7.7 Employee value proposition

Drawing on the themes explored in this chapter, the APS is acting to best position itself for the future of work. The APS is not unique in its experience and challenges. With an increasingly competitive labour market, skills shortages are being seen across the economy and private and public sectors alike are having to adapt quickly to secure talent.

This means the APS must continue to hone and refine its employee value proposition and meet employee expectations. How the APS attracts and retains talent over the coming years will directly impact on its ability to best serve all Australians. The Future of Work Sub-committee is exploring ways to integrate its findings and opportunities throughout its program of work to develop the best value proposition for the APS in the competitive employment market.

An employee value proposition is a set of attributes that employees perceive as the value they gain through employment with an organisation.[61] A strong, authentic employee value proposition is critical to attracting, retaining and developing the workforce that the APS needs now and into the future.

The pillars of the APS employee value proposition centre around the employment factors important to most APS employees. Research suggests, however, that the level of importance varies across workforce segments and employee demographics and may be influenced by the stages of employees’ professional and personal lives. Examples of this include:

• superannuation tends to be more important for older employees
• work-life balance and access to flexible working arrangements tends to be more important for employees with caring responsibilities
• professional L&D tends to be more important for graduates.

Further insights from the 2022 Future of Work Taskforce Survey for APS New Starters showed that 81% of respondents said job security was an important attraction factor, followed by the job offered a good match with the skills (80%) and the nature of the work (74%). Not surprisingly, respondents who did not feel their expectations had been met by the reality of their experience in the APS showed a greater intention to leave the service.

The Survey of Trust in Australian Public Services, conducted in June 2022, also explored the job qualities important to individuals in their work. Just over half (55%) of respondents indicated that work-life balance and salary was very important. Work satisfaction was also considered very important for over half of the respondents (53%) (Figure 7.4).

Figure 7.4: Importance of job qualities (2022)

Source: 2022 PM&C Survey of Trust in Australian public services

Figure 7.5: APS perceived job quality performance (2022)

Source: 2022 PM&C Survey of Trust in Australian public services

APS employees also want more flexibility, a greater sense of purpose and more inclusive workplaces. The APS is taking a step in the right direction. Larger proportions of respondents to the 2022 APS Employee Census indicated that their job inspired them (61% in 2022 compared to 56% in 2021) and that they believed strongly in the purpose and objectives of the APS (85% in 2022; 82% in 2021).

These insights – as well as public perceptions of the APS (Figure 7.5) – are being used to develop an APS employee value proposition and an APS-wide approach to flexibility. This will be considered by the Future of Work Sub-committee before being trialled more broadly for release in 2023.

Figure 7.6: Future of Work Sub-committee of Secretaries Board

Aim: to be a catalyst in driving organisational and workforce reform priorities for the APS,
that meet the Government’s expectations that the APS is a model employer and has the
capability it needs to do its job well.