Perceptions of immediate supervisors
The Australian Public Service Employee Census Immediate Supervisor Index measures how employees view the leadership behaviours of their immediate supervisor.
APS Employee Census questions that contribute to the Immediate Supervisor Index are:
- My supervisor engages with staff on how to respond to future challenges.
- My supervisor can deliver difficult advice whilst maintaining relationships.
- My supervisor invites a range of views, including those different to their own.
- My supervisor encourages my team to regularly review and improve our work.
- My supervisor is invested in my development.
- My supervisor ensures that my workgroup delivers on what we are responsible for.
Figures AB 28 to AB 33 and tables AB 28 to AB 33 report on Immediate Supervisor Index scores for agencies, by agency size, for APS respondents.
Note: Only index scores for APS agencies are presented. APS Employee Census results for entities that engage staff under the Public Service Act 1999 but are not APS agencies under the Act are available on the entity’s website.
Figure AB 28: Immediate Supervisor Index by agency size
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 28: Immediate Supervisor Index by agency size
| Agency size | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Overall APS | 76 | 77 |
| Extra-large (10,000+ employees) | 75 | 76 |
| Large (1,001 to 10,000 employees) | 77 | 78 |
| Medium (251 to 1,000 employees) | 77 | 77 |
| Small (101 to 250 employees) | 74 | 77 |
| Extra-small (20 to 100 employees) | 76 | 77 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 29: Immediate Supervisor Index for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 29: Immediate Supervisor Index for extra-large agencies (10,000+ employees)
| Agency | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Extra-large agencies – overall | 75 | 76 |
| Australian Taxation Office | 77 | 79 |
| Services Australia | 76 | 77 |
| Defence | 73 | 75 |
| Home Affairs | 73 | 74 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 30: Immediate Supervisor Index for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Table AB 30: Immediate Supervisor Index for large agencies (1,001 to 10,000 employees)
| Agency | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Large agencies – overall | 77 | 78 |
| Prime Minister and Cabinet | 79 | 80 |
| Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | 79 | 80 |
| Australian Bureau of Statistics | 78 | 80 |
| National Disability Insurance Agency | 79 | 79 |
| Finance | 78 | 79 |
| Health and Aged Care | 78 | 79 |
| Treasury | 77 | 78 |
| Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts | 78 | 78 |
| Education | 78 | 78 |
| Social Services | 77 | 78 |
| Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | 76 | 78 |
| Australian Trade and Investment Commission | 78 | 77 |
| Employment and Workplace Relations | 77 | 77 |
| Bureau of Meteorology | 77 | 77 |
| Industry, Science and Resources | 76 | 77 |
| Attorney-General's | 77 | 77 |
| Foreign Affairs and Trade | 75 | 76 |
| National Indigenous Australians Agency | 75 | 76 |
| Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | 75 | 76 |
| Veterans' Affairs | 75 | 75 |
| Federal Court of Australia | 69 | 73 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Figure AB 31: Immediate Supervisor Index for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Australian Submarine Agency was not an APS agency in 2023. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Sport Integrity Australia were small agencies in 2023.
Table AB 31: Immediate Supervisor Index for medium agencies (251 to 1,000 employees)
| Agency | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Medium agencies – overall | 77 | 77 |
| Australian Public Service Commission | 80 | 82 |
| Comcare | 80 | 81 |
| Fair Work Ombudsman | 80 | 81 |
| Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre | 77 | 81 |
| Clean Energy Regulator | 80 | 81 |
| Australian Institute of Health and Welfare | 80 | 79 |
| Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman | 77 | 79 |
| Future Fund Management Agency | 80 | 79 |
| Australian National Audit Office | 79 | 79 |
| National Archives of Australia | 74 | 78 |
| Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions | 77 | 78 |
| Digital Transformation Agency | 78 | 77 |
| Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission | 76 | 77 |
| Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority | 74 | 77 |
| Murray-Darling Basin Authority | 77 | 77 |
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 76 | 77 |
| Australian Electoral Commission | 75 | 76 |
| National Library of Australia | 75 | 76 |
| Australian Submarine Agency | 76 | |
| Fair Work Commission | 79 | 76 |
| Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission | 73 | 75 |
| National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission | 71 | 75 |
| Australian Digital Health Agency | 76 | 75 |
| National Emergency Management Agency | 75 | 75 |
| Australian War Memorial | 75 | 75 |
| Administrative Appeals Tribunal | 75 | 75 |
| Defence Housing Australia | 74 | 74 |
| Australian Financial Security Authority | 75 | 73 |
| Aboriginal Hostels Limited | 71 | 72 |
| Sport Integrity Australia | 68 | 68 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Australian Submarine Agency was not an APS agency in 2023. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Sport Integrity Australia were small agencies in 2023.
Figure AB 32: Immediate Supervisor Index for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Anti-Corruption Commission was not an APS agency in 2023. The Australian Institute of Family Studies was an extra-small agency in 2023.
Table AB 32: Immediate Supervisor Index for small agencies (101 to 250 employees)
| Agency | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Small agencies – overall | 74 | 77 |
| Office of the Special Investigator | 80 | 86 |
| Safe Work Australia | 81 | 81 |
| Australian Institute of Family Studies | 75 | 81 |
| Office of Parliamentary Counsel | 75 | 81 |
| Food Standards Australia New Zealand | 75 | 80 |
| Australian Research Council | 78 | 80 |
| Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority | 77 | 79 |
| Office of the Australian Information Commissioner | 78 | 78 |
| National Film and Sound Archive of Australia | 72 | 78 |
| National Health and Medical Research Council | 78 | 78 |
| Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency | 74 | 78 |
| Productivity Commission | 75 | 77 |
| Australian Human Rights Commission | 74 | 77 |
| National Anti-Corruption Commission | 77 | |
| Australian Transport Safety Bureau | 71 | 77 |
| Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies | 77 | 76 |
| Australian Skills Quality Authority | 74 | 76 |
| Australian Fisheries Management Authority | 76 | 75 |
| National Museum of Australia | 74 | 75 |
| Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency | 70 | 74 |
| National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority | 70 | 72 |
| Australian National Maritime Museum | 67 | 71 |
| Torres Strait Regional Authority | 71 | 68 |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The National Anti-Corruption Commission was not an APS agency in 2023. The Australian Institute of Family Studies was an extra-small agency in 2023.
Figure AB 33: Immediate Supervisor Index for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service were not APS agencies in 2023. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency did not have reportable results in 2023.
Table AB 33: Immediate Supervisor Index for extra-small agencies (20 to 100 employees)
| Agency | Immediate Supervisor Index score | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Extra-small agencies – overall | 76 | 77 |
| Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security | 77 | 86 |
| Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care | 85 | |
| Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority | 80 | 83 |
| Workplace Gender Equality Agency | 81 | 82 |
| National Blood Authority | 74 | 80 |
| Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House | 78 | 80 |
| Organ and Tissue Authority | 82 | 79 |
| Climate Change Authority | 85 | 78 |
| National Health Funding Body | 81 | 77 |
| National Portrait Gallery | 73 | 77 |
| Cancer Australia | 75 | 77 |
| Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman | 68 | 75 |
| National Mental Health Commission | 68 | 74 |
| National Capital Authority | 76 | 74 |
| Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research | 73 | 73 |
| Parliamentary Workplace Support Service | 73 | |
| Professional Services Review | 74 | 73 |
| Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care | 74 | 72 |
| Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency | 70 | |
Source: APS Employee Census
Note: The Office of the Inspector-General of Aged Care and the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service were not APS agencies in 2023. The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency did not have reportable results in 2023.