Key chapter findings

Diversity trends for the APS continue to show a decline in the representation and number of Indigenous employees and people with a disability, despite an increase in ongoing employee numbers. This is a major concern and agencies and the APS as a whole need to look at how they can reverse this decline. A shrinking labour market will provide an added impetus for drawing on the breadth and diversity of the labour market.

The Government’s APS Employment and Capability Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders offers one opportunity for the APS to make a significant difference to the employment and retention of Indigenous Australians. Some agencies have made considerable effort to address the subject of Indigenous employment. It is, however, evident that more is still required—results from the agency survey found that there had been little change since last year in the frequency of strategies used by agencies to recruit Indigenous Australians, an essential first step towards building Indigenous representation in the APS. The Managing and Sustaining the APS Workforce finding that Indigenous participants knew very little about the APS before joining it, suggests a strong need for agencies to promote themselves as employers of choice to Indigenous Australians.

The use of measures by agencies to retain Indigenous employees has increased since last year and it is promising to see agencies developing retention strategies. It is, however, disquieting that one third of agencies do not use any specific strategies to retain Indigenous employees. Retention strategies that assist Indigenous employees with their careers, support them in feeling valued and in having the opportunity to use their individual knowledge and skills provide a great source of personal motivation for Indigenous employees. Employee survey results suggest that there is a divergence between what agencies are providing and what is important to Indigenous employees, given that 81% of Indigenous employees feel that their agencies need to do more to support them.

The number of people with a disability in the APS is continuing to decline. Agency survey results indicate a fall in the number of agencies using strategies to recruit and retain people with a disability and, although agencies identify more specific measures to recruit and retain people with a disability than they do in relation to Indigenous employees, these measures are not being reflected in outcomes.

Only 47% of people with a disability feel that their agency actively supports the employment, promotion and development of people with a disability. This group also continues to report higher rates of overall job dissatisfaction, even though over time there has been an upwards trend based on the job satisfaction index in levels of overall job satisfaction for people with a disability, rising from 50% in 2002–03 to 65% in 2004–05.

When asked about practical initiatives to increase the representation of people with a disability, agencies suggested a range of strategies that have been available for some time, for example, developing a disability plan, marketing of recruitment opportunities and initiatives that assist people with a disability to enter the APS workforce. Agencies also raised their concern about the lack of an accepted definition of ‘disability’—it is anticipated that this issue will be addressed in the near future.

The representation of women and people from a NESB1 both saw growth this year. Women and people from a NESB1 were also significantly more positive about the support provided by agencies—in employing, promoting and developing them—than were Indigenous employees and people with a disability about agency support provided to them. The overall representation of women among ongoing employees rose again this year, continuing a strong upwards trend. In addition, the proportion of women employed at senior levels is continuing to increase steadily, although the proportion of women at these levels is still well below those for men.

Ninety-five per cent of agencies indicated that they had a workplace diversity programme in place and 61% of employees agreed that their agency was committed to building a diverse workforce. The Commission’s rolling evaluation of written workplace diversity programmes in 2004–05 found that most agencies had taken substantial and positive steps towards meeting the requirements for workplace diversity programmes, though it also identified areas for improvement—stronger links to corporate documentation, better articulation of performance indicators, and greater reporting of diversity outcomes.

The employee survey results indicate that the proportion of employees who have experienced bullying or harassment has increased slightly from last year (17% in 2004–05 from 15% in 2003–04) and appears to be much higher among certain groups— women, Indigenous employees and people from NESB1.

The ageing of the APS over the last decade continued during 2004–05, as did the decline in the employment of young people, highlighting the need to adapt workplace practices to retain the skills of mature-aged workers in the APS, and the need to accelerate the development of those who will replace them in management positions.

go to top of the page