THE STATE OF NEW HIRES UPON ARRIVAL BC PUBLIC SERVICE WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY NOVEMBER 2009

Transcription

1 THE STATE OF NEW HIRES UPON ARRIVAL BC PUBLIC SERVICE WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY NOVEMBER 2009

2 CONTACT INFORMATION This paper was prepared by Angela Matheson and Ben Pollard. If you have any questions about the information in this report, please or phone

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Executive Summary Employees newly hired into the BC Public Service are one of the more at-risk streams for retention. Approximately, seven percent of regular employees hired between January 2007 and December 2008 left the BC Public Service within the first year of their employment. 1 Given the limited data available to help explain why these employees chose to leave their employment so soon into their career, BC Stats conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional cohort study using 2008 Work Environment Survey (WES) data collected from 18,483 regular employees at different time frames since they were hired. The results of the analyses are summarized below. New hires are more engaged than longer-term employees. The majority of new hires with less than three months of employment were engaged roughly three in four were satisfied with their jobs and organization and committed to the BC Public Service. Over the course of two years, engagement declined 15 percentage points (ppts) to become more on par with the 56% rate seen from their longer-term counterparts (with three or more years of employment). The largest drop occurred at the three-to-five-month mark when the rates of engagement dipped to 64% and the disengagement rate rose to 19%. The state of disengagement including prevalence rate and gradual increase across more senior cohorts is not the same for every organization and occupation. For employees with less than three months of employment, the rates of disengagement varied from 0% to 21% across government organizations. Disengagement was absent in the Public Service Agency and Ministry of Environment s newest hires and the highest for the ministries of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Attorney General and Health (20% - 21%). Over the first year of employment, the most notable shift occurred with the Public Service Agency. Although disengagement was initially absent for the agency s newest hires, roughly one in three were disengaged at the six-to-twelve-month mark. This rate was higher than their longer-term counterparts with three or more years of employment (24%). Conversely, the Attorney General and Health s rates of disengagement not only declined, but also was lower for the six-to-twelve-month cohort than their longer-term counterparts with three or more years of employment (16% versus 32% and 25%, respectively). The results suggest some organizations, like the Public Service Agency may do a better job at hiring or recruiting engaged employees, while others, like Attorney General and Health, may do a better job at building or sustaining engagement of their new hires over time. 2 The rates of disengagement among the newest of hires (less than three months) varied 26 ppts across occupations. The lowest rate occurred with business 1 J. Wilson, the BC Public Service Agency (personal communication, November 18, 2009). 2 Future analyses need to control for attrition bias due to resignations that may have occurred over time. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE i

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY leadership and information technology (5%), while the highest rates stemmed from finance and economics along with enforcement and corrections (24% and 32%, respectively). These rates were lower; however, than the rates seen from the cohort with three or more years of employment (28% and 52%, respectively). For the newest hires upon arrival, the state of the work unit matters. Eighty-four percent of the new hires with less than six months of employment in engaged work units (i.e., more than 75% of their longer-term counterparts were engaged) were likewise engaged, compared to 23% of new hires entering into disengaged work units (i.e., more than 50% of their longer-term counterparts were disengaged). Across cohorts since hired, the work unit s state of engagement did not seem to have the same influence on the new hires state, especially among those at the six-to-twelve-month mark when the rate of engaged new hires dropped 23 ppts for engaged work units and climbed 15 ppts for disengaged work units. After this time frame however, the rate of disengaged new hire cohorts resembled the overall work units disengagement state. Perceptions of most engagement model drivers become less positive with more senior cohorts, especially stress & workload, staffing practices and recognition at the three-to-five-month mark. Average scores were examined through the lens of the BC Public Service Model of Engagement. In general, all new hires with less than three months of employment reported more positive perceptions about their work environment than their longerterm counterparts. They reported higher scores ranging from 68 to 79 points (out of 100 points) on most engagement drivers. The one exception was pay & benefits, which was more on par with the rest of the cohorts (i.e., 54 points). For more senior cohorts however, scores for some drivers dropped more than others. Perceptions on stress & workload, staffing practices and recognition were particular vulnerable. Over the course of three years, scores declined 14 to 16 points, with the largest drop occurring among new hires between three-to-five months into their employment. For disengaged new hires, job satisfaction, organization satisfaction and BC Public Service Commitment scores are lower than all but one driver pay & benefits. A different trend emerged when only views of the disengaged were examined. With the exception of pay & benefits, scores for the three engagement characteristics were lower than the scores from all other drivers. This distinction was the greatest at the six-to-twelve-month mark when job satisfaction, organization satisfaction and BC Public Service Commitment ranged between 32 to 35 points (out of 100 points), while other drivers were 41 points or above. These findings point to two plausible conclusions. Either issues with pay & benefits are the primary driver to new hire disengagement, or some other factor, not currently accounted for in model, is potentially driving down their engagement. Workload, career growth, supports and recognition topics are the areas warranting the most attention among new hires during the first 12 months of employment. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE ii

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Analysis focussed on 23 WES question topics identified from a recent literature review conducted on the experiences of new hires in the public sector. 3 For all new hires during the first twelve months of employment, there was a uniform drop in scores across all topics. Scores reflecting new hires sense of managing their workloads and having opportunities for career growth declined the most, with each falling nine points at the six-to-twelve-month mark (61 to 65 points, out of 100 points, respectively). Perceptions about the supports employees needed also became less positive across cohorts over the course of 12 months. Having support at work both to provide a high level of service and to balance their work and personal life dropped seven points, at 65 and 67 points. Scores on receiving meaningful recognition for work well done also declined seven points, resting at 64 points. Job fit, meaningful work and job challenge as well as workplace procedures are particular issues for new hires who are disengaged. When only disengaged new hires were examined, a different picture emerged. The most notable difference between new and longer-term disengaged employees was on the issue of job fit and meaningful work; new disengaged employees had scores between 48 and 49 points (out of 100 points) on these topics, six points lower than their longer-term counterparts. Findings also revealed that as the length of employment increased, the meaning employees ascribed to their work became more positive. This was the case with perceptions of job fit as well. With the exception of a seven point dip in scores at the three-to-five-month mark, employees were more apt to report their job fit with their skills and abilities. Disengaged new hires faced other significant challenges, particularly within the three-to-twelve-month cohorts. One of these topics involved perceptions of workplace procedures allowing employees to use their time effectively (38 points). Another topic particularly problematic at this time was perceptions about their job providing the right amount of challenge, averaging at 27 points. Some features of the work environment are quite strong in the eyes of new hires with less than 12 months of employment. For all new hires, six topics earned high scores (> 70 points). In general and depending on the occupational group in question, new hires appeared to like the following aspects about their job during the first year of their employment with the BC Public Service: the work they do work provides citizens' good value for their tax dollars their job is a good fit with their skills and interests the work they do is meaningful their ideas are respected by others in their work unit their organization supports their work-related learning and development 3 BC Stats. (2009).Capturing the experiences of new employees: A literature review for future action. Report prepared for the BC government. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE iii

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY a healthy atmosphere exists in their work unit they can balance their work with their personal life. Disengaged new hires tend to face diverse challenges during the first year of employment. Although disengaged employees with less than one year of experience reported consistently low scores on most of the work environment topics, three profiles emerged from a topic or a cluster of topics that seem to be more challenging for some disengaged new hires than others. (a) Career Mismatch - Disengaged new hires who belong to this profile reported lower scores on whether their job fits with their skills and abilities and/or whether their job provides them with the right amount of challenge. Disengaged new hires from administrative support, senior administrators and researchers, applied leaders, or science and technical officers had the lowest scores for their respective occupation on at least one of these topics. (b) Career Overload - Disengaged new hires who fit this profile reported lower scores on having a manageable workload, effective workplace procedures and the supports needed to either balance work with personal life and/or provide a high level of service. Business leaders and health, education or social workers reported the lowest scores for their respective occupation on at least one of these characteristics. (c) Career Inertia - Disengaged new hires belonging to this profile had lower scores on up to five topics that could be hindering their progress toward meeting their work, job and/or career goals. They lacked either information to do their job well and/or feedback about their performance. They also could be missing the opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect their work as well as opportunities to further develop their skills and/or their career in the BC Public Service. Enforcement and corrections, information technical officers, and trades and operations reported the lowest scores for their respective occupation on at least one of these aspects. The road ahead contains several avenues for research and practice. In general, the findings in this report help to not only illuminate the variety of experiences new hires may be facing during the early stages of their career, but also lay the groundwork for future on-boarding or talent management programs designed to maximize their success as they continue their employment with the BC Public Service. Moving forward, future research should track, study and model responses from the same cohort of new hires at different time intervals to confirm whether differences over time were actually due to changes in perceptions and not due to attrition bias or confounding characteristics unique to a particular cohort group. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE iv

7 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 1 KEY FINDINGS How does engagement vary between new hires and longer-term employees? Where are the disengagement hot spots upon arrival? Does the engagement state of the work unit matter? What drivers of engagement appear to matter most? What other work environment factors are playing a role? What do new hires like about their employment upon arrival? What kind of challenges do disengaged new hires face upon arrival? What are avenues for future research? APPENDIX: DEFINITIONS USED FOR THIS ANALYSIS BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE v

8 INTRODUCTION Introduction Up until the recent economic downturn and subsequent resource freeze, the more at-risk streams for retention included employees newly hired into the BC Public Service. Statistics provided by the Public Service Agency revealed approximately one in 15 new hires between January 2007 and December 2008 left the BC Public Service within the first year of their employment. 4 The trend clearly indicates the value of taking a deeper look at what matters to newly hired employees and the dynamics that occur as they go through the hiring and on-boarding processes towards employee integration into the BC Public Service. Given the limited data directly available to help explain why these employees chose to leave their employment so soon into their career with the BC Public Service, Strategic Human Resource directors, together with the Public Service Agency, asked BC Stats to conduct a cross-sectional study of new hires using the data available from the BC Public Service Work Environment Survey (WES) collected in 2008, while referring to the recent literature review on the topic. 5 This report highlights the key findings that emerged from this analysis and offers insights on the challenges new hires may be facing during the early stages of their career as well as the areas potential on-boarding or talent management programs could focus on to maximize their success as they move forward into their career with the BC Public Service. The key findings are summarized according to the following chief questions. 1) How does engagement vary between new hires and longer-term employees? 2) Where are the disengagement hot spots upon arrival? 3) Does the engagement state of the work unit matter? 4) What drivers of engagement appear to matter most? 5) What other work environment factors are playing a role? 6) What do new hires like about their employment upon arrival? 7) What kind of challenges do disengaged new hires face upon arrival? 8) What are avenues for future research? For additional information on engagement states and population of new hires, please refer to the Appendix. 4 J. Wilson, the BC Public Service Agency (personal communication, November 18, 2009). 5 BC Stats. (2009).Capturing the experiences of new employees: A literature review for future action. Report prepared for the government of BC. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 1

9 Key Findings For the purpose of this report, new hires are defined as regular employees who have less than one year of service with the BC Public Service. For analytical purposes and where sample size permits, this group of employees will be split into three subgroups (i.e., cohorts) in certain sections of this report: new hires with less than three months of service, those with three but less than six months and those with more than six months but less than a year. The comparison group will be called the longer-term employees and will consist of those employees with more than one year of service. As well, where analytically relevant, this group will be divided into two different cohorts (employees who have between one and three years of service) and longer-term employees (those with three or more years of service). 1. How does engagement vary between new hires and longer-term employees? More employees newly hired into the BC Public Service were engaged compared to those employed for more than one year. Within the first year of employment, 65% of new hires were engaged (i.e., satisfied with their job and organization as well as committed to the BC Public Service), while the rate of engagement was nine percentage points lower at 56% for longerterm employees. The disengagement of employees cannot be overlooked however. Roughly one in every five employees was disengaged upon arrival. In other words, they were neither committed to the BC Public Service nor satisfied with their job and organization within the first year of employment. TABLE 1: MORE NEW HIRES WERE ENGAGED COMPARED TO THEIR LONGER-TERM COUNTERPARTS. Percentage of Respondents 6 New Hires Longer-term Employees Engagement State Less than 1 yr 1 yr or more Engaged 65% 56% Unhappily Dedicated 9% 11% Happily Detached 8% 8% Disengaged 18% 25% Total Count 1,942 16,541 The longer new hires were in the Public Service, the less likely they were engaged. Although the rate of engagement is initially higher among new hires, it gradually declines over time and becomes similar to the rates found for longer-term employees. This downward trend is clear when different cohorts of new hires are 6 For more information on how the states were defined and constructed, please refer to the appendix. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 2

10 examined at specific time frames since they started their employment with the BC Public Service (Figure 1). The majority of new hires with less than three months of employment were engaged; roughly three in four new hires were satisfied with their job and organization and committed to the BC Public Service. When we examine employees over the first three years since hired, the overall rate dropped 14 percentage points (ppts). The most dramatic difference occurred at the three-tofive-month mark when the rate dropped nine ppts to 64%, while disengagement climbed four ppts to 19%. The dip in engagement during this period resonates with Aberdeen Group s (2006) finding that 90% of employees make their decision to stay in an organization within the first six months of the on-boarding process. 7 For cohorts with longer employment, the rate of disengagement continued to rise, but only incrementally up to the two-to-three-year mark, where rates were more on par with the rest of the longer-term employees with three or more years into their employment. FIGURE 1: THE LONGER NEW HIRES WERE IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE, THE LESS LIKELY THEY WERE ENGAGED. 100% Engaged Disengaged Percentage of Respondents 80% 60% 40% 20% 74% 13% 64% 62% 59% 59% 19% 20% 21% 22% 56% 25% 0% Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 yr 2 yrs 3 yrs or more Length of Employment The above trend suggests the engagement momentum new hires bring to their employment experience wanes over time. However, future research needs to confirm if this is the case by tracking the same cohort of new hires at different time intervals since hired. Regardless, the overall trend indicates that we should focus on not only the pool of disengaged employees upon arrival, but also ways to sustain engagement over time. The sections that follow will keep both objectives in mind as different cohorts of new hires are investigated across organizations and between occupational groups at the organizational level. 7 Aberdeen Group. (2006). Talent Acquisition Strategies: Sourcing and Assessing the Best of the Best. Retrieved December 22, 2008, from BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 3

11 2. Where are the disengagement hot spots upon arrival? Organizational Hotspots This picture of disengagement including prevalence rate and gradual increase over time is not the same for every government organization. Table 2 on the next page displays the state of disengagement for each organization across different cohorts of new hires since they were hired into the BC Public Service. The rate of disengagement among new hires with less than three months of employment ranged from 0% to 21% across 10 applicable government organizations. Disengagement actually was absent for two organizations; No new hires from the Public Service Agency and Ministry of Environment were disengaged less than three months into their employment. The most disengaged groups of new hires came from three organizations one in five employees from the Public Safety and Solicitor General, Attorney General and Health were disengaged within the first few months of their employment with these organizations. All but two organizations showed an increase in the rate of disengaged new hires over time. New hires from eight applicable organizations had an increase in the rate of disengaged employees across cohorts over the first twelve months since hired. The most striking difference occurred with new hires from the Public Service Agency. Although disengagement was initially absent among new hires in this organization, one in three new hires reported to be disengaged at the three-to-fivemonth period. The rate climbed another two ppts for the next cohort at the six-totwelve-month mark. Alternatively, two organizations actually showed lower disengagement rates over the course of the first year of employment. Although Attorney General and Health initially had the higher rates of disengaged new hires during the first three months of employment, the rate declined four ppts to 16% at the six-to-twelve-month mark. The results suggest some organizations, like the Public Service Agency may do a better job at hiring or recruiting engaged employees, but others, like Attorney General and Health may do a better job at building or sustaining engagement of their new hires over time. 8 Future research would need to confirm by longitudinally tracking the same group of new hires over time. 8 Turnover rates may also contribute to this decrease. Future analysis recommends taking turnover rates into consideration. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 4

12 How to Read Table 2 Below Children & Family Development Less than 3 mos % n 17% 47 Seventeen percent of 47 respondents with less than three months of employment in Children and Family Development were disengaged. TABLE 2: THE PICTURE OF NEW HIRE DISENGAGEMENT IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION: 9 Percentage of Disengaged Respondents Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation Less than 3 mos Between 3-5 mos Between 6-12 mos Less than 1 yr Overall Between 1-3 yrs More than 3 yrs % n % n % n % n % n % n % % 21 13% 15 18% 88 Advanced Education % 12 5% 19 18% 11 22% 129 Agriculture & Lands % 14 17% 24 24% 38 23% 210 Attorney General 20% 45 19% 37 16% 74 18% % % 1721 BC Public Service Agency 0% 14 33% 18 35% 49 28% 81 12% 42 24% 216 Children & Family Development 17% 47 17% 78 23% % % % 2,009 Citizens' Services 9% 45 15% 40 19% 75 15% % % 1,086 Community Services % 14 19% 26 24% 113 Economic Development % 12 32% 19 17% 36 23% 105 Education % 10 18% 11 15% 26 9% 23 23% 223 Employment & Income Assistance Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources 10% 31 12% 49 19% 72 15% % 78 33% 1, % 11 25% 24 36% 28 35% 142 Environment 0% 12 6% 31 8% 49 7% 92 24% % 848 Finance 8% 13 29% 24 17% 46 14% 63 21% 332 Forests & Range 8% 24 16% 37 11% 81 12% % % 1,846 Health 20% 20 22% 18 16% 44 18% 82 23% 96 25% 476 Integrated Land Management Bureau % 12 30% 20 24% 37 30% 44 33% 298 Labour % 16 13% 30 18% 125 Office of Housing & Construction Standards % 13 23% 22 26% 58 Public Affairs Bureau % 13 7% 14 15% 27 16% 44 13% 113 Public Safety & Solicitor General 21% 48 27% 75 26% % % % 1,341 Small Business & Revenue % 13 14% 42 16% 61 20% 55 27% 575 Tourism, Sport & the Arts % 13 17% 23 16% 93 Transportation 10% 21 20% 10 14% 81 13% % % Due to the small numbers of respondents, these findings are meant as suggestive rather than definitive, and caution should be taken in generalizing the results. Organizational cohort groups with less than 10 respondents are excluded from the analysis and were identified as.... BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 5

13 Overall the rate of disengagement among all new hires with less than one year of employment varied from 5% to 32% across organizations. Advanced Education along with Environment had the lowest rates of disengaged new hires during the first year of employment. Overall, between five to seven percent of new hires from these ministries were disengaged by the end of their first year. Economic Development, Community Services as well as the Public Service Agency had the highest rates of disengaged hires. Twenty-eight percent to 32% of employees hired into these organizations were disengaged by the end of their first year of employment. In the majority of organizations, new hires were less likely to be disengaged than longer-term regular employees. In 15 organizations, fewer new hires at the one year mark were disengaged compared to their longer-term counterparts with more than three years of experience. Other organizations did not fit this trend. More employees hired into Economic Development, Community Services, the Public Service Agency were disengaged by the end of their first year compared to employees with more than three years of experience. Rates for the other organizations fluctuated due to small samples or stayed more or less the same across cohorts at the one and three year intervals. Also of note is the dip in disengagement rates at the one to three year mark for seven organizations three of which come from organizations experiencing the highest rates of disengagement: Economic Development, Community Services and the Public Service Agency. For instance, although 28% of new hires with less than one year of employment with the Public Service Agency were disengaged, only 12% of their counterparts between one to three years of employment with this organization were disengaged. Given the overall count of new hires in the latter cohort is less than half than the former cohort, future analysis would need to determine whether this dip is an artefact of attrition bias due to possible resignations or other factors in the work environment. The sizes of the new hire cohorts matter and can potentially affect the overall engagement score for that organization. The size of the overall cohort of new hires matters because it highlights the magnitude of the differences between new hires and longer-term employees can have when calculating organizational benchmarks. For instance, while Economic Development had a more negative difference than the Public Service Agency, the WES scores will be affected more strongly because the organization s new hires account for 24% of all respondents, compared to only 12% in Economic Development. Occupational Hotspots The second major division of interest is occupational categories. Similar to the organizational analysis, there are key differences in the disengagement rates between occupations during the first three years of employment. Table 3 presents the state of disengagement for each occupation across different cohorts of new hires at specific time frames since they were hired. Disengagement rates among employees with less than three months of employment varied 37 ppts across applicable occupational groups. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 6

14 At the three-month mark, employees hired into finance and economics as well as enforcement and corrections showed the highest rates of disengagement. Roughly two in five employees hired into finance and economics and one in three hired into enforcement and corrections were disengaged within the first three months of their employment. The lowest rates of disengagement occurred with business leadership and information technology, where 5% of employees with less than three months of employment were disengaged. Overall, the rate of disengagement among all new hires with less than one year of employment varied from 6 ppts to 32 ppts across occupation groups. Employees hired into legal counsel had the lowest rate of disengagement within their first year of employment. Overall, six percent of new hires from this group were disengaged by the end of their first year. The highest rate of disengagement continued to be enforcement and corrections along with finance and economics. Between 32% and 24% of employees hired into these groups were disengaged by the end of their first year of employment. New hires were less likely to be disengaged than longer-term regular employees in eight out of eleven occupations. At the one-year mark, fewer new hires were disengaged compared to their longerterm counterparts for most occupations. The largest difference came from enforcement and corrections. The rate of disengagement was 20 ppts higher for longer-term employees (with more than three years of employment) than new hires with less than one year of experience. Another notable difference emerged among employees in health education and social work. Twenty-percent of new hires with less than one year of employment under this occupation were disengaged compared to 34% of employees with more than three years of employment. For two occupations, disengagement was lower at the one-to-three-year-mark of employment. One of which comes from occupations experiencing the greatest challenge finance and economics. Eighteen percent of new hires between one to three years of service are disengaged compared to 28% of their longer-term counterparts. The other comes from the occupation experiencing the least challenge legal counsel. Two percent of employees between one to three years of employment were disengaged compared to 17% of employees with more than three years of employment from this occupation. There are potential challenges for new leaders from all three leadership bands. Although the disengagement rates among leadership bands generally tend to be lower than others, challenges do exist for employees newly hired into these positions. More employees with less than one year in applied, business and strategic leadership bands were disengaged compared to their counterparts with more than three years of employment. Almost one in four applied leaders and one in five business leaders were disengaged three to five months into their new employment with the BC Public Service. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 7

15 How to Read Table 3 Below Less than 3 mos % n Administrative Support 8% 106 Eight percent of the 106 respondents belonging to administrative support with less than three months of employment are disengaged. TABLE 3: THE PATTERN OF NEW HIRE DISENGAGEMENT IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERY OCCUPATION 10. Less than 3 mos Between 3-6 mos Percentage of Disengaged Respondents Between 6-12 mos Less than 1 yr Overall Between 1-3 yrs More than 3 yrs % n % n % n % n % n % n Administrative Support 8% % % % % % 2,805 Applied Leadership 11% 19 24% 50 23% 78 22% % % 795 Business Leadership 5% 20 19% 27 18% 71 16% % % 1,751 Enforcement & Corrections 37% 43 28% 61 32% % % % 1,089 Finance & Economics 42% % 42 24% 59 18% 72 28% 641 Health, Education & Social Work 12% 50 15% 81 25% % % % 2,059 Information Technology 5% 20 26% 23 15% 61 15% % 84 23% 725 Legal Counsel % 18 2% 55 17% 376 Science & Technical Officers 9% 34 22% 59 13% % % % 2,037 Senior Administration & Research Strategic Leadership & Executives 11% 57 19% 68 18% % % % 1, % 11 10% 21 7% 28 7% 521 Organization by Occupation Hotspots Given the variation of disengagement between occupational groups, questions are raised about how much of the differences between organizations are due to differences in composition (e.g., those with more employees from occupations that tend to be more disengaged will have a higher rate of disengagement overall). While this is true to some extent, there are also notable differences between organizations in how many of the new employees from each occupation are disengaged. On the next page, Table 4 identifies the disengagement hot spots for new hires with less than one year of employment within occupations for each organization. The key findings from this table are summarized below. There is considerable variation in organization-level results for all occupations. Within occupations there is a considerable level of variation across organizations. The smallest range of disengagement rates came from information technology, 10 Due to the small numbers of respondents, these findings are meant as suggestive rather than definitive, and caution should be taken in generalizing the results. Organizational new hire cohorts with less than 10 respondents are excluded from the analysis and are identified as.... BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 8

16 which varied by seven ppts. Enforcement and corrections showed the greatest range (38 ppts), followed by science and technology officers (35 ppts). Four occupations from seven organizations are considered to be go-to zones for best practices. Seven organizations did better than others when fostering or sustaining engagement among their new hires from specific occupations, as measured by lower disengagement rates. For instance, only 4% of new administrative support hires in Employment and Income Assistance were disengaged, compared to 23% of new administrative support hires in Transportation. Two organizations also did better than others across more than one occupation. Science and technology officers and senior administrative researchers from the Ministry of Environment as well as administrative support and senior administration and researchers from the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance all reported the lowest rates of disengagement. The organization matters! The principal lesson of this table is that occupational rates of disengagement fluctuated widely across organizations, which suggests some organizations do considerably better than others at keeping disengagement of new hires at a minimum. One prime example of this is the applied leadership band, which ranged from 13% disengaged in Public Safety and Solicitor General to 40% for the Public Service Agency. A second example stems from rates among science and technical officers, which varied from six percent disengaged in the Ministry of Environment to 47% for the Integrated Land Management Bureau. For more details, on hot spots and go to zones, please consult Table 5 that follows. In the table, areas highlighted in red are considered hot spots if at least one in three new hires are disengaged within the first year of employment in the BC Public Service. Alternatively, areas highlighted in green are considered go-tozones to learn best practices because fewer than 10% of new hires from that organization s occupation are disengaged. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 9

17 How to Read Table 4 Below Admin Support % n Attorney General 16% 96 Sixteen percent of the 96 respondents hired as administrative support in the Attorney General are disengaged. Legend: Hot Spots Go-to Zones TABLE 4: DISENGAGEMENT RATES VARY BY 65 PPTS BETWEEN OCCUPATIONS AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL. 11 Admin Support Applied Leaders Percentage of Disengaged Respondents with less than One Year of Employment Business Leaders Enforcement & Corrections Health, Education & Social Work Information Technology Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research % n % n % n % n % n % n % n % n Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation % 11 Agriculture & Lands % Attorney General 16% % % BC Public Service Agency 14% 28 40% Children & Family Development 16% % % 18 Citizens' Services 9% 44 18% 11 19% % % 31 Economic Development % Employment & Income Assistance 4% % % 33 Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources % Environment 11% % 34 9% 11 Finance % 12 20% % Forests & Range 16% % Health 8% % 30 Integrated Land Management Bureau % Office of Housing & Construction Standards % 10 Public Affairs Bureau % Public Safety & Solicitor General 5% 21 13% % % % 19 Small Business & Revenue 9% % 13 Transportation 23% % 13 13% 48 12% 17 The trends overall demonstrate that not all new hires share the same views about their experiences in the BC Public Service. The remainder of this report will turn to the aspects that could be influencing these rates of engagement. 11 Due to the small numbers of respondents, findings are suggestive rather than definitive, and caution should be taken in generalizing the results. Cohorts with less than 10 respondents are excluded from the analysis and are identified as.... As a result, three occupations are excluded: legal counsel, finance and economic officers and strategic leaders and executives from the analysis. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 10

18 3. Does the engagement state of the work unit matter? As we have seen in the previous section, disengagement rates tend to vary widely within occupations across organizations. The greatest variation; however, tends to lie at the work unit level. Based on overall engagement scores in 2008, 56 points (out of 100 points) separated the most engaged work unit from the least engaged work unit. 12 Given the diversity of scores at the work unit level new, it is useful to investigate whether or not the work units state of engagement could play a role in new hires engagement. 13 Table 5 shows the rates for new hires employed in disengaged work units (i.e., work units where more than 50% of longer-term employees were disengaged) or engaged work units (i.e., work units more than 75% of longer-term employees were engaged). TABLE 5: FEWER EMPLOYEES NEWLY HIRED INTO DISENGAGED WORK UNITS WERE ENGAGED COMPARED TO THOSE NEWLY HIRED INTO ENGAGED WORK UNITS. 14 Percentage of New Hires (Less than 1 yr) Engagement State Disengaged Work Units Engaged Work Units Engaged 37% 72% Unhappily Dedicated 12% 8% Happily Detached 11% 7% Disengaged 40% 13% Total Count In the engaged work units, 72% of hew hires were likewise engaged during the first year of employment in that work unit. In the disengaged work units, this was the case for only 37% of new hires. Thus, new hires may have more in common with their longer-term colleagues in their work unit than those newly hired into similar occupations from other organizations. There are many reasons for this trend. Perhaps engagement is contagious or perhaps hiring/recruiting practices are also subject to the psychology of attraction (i.e., the disengaged tend to hire disengaged). Another plausible reason relates to the increasing exposure to similar or shared work environment experiences over time. Examining the rates of engagement across cohorts at different time periods since they were hired offers clues. Figure 2 illustrates the extent new hires share perceptions of engagement with longer-term employees and the extent the perceptions become more common over the course of three years. 12 BC Stats (2008). BC Public Service Percentile Look-up Table Document prepared for the BC Government. 13 Due to the small numbers of respondents, these findings are meant as suggestive rather than definitive and caution should be taken in generalizing the results. 14 For the purposes of this analysis, only work units with seven or more respondents were used. Work units identified and categorized as engaged or disengaged did not include new hire results. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 11

19 FIGURE 2: NEW HIRES STATE OF ENGAGEMENT PLAYS OUT DIFFERENTLY OVER TIME DEPENDING ON THE ENGAGEMENT STATE OF THE WORK UNIT THEY BELONG TO. Disengaged Work Units 100% Disengaged Engaged Percentage of New Hires 80% 60% 40% 42% 40% 38% 50% 33% 68% 20% 23% 19% 0% Less than 6 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 yr 2 to 3 yrs Engaged Work Units 100% 84% 80% 71% Percentage of New Hires 60% 40% 61% 62% 20% 8% 15% 13% 14% 0% Less than 6 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 yr 2 to 3 yrs Period of Employment BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 12

20 Two in every five employees hired into disengaged work units were likewise disengaged within the first six-to-twelve months of their employment. In the disengaged work units, at least 50% of longer-term employees with more than three years of employment are neither satisfied with their job and organization nor committed to the BC Public Service. Within the first few months of employment in the disengaged work units, more new hires were disengaged than engaged (42% versus 23%). The rate of disengagement dropped slightly at the six-totwelve-month mark, while engagement increased to 38%. From this period onward disengagement grew to reflect the overall rates posed by the longer-term employees in the work unit. The new hire rate of disengagement at the one-year mark increased to 50% and then climbed at the two-to-three-year mark to 68%. The rate of engagement dropped 23 ppts among new hires who have been employed in engaged work units for six to twelve months. In the engaged work units, at least 75% of longer-term employees with more than three years of employment were satisfied with their job and organization and committed to the BC Public Service. Within the first six months of new hires employment into these engaged work units, the majority (84%) were also engaged. At the six-to-twelve-month mark; the rate dropped twenty-three ppts to 61%, before recovering at the one-year mark to 71% and then dropping again at the two-tothree-year mark to 62%. Disengaged work units appears to cultivate a climate of disengagement among new hires, particularly among those with less than six months of service. These different new hire rates among engaged and disengaged work units suggest that in the long run, engaged work units do not have the same influence on their new hires state of engagement as do disengaged work units. Also, the work units state may have the least amount of influence on new hires at their six-to-twelvemonth mark, since trends reverse with the rate of engagement dropping 23% among new hires in the engaged work units, and growing 15% among new hires in the disengaged work units. The next section will explore potential work environment levers for reducing disengagement in new hires and/or preventing new hires from turning into longerterm disengaged employees. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 13

21 4. What drivers of engagement appear to matter most? The BC Public Service Model of Engagement provides insight on what work environment experiences could be driving engagement upward or downward. 15 The first part of this section studies these experiences by examining driver scores from the engagement model for all employee groups at different time frames since they were hired into the BC Public Service. The latter part of this section reexamines these scores but only through the lens of those who were in the disengaged state. In general, the longer new hires were employed with the BC Public Service, the less positive they were about their work environment. New hires with less than three months of employment had more positive perceptions of their work environment than their longer-term counterparts (Table 6). With the exception of pay & benefits, drivers had relatively high scores ranging between 68 to 79 points (out of 100 points) for this cohort. Across the more senior cohorts, scores for some drivers dropped more than others. For example, perceptions of stress & workload, staffing practices and recognition were particular vulnerable. Over the span of three years since cohorts were hired, scores declined 14 to 16 points on these drivers, with the largest drop occurring at the three-to-fivemonth mark of employment. With respect to the engagement characteristics, the largest difference between new hires and longer-term employees occurred with reports on organization satisfaction. Organization satisfaction declined 14 points over time since cohorts were hired. TABLE 6: OVER TIME SINCE COHORTS WERE HIRED, SCORES FOR SOME ENGAGEMENT MODEL DRIVERS DROPPED MORE THAN OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WITH STRESS & WORKLOAD, STAFFING PRACTICES AND RECOGNITION. Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) ENGAGEMENT Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs 3 yrs or more DIFF 16 CHARACTERISTICS Organization Satisfaction Commitment Job Satisfaction DRIVERS Stress & Workload Staffing & Practices Recognition For more information about the model, refer to BC Stats (2008). Exploring Engagement for your Organization. Report prepared for the BC Government. 16 The DIFF column represents the overall difference in scores between the less than three months cohort and the three years or more cohort. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 14

22 Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) ENGAGEMENT Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs 3 yrs or more DIFF 17 Executive Level Leadership Supervisory Level Leadership Vision, Mission & Goals Respectful Environment Professional Development Empowerment Teamwork Physical Environment & Tools Pay & Benefits Disengaged new hires were more positive in all but three areas of the engagement model: job satisfaction, pay & benefits and BC Public Service commitment. On the next page, Table 7 lists the driver scores solely for employees who belonged to the disengaged state at different times since they were hired into the BC Public Service. Similar to new hire trends in general, the largest decline in scores over time for disengaged employees was likewise organization satisfaction, recognition, staffing practices and stress & workload. While disengaged new hires generally reported higher scores than their longer-term counterparts, there are two key exceptions: job satisfaction and pay & benefits. Within the first three months into employment, disengaged new hires had slightly lower scores on these topics than longer-term employees with three or more years of employment. BC Public Service Commitment scores also fluctuated between 32 to 35 points (out of 100 points) across cohorts. Disengaged new hires three-to-twelve months into their employment were the least committed with scores averaging at 32 points. One thread common to all disengaged employees lies with the lower scores for the engagement characteristics job satisfaction, organization satisfaction and commitment relative to the scores from the rest of the model drivers that are found to statistically impact these characteristics as per the BC Public Service Model of Engagement. 18 This distinction is the greatest at the six-to-twelve-month mark; with the exception of pay & benefits, most driver scores from this cohort were 41 points and above, while engagement characteristics were 35 points or less.. 17 The DIFF column represents the overall difference in scores between the less than three months cohort and the three years or more cohort. 18 BC Stats (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). Exploring Engagement in the BC Public Service. Reports prepared for the Government of BC. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 15

23 TABLE 7: GENERALLY AMONG DISENGAGED NEW HIRES, THE SCORES FROM MOST OF THE ENGAGEMENT DRIVERS WERE HIGHER THAN THE ENGAGEMENT CHARACTERISTICS. Disengaged Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) ENGAGEMENT Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs 3 yrs or more DIFF 19 CHARACTERISTICS Organization Satisfaction BC Public Service Commitment Job Satisfaction DRIVERS Recognition Staffing Practices Stress & Workload Respectful Environment Supervisory Level Leadership Professional Development Executive Level Leadership Empowerment Vision, Mission & Goals Physical Environment & Tools Teamwork Pay & Benefits These unexpected findings lead to two plausible conclusions. One could infer issues with pay & benefits could be the primary contributor to new hire disengagement within the first two years of employment, or one could infer, there is some other work environment factors not currently accounted for in the model and such factors could be driving down their engagement. The next section will explore the other factors aside from pay & benefits that could be influencing the engagement of new hires. 19 The DIFF column represents the overall difference in scores between the less than three months cohort and the three years or more cohort. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 16

24 5. What other work environment factors are playing a role? This section examines scores among other work environment topics that might account for the lower job satisfaction and commitment scores during the first years of employment in the BC Public Service. Twenty-three question topics from the BC Public Work Environment Survey (WES) were identified in a recent literature review conducted by BC Stats as important subject areas for evaluating new hire feedback, especially during the on boarding phases of their employment. 20 According to this literature review, twenty-three question topics were grouped into seven key areas relevant to the experiences among new hires. The key areas included the following: 1. Performance proficiency (four topics) 2. Career and development (six topics) 3. Manager s role (three topics) 4. Opportunities for employee feedback (one topic) 5. Physical environment (five topics) 6. Executive/organization (three topics) 7. Employment as a public servant (one topic) Eleven of the question topics in these areas are already accounted for in BC Public Service Model of Engagement. The 12 topics not in the model were tested to determine their individual correlations with engagement, and all were found to have statistically significant relationships with the overall engagement score. 21 Additional analysis dug deeper by correlating the non-model topics with the indicators of engagement job satisfaction, organization satisfaction and commitment. In general, results found more question topics had stronger correlations with job satisfaction than with commitment and organization satisfaction. 22 The tables that follow display the findings for all 23 question topics at specific time frames since employees were hired into the BC Public Service. Table 8 lists the scores for all employees, while Table 9 displays scores for just those in the disengaged state. The relationship each question has with engagement is also listed for reference; the driver name is identified for questions that belong to the model, while the correlation coefficients are listed for questions that are not a part of the present model. 20 BC Stats (2009). Capturing the Experiences of New Employees: A Literature Review for Future Action. Report prepared for the Government of BC. 21 The analysis was based only on employees with less than one year of employment. Pearson r Correlations were used to test the strength of the relationships and ranged from to 0.796, p< The Pearson r coefficients linking job satisfaction with the non model topics ranged from to 0.722, p < The Pearson r correlation coefficients linking commitment with the non model topics ranged from to 0.531, p <.0001 and linking organization satisfaction and non model topics were to 0.583, p < BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 17

25 TABLE 8: THE LONGER NEW HIRE COHORTS WERE EMPLOYED, THE LOWER THEIR SCORES ACROSS ALL 23 TOPICS. Key Area from Literature Performance Proficiency Relation to Engagement In model under Stress & Workload Not in model: r= In model under Physical Environment & Tools WES Question Topic Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs My workload is manageable My workplace procedures allow me to use my time as effectively as possible. 3 yrs or more I have the tools (i.e., technology, equipment, etc.) I need to do my job well Not in Model: r=0.568 I have the information I need to do my job well Not in Model: r=0.563 I have opportunities for career growth within the BC Public Service Not in model: r= My job is a good fit with my skills and interests Career & Development In model under Career Development I have adequate opportunities to develop my skills Not in model: r= My job provides me with the right amount of challenge In model under Career Development In model under Career Development My organization supports my work related learning and development The quality of training and development I have received is satisfactory In model under Recognition I receive meaningful recognition for work well done Manager's Role Not in model: r=0.499 I regularly receive feedback on my performance Not in model: r=0.491 The person I report to provides clear expectations regarding my work BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 18

26 Key Area from Literature Opportunity for Employee Feedback Relation to Engagement In model under Empowerment WES Question Topic Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs I have opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect my work yrs or more Not in model: r=0.535 I have support at work to balance my work and personal life Physical Environment In model under Respectful Environment In model under Physical Environment & Tools A healthy atmosphere (e.g., trust, mutual respect) exists in my work unit My physical work environment is satisfactory Not in model: r=0.628 I have support at work to provide a high level of service In model under Respectful Environment My ideas are respected by others in my work unit Not in model: r=0.564 The work I do gives citizens good value for their tax dollars Executive/ Organization In model under Vision, Mission & Goals I know how my work contributes to the achievement of my Ministry s/organization's/department's goals Not in model: r=0.758 My work is meaningful Employment as a Public Servant Not in model: r=0.796 I would recommend the BC Public Service as a great place to work Score Colour Categories Attend to the issues Focus on improvements Celebrate your successes Understand your challenges Leverage your strengths Model your achievements BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 19

27 Similar to findings from the previous section, the newest hires were found to have more positive perceptions than longer-term employees. During the first three months of employment, scores ranged 19 points across the 23 topics. The most positive feedback stemmed from perceptions about the meaningfulness and value of their work. Topics referring to the work they do as giving citizens good value for their tax dollars and meaningful averaged at 80 and 78 points (out of 100 points), respectively. The least positive feedback stemmed from perceptions about regularly receiving performance feedback, with scores registering at 61 points. Over the first twelve months of employment, there was a uniform drop in scores across all topics. Scores reflecting employees' sense of managing their workload and having opportunities for career growth in the BC Public Service declined the most, with each falling 9 points by the six-to-twelve-month mark and averaging from 61 to 65 points respectively. Perceptions about the various kinds of supports employees needed were seven points lower at this timeframe. The scores reflecting support at work both to provide a high level of service and balance their work and personal life ranged 65 to 67 points, respectively. Scores about receiving meaningful recognition for work well done also was seven points lower at the sixto-twelve-month mark and rested at 64 points. Similarly, the differences between new hires and their longer-term counterparts (employed three years or more) is the most pronounced for these five topics as well. Scores were 20 points lower for longerterm counterparts on their perceived opportunities for career growth, averaging at 54 points. Likewise scores were 16 points lower at 54 points among longer-term employees on their experiences with managing their workload. Scores involving the recommendation of the BC Public Service as a great place to work also decreased 16 points, resting at 61 points. Meaningful recognition and supports for work-life balance and quality service delivery decreased between 12 to 13 points, with scores averaging between 58 and 62 points on these topics. Across cohorts since hired, perceptions were the least positive on six chief topics: career growth workload recognition work-life balance service delivery supports BC Public Service a great place to work. Not all topics faced the same decline in scores across cohorts however. There was just a two point difference between new hires and their longer-term counterparts on their perceptions of job fit and access to information necessary to do their job well. The next table displays the scores on these same topics for only those who were disengaged at specific times of employment since hired. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 20

28 TABLE 9: DISENGAGED NEW HIRES HAVE HIGHER SCORES ON ALL BUT SIX TOPICS. Key Area from Literature Performance Proficiency Relation to Engagement In model under Stress & Workload Not in model: r= In model under Physical Environment & Tools Driver WES Question Topic Less than 3 mos Disengaged Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs My workload is manageable My workplace procedures allow me to use my time as effectively as possible. 3 yrs or more I have the tools (i.e., technology, equipment, etc.) I need to do my job well Not in Model: r=0.568 I have the information I need to do my job well Not in Model: r=0.563 I have opportunities for career growth within the BC Public Service Not in model: r= My job is a good fit with my skills and interests Career & Development In model under Career Development I have adequate opportunities to develop my skills Not in model: r= My job provides me with the right amount of challenge In model under Career Development In model under Career Development My organization supports my work related learning and development The quality of training and development I have received is satisfactory In model under Recognition I receive meaningful recognition for work well done Manager's Role Not in model: r=0.499 I regularly receive feedback on my performance Not in model: r=0.491 The person I report to provides clear expectations regarding my work BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 21

29 Disengaged Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Key Area from Literature Opportunity for Employee Feedback Relation to Engagement In model under Empowerment WES Question Topic Less than 3 mos 3 to 5 mos 6 to 12 mos 1 to 1.99 yrs 2 to 2.99 yrs I have opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect my work yrs or more Not in model: r=0.535 I have support at work to balance my work and personal life Physical Environment In model under Respectful Environment In model under Physical Environment & Tools A healthy atmosphere (e.g., trust, mutual respect) exists in my work unit My physical work environment is satisfactory Not in model: r=0.628 I have support at work to provide a high level of service In model under Respectful Environment My ideas are respected by others in my work unit Not in model: r=0.564 The work I do gives citizens good value for their tax dollars Executive/ Organization In model under Vision, Mission & Goals I know how my work contributes to the achievement of my Ministry s/organization's/department's goals Not in model: r=0.758 My work is meaningful Employment as a Public Servant Not in model: r=0.796 I would recommend the BC Public Service as a great place to work Score Colour Categories Attend to the issues Focus on improvements Celebrate your successes Understand your challenges Leverage your strengths Model your achievements BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 22

30 Perceptions of job fit and meaningful work were less positive for disengaged new hires than their longer-term counterparts. The most notable difference between new and longer-term disengaged employees (three or more years of employment) was the issue of job fit and meaningful work; new disengaged employees had scores between 48 and 49 points (out of 100 points), 6 points lower than their longer-term counterparts. Findings also revealed that as the length of employment increased, the meaning employees ascribe to their work became more positive. This was the case with perceptions of job fit as well. Over time, with the exception of a seven point dip in scores at the three-tofive-month mark, disengaged employees were more apt to report their job fit with their skills and abilities. This trend could be due to attrition bias from employees who voluntarily departed as a result and/or due to actual improvements made to job fit as one moved forward into their career. Regardless, findings reinforce the importance of recruitment and job placement practices for retaining new hires as well as the communications about the value of the work involved. Disengaged employees face other significant challenges around three-totwelve months into their employment. On a wide variety of topics, disengaged new hires with less than three months of employment scored higher than longer-term disengaged employees. Scores for most topics were lower for the three-to-twelve-month cohorts since hired; however some topics were lower than 40 points. One of these topics involved perceptions of workplace procedures allowing employees to use their time effectively. By the sixto-twelve-month mark, scores were eight points lower averaging at 38 points. Another topic particularly problematic at this time was perceptions about their job providing the right amount of challenge. Perceptions were the least positive at the six-to-twelve-month mark, averaging at 27 points. Likewise, scores, reflecting the experience of regularly receiving feedback about their performance, declined six points registering at 37 points. Last but not least, perceptions about the BC Public Service as a great place to work decreased six points at the six-to-twelve-month mark, averaging at 34 points. The present cross-sectional analysis uncovered trends across separate cohorts of employees at different time frames since they were hired into the BC Public Service. However, it is not known whether the trends are a reflection in changes in perceptions, an artefact of attrition bias, or a reflection of issues unique to that particular cohort. Regardless, trends illustrate the need for exploring these topics alongside others in the literature review that are not presently available in the WES questionnaire, to learn what matters most to new hires and what are the best predictors of their engagement, especially during the first twelve months of employment with the BC Public Service. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 23

31 6. What do new hires like about their employment upon arrival? As seen in previous sections, not all new hires share the same views about their experiences in the BC Public Service. New hires with similar roles and responsibilities attached to their position tend to have more common views about their work environment experiences than others. This section shifts the focus back to occupational categories and explores what specific groups of new hires with less than one year of employment have in common, particularly when it comes to what they like about their employment. Table 10 displays the scores for all 23 topics across 11 occupational categories. In this section, what new hires liked about their employment is defined by the topic with the highest score(s) within their respective occupational group. All of these topics had scores averaging higher than 70 points out of 100. The key trends found across occupational groups are encapsulated below. New hires who are business leaders, administrative support and trades and operations believed the work they do gives citizens' good value for their tax dollars. Employees newly hired into enforcement and corrections not only believed the work they do gives citizens' good value for their tax dollars, but also reported their job to be a good fit with their skills and interests. New hires from information technology believed their ideas are respected by others in their work unit. New hires that belong to senior administration and research as well as applied leadership also felt their ideas are respected by others in their work unit and further believed their organization supports their work-related learning and development. Newly hired science and technical officers believed their organization supports their work related learning and development and that a healthy atmosphere exists in their work unit. Employees newly hired into finance and economics believed they have the support they need to balance their work with their personal life and that a healthy atmosphere exists in their work unit. New hires whose occupations fall under strategic leadership, legal counsel, and health, education and social work believed their work is meaningful and their job is a good fit with their skills and abilities. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 24

32 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE TABLE 10: WHAT NEW HIRES LIKE ABOUT THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT IS NOT THE SAME FOR ALL OCCUPATIONS. Key Area from Literature WES Question Topic Admin Support Applied Leaders Business Leaders Enforce & Corrections Finance & Economics Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Health, Education & Social Work Info Tech Legal Counsel Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research Strategic Leaders & Executives Trades & Operations My workload is manageable Performance Proficiency My workplace procedures allow me to use my time as effectively as possible. I have the tools (i.e., technology, equipment, etc.) I need to do my job well. I have the information I need to do my job well. I have opportunities for career growth within the BC Public Service. My job is a good fit with my skills and interests Career & Development I have adequate opportunities to develop my skills. My job provides me with the right amount of challenge. My organization supports my work related learning and development. The quality of training and development I have received is satisfactory BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 25

33 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Key Area from Literature Manager's Role Opportunity for Employee Feedback Physical Environment WES Question Topic I receive meaningful recognition for work well done. I regularly receive feedback on my performance. The person I report to provides clear expectations regarding my work. I have opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect my work. I have support at work to balance my work and personal life. A healthy atmosphere (e.g., trust, mutual respect) exists in my work unit. My physical work environment is satisfactory. I have support at work to provide a high level of service. My ideas are respected by others in my work unit. Admin Support Applied Leaders Business Leaders Enforce & Corrections Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Finance & Economics Health, Education & Social Work Info Tech Legal Counsel Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research Strategic Leaders & Executives Trades & Operations BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 26

34 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Key Area from Literature Executive/ Organization WES Question Topic The work I do gives citizens good value for their tax dollars. I know how my work contributes to the achievement of my Ministry s/organization's/ department's goals. Admin Support Applied Leaders Business Leaders Enforce & Corrections Finance & Economics Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Health, Education & Social Work Info Tech Legal Counsel Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research Strategic Leaders & Executives Trades & Operations My work is meaningful Employment as a Public Servant I would recommend the BC Public Service as a great place to work Score Colour Categories Attend to the issues Focus on improvements Celebrate your successes Understand your challenges Leverage your strengths Model your achievements BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 27

35 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE 7. What kind of challenges do disengaged new hires face upon arrival? The final analysis examined scores across occupational categories on the same work environment topics once again, but using only responses from new hires who were disengaged within the first 12 months of their employment (Table 11).,23 Although disengaged employees with less than one year of experience reported consistently low scores on most of the work environment topics, at least one topic or a cluster of topics seemed to be more challenging than others. 24 Topics were deemed a challenge if they were the lowest scoring topic for an occupation. Thematically grouping the challenges within and between occupations revealed three distinct profiles of challenges disengaged new hires could be experiencing upon the first year of employment with the BC Public Service. Each profile will be discussed in turn. Career Mismatch The first profile is based on two topics that reflect a mismatch between employees job expectations and what they are actually experiencing since they were hired. Disengaged new hires who belong to this profile reported extremely low scores on their job fitting with their skills and abilities and/or their job providing them with the right amount of challenge. New hires from four occupations appear to be more susceptible to facing a career mismatch within the first year of employment. Employees who were hired as administrative support, senior administrators and researchers, applied leaders, or science and technical officers scored the lowest in their respective occupation on at least one of these two topics. Career Overload The second profile concentrates on four topics that reflect potential issues with career overload. Disengaged new hires who fit this profile reported extremely low scores on having a manageable workload, effective workplace procedures and the supports needed either to balance work with personal life and/or to provide a high level of service. For the most part they cannot manage their workload because they sense they lack the workplace procedures or supports at work necessary to help them manage their time more effectively, balance their work with their personal life and provide high quality service. Four occupations appear to be more susceptible to facing a career overload within the first year of employment. Employees who were hired as business leaders or as health, education or social workers scored the lowest on these topics in their respective occupations. Employees hired as strategic leaders and executives as 23 Three occupations are excluded due to low numbers of employees who are disengaged with less than one year of service: Legal counsel, strategic leaders & executives, and trade & operations. As a result, the lowest scores from the previous table containing all new hires from these three occupations (Table 10) are identified and presented in this section. 24 The following question I would recommend the BC Public Service as a great place to work is omitted from the analysis because it is viewed as a characteristic or outcome measure of engagement rather than a factor driving engagement. For more information, go to: BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 28

36 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE well as legal counsel also faced the significant challenges in managing their workload. 25 Employees belonging to finance and economics occupational group did not face the workload difficulties like the other occupations, but reported the lowest score on workplace procedures that were not allowing them to manage their time as effectively as possible. Career Inertia The final profile focuses on topics related to performance and career development, which may be leading to career inertia. Disengaged new hires belonging to this profile had low scores on up to five topics that could be hindering their progress toward meeting their work, job and/or career goals. They either lacked information to their job well and/or feedback about their performance. They also could be missing the opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect their work as well as opportunities to further develop their skills and/or their career in the BC Public Service. Career inertia was more pronounced in two occupations that were disengaged within the first year of employment. For the most part, enforcement and corrections officers or information technical officers scored the lowest on at least one of these topics in their respective occupations. Employees from trades and operations also possessed the lowest scores on having opportunities for career growth in the BC Public Service Scores are based on the entire group of employees with less than one year of employment who belong to this occupation, not just those in the disengaged state. 26 Scores are based on the entire group of employees with less than one year of employment who belong to this occupation, not just those in the disengaged state. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 29

37 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE TABLE 11: DISENGAGED NEW HIRES SEEM TO FIT INTO THREE DISTINCT PROFILES OF WORK ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGES. 27 Key Area from Literature WES Question Topic Admin Support Applied Leaders Business Leaders Disengaged Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Enforce & Corrections Finance & Economics Health, Education & Social Work My workload is manageable Info Tech Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research Performance Proficiency Career & Development Manager's Role My workplace procedures allow me to use my time as effectively as possible. I have the tools (i.e., technology, equipment, etc.) I need to do my job well. I have the information I need to do my job well. I have opportunities for career growth within the BC Public Service. My job is a good fit with my skills and interests. I have adequate opportunities to develop my skills. My job provides me with the right amount of challenge. My organization supports my work related learning and development. The quality of training and development I have received is satisfactory. I receive meaningful recognition for work well done. I regularly receive feedback on my performance. The person I report to provides clear expectations regarding my work Legal counsel, strategic leadership and executives and trades and operations groups were excluded because they contained fewer than 10 respondents. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 30

38 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Key Area from Literature Opportunity for Employee Feedback Physical Environment Executive/ Organization WES Question Topic I have opportunities to provide input into decisions that affect my work. I have support at work to balance my work and personal life. A healthy atmosphere (e.g., trust, mutual respect) exists in my work unit. My physical work environment is satisfactory. I have support at work to provide a high level of service. My ideas are respected by others in my work unit. The work I do gives citizens good value for their tax dollars. I know how my work contributes to the achievement of my Ministry s/organization's/department's goals. Admin Support Applied Leaders Business Leaders Disengaged Respondent Scores (out of 100 points) Enforce & Corrections Finance & Economics Health, Education & Social Work Info Tech Science & Technical Officers Senior Admin & Research My work is meaningful Employment as a Public Servant I would recommend the BC Public Service as a great place to work Score Colour Categories Attend to the issues Focus on improvements Celebrate your successes Understand your challenges Leverage your strengths Model your achievements BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 31

39 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE 8. What are avenues for future research? The findings summarized in this report offer insights on the specific needs of new hires, but at the same time, reinforce the importance of addressing issues common to both new and longer-term disengaged employees. Due to the small sample of respondent data available, the findings are meant as suggestive rather than definitive, and caution should be taken in generalizing the results to the broader population of BC Public Service employees. To further substantiate these findings, future research should focus on the following areas: (a) Longitudinal Analysis of New Hires The present cross-sectional analysis uncovered trends across separate cohorts of employees at different time frames since they were hired into the BC Public Service. However, it is not known whether the trends are a reflection in changes in perceptions or an artefact of attrition bias. For example, once disengaged new hires passed the three-to-five-month mark, scores reflecting job fit became more positive over time. This trend could be due to their perceptions becoming more positive over time, their perceptions no longer being counted in the cohort because they have subsequently resigned, and/or unique characteristics of the cohort itself. Future research should track and study responses from the same cohort of new hires at different time intervals since hired to confirm whether differences over time are actually due to changes in perceived experiences. (b) Modelling Experiences of New Hires New hires, especially the disengaged scored lower on the three engagement indicators than on most drivers in the employee engagement model. Such trend implies that their engagement, aside from pay and benefits, could be driven by other factors that are currently not accounted for in the model. The analysis of WES non model topics derived from the literature review further reinforced this development correlations were fairly strong between engagement and meaningful work, job fit and job challenge, all of which are not captured in the engagement model. Future research should explore the topics alongside other topics mentioned in the literature review that were not presently available in the WES questionnaire to learn what matters most to new hires and what are the biggest predictors of their engagement. Although a new hire model of engagement is beyond the scope of this report and present data available, this type of analysis is a worthwhile avenue for future research. (c) Statistical Testing of Patterns and Relationships The data across occupational categories and/or organizations was descriptively summarized in a more qualitative fashion to identify where notable differences and patterns existed. Future analyses should test whether the differences are statistically significant using larger samples of new hires. Future analysis should also move beyond correlations to explore how well non-model topics can predict engagement. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 32

40 APPENDICES

41 NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Appendix: Definitions Used for this Analysis Definition of Engagement States Engagement states are calculated using responses from the BC Public Service Work Environment Survey (WES). The matrix below shows the four different engagement states employees may experience. Each state is determined by plotting commitment scores with overall satisfaction scores combined job and organization satisfaction according to the criteria in the matrix. For example, if employees are highly committed have commitment scores higher than 60 points but are not satisfied satisfaction scores lower than 60 points, then they are considered to be unhappily dedicated. SATISFACTION 60 points or more Less than 60 points HAPPILY DETACHED High satisfaction Low commitment DISENGAGED Low satisfaction Low commitment ENGAGED High satisfaction High commitment UNHAPPILY DEDICATED Low satisfaction High commitment Less than 60 points COMMITMENT 60 points or more Definition of the population The report will focus on regular employees because these two groups show notable differences when entering the BC Public Service. Table 12 shows the differences in the engagement states by appointment status. As can be seen, auxiliary employees in both the new hire and longer-term employees were more engaged and less disengaged than their regular employee counterparts. TABLE 12: MORE AUXILIARY EMPLOYEES ARE ENGAGED THAN REGULAR EMPLOYEES. Percentage of Respondents Disengaged Engaged Happily Detached Unhappily Dedicated New Hires (< 1 yr) 17% 67% 7% 9% Regular 18% 65% 8% 9% Auxiliary 14% 71% 7% 7% Longer-term employees (> 1 yr) 25% 56% 8% 11% Regular 25% 56% 8% 11% Auxiliary 18% 66% 9% 7% These differences carry through to many of the other drivers and questions in the WES, and so in order to maintain analytical clarity and reflect the longer-term commitment of regular hires, auxiliary employees are excluded from the main analysis. A future report is proposed to address the drivers affecting auxiliary employees. BC STATS NEW HIRES IN THE BC PUBLIC SERVICE Page 34

42 If you have any questions about the information in this report, please contact BC Stats at: (250)