimes / Rarely / Nevera. / People in my work group speak to me in unprofessional terms either publicly or privately / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / People in my work group pay little attention to my statements or show little interest in my opinion / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / People in my work group make demeaning or derogatory remarks about me / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / My supervisor speaks to me in unprofessional terms either publicly or privately / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / My supervisor pays little attention to my statements or shows little interest in my opinion / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. / My supervisor makes demeaning or derogatory remarks about me / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree
a. / In my agency, the leadership is of a high quality / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / In my agency, the most senior leaders are sufficiently visible (e.g. can be seen in action) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / In my agency, communication between senior leaders and other employees is effective / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / In my agency, senior leaders engage with staff on how to respond to future challenges / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / In my agency, senior leaders give their time to identify and develop talented people / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. / Senior leaders in my agency maintain a focus on the strategic direction of the agency and the APS / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g. / In my agency, senior leaders effectively lead and manage organisational change / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
24.Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding
the senior leadership group (i.e. the Senior Executive Service [SES]) in your agency:
25. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding aspects of your agency’s working environment:
Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagreea. / I feel a strong personal attachment to my agency / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
b. / When someone praises the accomplishments of my agency, it feels like a personal compliment to me / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
c. / I am proud to work in my agency / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
d. / Change is managed well in my agency / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
e. / Internal communication within my agency is effective / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
f. / My agency deals with underperformance effectively / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
g. / My agency routinely applies merit[4]in decisions regarding engagement and promotion / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
h. / My agency genuinely cares about employees being healthy and safe at work / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
i. / My agency supports employees who are injured or become ill due to work / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
j. / In general, employees in my agency feel they are valued for their contribution / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
k. / In general, employees in my agency effectively manage conflicts of interest / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
l. / In general, employees in my agency appropriately assess risk / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
m. / My workplace provides access to effective learning and development (e.g. formal training, learning on the job, e-learning, secondments) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
n. / My agency motivates me to help achieve its objectives / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
o. / My agency inspires me to do the best in my job / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
p. / I am satisfied with the opportunities for career progression in my agency / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
q. / I would recommend my agency as a good place to work / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
r. / My workplace culture supports people to achieve a good work-life balance / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
s. / My agency actively encourages ethical behaviour by all of its employees / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
t. / Senior leaders in my agency lead by example in ethical behaviour / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
u. / I have confidence in the processes that my agency uses to resolve employee grievances / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
v. / My agency is committed to creating a diverse workforce (for example gender, age, cultural background, disability status, Indigenous status) / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
26.If asked to choose, which would you primarily consider yourself to be?
[Please select one category only]