Employee performance and engagement
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Indicators of sector performance
The performance of the Queensland public sector is measured through multiple data sets—including MOHRI collected from payroll data and the annual Working for Queensland (WfQ) employee opinion survey results.
These data sets provide powerful lead and lag indicators of workplace performance.
The WfQ survey captures information on performance relating to attitudes and sentiments that are common in the workplace with respect to misconduct and unethical behaviour. The survey also captures data on the experience of negative behaviours including workplace bullying, sexual harassment, racism and discrimination. Data on intention to leave the organisation is also collected.
While the attitudes and sentiment captured through the WfQ survey provide lead or predictive indicators of behaviour and performance, MOHRI data captures lag performance measures. Absenteeism and turnover can be examples of employee behaviour in response to low levels of, for example, engagement.
Continuous improvement
Continuous improvement is a critical performance measure and is directly related to the effectiveness and efficiency of the services delivered to the people of Queensland.
This data has remained stable between 2022 and 2024 and encompasses a range of themes.
- 63% proactively seek better and new ways to do their job often and always.
- 67% help coworkers learn new skills and share job knowledge often and always.
- 60% help coworkers that have too much work to do often and always.
- 60% work with colleagues to identify better practice often and always.
Source: WfQ 2024.
Leadership level has a significant impact on perceptions of continuous improvement.
| Never and Rarely | Once in a while, Some of the time and Fairly often | Often and Always | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual contributor | |||
| I proactively seek new and better ways of doing my job. | 3% | 37% | 60% |
| I help co-workers learn new skills or share job knowledge. | 2% | 35% | 62% |
| I help co-workers who have too much to do. | 3% | 42% | 55% |
| I work with colleagues to identify better practice. | 4% | 42% | 54% |
| Team leader | |||
| I proactively seek new and better ways of doing my job. | 2% | 33% | 65% |
| I help co-workers learn new skills or share job knowledge. | 1% | 24% | 76% |
| I help co-workers who have too much to do. | 1% | 33% | 66% |
| I work with colleagues to identify better practice. | 1% | 31% | 67% |
| Program leader | |||
| I proactively seek new and better ways of doing my job. | 1% | 23% | 76% |
| I help co-workers learn new skills or share job knowledge. | 1% | 20% | 80% |
| I help co-workers who have too much to do. | 1% | 30% | 69% |
| I work with colleagues to identify better practice. | 1% | 24% | 75% |
| Executive and Chief Executive | |||
| I proactively seek new and better ways of doing my job. | 1% | 12% | 87% |
| I help co-workers learn new skills or share job knowledge. | 1% | 11% | 88% |
| I help co-workers who have too much to do. | 1% | 21% | 78% |
| I work with colleagues to identify better practice. | 1% | 13% | 87% |
Source: WfQ 2024.
Case study: Continuous improvement in action
Connection with work
Levels of connection with the work a person does can be determined by several factors—the extent to which the job inspires, energises or makes the person feel proud of the work they do.
Measuring these factors is challenging, as they are influenced by organisational culture and to an extent depend on the types of tasks the individual must complete daily.
The connection with work data is asked on a seven-point frequency scale—from never and rarely to often and always. The WfQ items that measure connection with work include respondents feeling energised by their work, inspired to do their best and proud of their work.
- 32% feel energised by their work often and always – 20% fairly often and 25% some of the time
- 50% are inspired by their job to do their best often and always – 21% fairly often and 15% some of the time
- 63% are proud of the work they do often and always – 18% fairly often and 11% some of the time.
Source: WfQ 2024.
Where people perform frontline work, the extent to which they feel energised by work decreases to 25% often and always.
Where people work in program design and program management the extent to which they feel energised by their work increases to 41% often and always.
The nature of the work itself significantly impacts the connection and, particularly, the feeling of being energised by work.
Seniority has a significant impact on connection.
| Never and Rarely | Once in a while, Some of the time and fairly often | Often and always | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual contributor | |||
| I feel energised by my work. | 15% | 56% | 29% |
| My job inspires me to do my best. | 8% | 44% | 47% |
| I am proud of the work that I do. | 4% | 35% | 60% |
| Team leader | |||
| I feel energised by my work. | 12% | 57% | 31% |
| My job inspires me to do my best. | 7% | 44% | 49% |
| I am proud of the work that I do. | 3% | 32% | 65% |
| Program leader | |||
| I feel energised by my work. | 7% | 49% | 44% |
| My job inspires me to do my best. | 4% | 36% | 60% |
| I am proud of the work that I do. | 2% | 24% | 74% |
| Executive and Chief Executive | |||
| I feel energised by my work. | 3% | 30% | 67% |
| My job inspires me to do my best. | 2% | 18% | 79% |
| I am proud of the work that I do. | 1% | 12% | 87% |
Source: WfQ 2024.