The impact that leaders have on the performance of their organisations cannot be underestimated. Leadership is critical in setting direction, executing strategy, shaping culture and employee experience, lifting capability, inspiring purpose and delivering results for our customers. This year, there has been an overall improvement in People Matter survey results for senior managers’ communication skills, and their change and people management, which shows that our leaders continue to improve.
Executive numbers
Government sector senior executives (GSSEs) perform formal executive roles within the Public Service and aligned government services, providing leadership, direction and accountability. A subgroup of these executives – known as Public Service senior executives (PSSEs) – work within the Public Service and are represented across all clusters.
In the larger GSSE cohort, the increase is caused by a growing portfolio of major transport infrastructure projects in NSW requiring specialised executive support.
The increase in numbers within the smaller cohort of senior executives in the Public Service is related to NSW Government investments in projects and programs to drive economic and social recovery. This includes the creation of a new specialist agency, Investment NSW, to increase investment in the NSW economy.
3,680 government sector senior executives in 2021
up from 3,333 in 2020
Source: Workforce Profile (WFP) (2017–2021)
Senior executive headcount, 2021 vs 2020
| Cluster | Senior executives in the Public Service | Change from 2020 | Government sector senior executives | Change from 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Service | 258 | 4 | 258 | 4 |
| Education | 416 | 44 | 444 | 21 |
| Health | 114 | -2 | 314 | 10 |
| Planning, Industry and Environment | 489 | 57 | 489 | 57 |
| Premier and Cabinet | 315 | 28 | 315 | 28 |
| Regional NSW | 166 | 23 | 166 | 23 |
| Stronger Communities | 409 | 21 | 483 | 11 |
| Transport | 1 | 0 | 1,041 | 182 |
| Treasury | 112 | 7 | 170 | 11 |
| Total | 2,280 | 182 | 3,680 | 347 |
Source: WFP (2020, 2021)
Note: The cluster data in this table has mapped the 2020 public sector structure to the 2021 structure to account for machinery of government changes.
Employee perceptions of senior leaders
The People Matter survey asks employees about their perceptions of the senior managers that lead their organisations. Senior managers need to manage change well, set clear direction and work with people managers to lead the workforce and deliver for customers. By embodying the sector's values, their guidance on their organisation’s culture ensures that their people experience a positive working environment.
58.8% favourable overall
up from 58.1% in 2020
| Questions | 2021 (% favourable) | Change from 2020 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior managers provide clear direction for the future of the organisation | 54.9 | 1.8 |
| Senior managers model the values of my organisation | 58.9 | 1.0 |
| Senior managers promote collaboration between my organisation and other organisations we work with | 56.5 | 0.5 |
| Senior managers communicate the importance of customers in our work | 70.2 | -0.1 |
| Senior managers keep employees informed about what’s going on | 59.0 | 2.5 |
| Senior managers listen to employees | 49.4 | 0.9 |
| Senior managers support the career advancement of women | 63.0 | -1.4 |
Source: People Matter Employee Survey (PMES) (2020, 2021)
Source: PMES (2020, 2021)
Communication and change management
Effective communication is proactive, timely and focuses on what employees need to know and how they will be impacted. Change management is vital for every organisation across the sector. Well-managed change minimises day-to-day disruptions to everyday work and lives. All managers must lead through change.
Employee perceptions of communication and change management
58.2% favourable overall
up from 56.4% in 2020
| Question | 2021 (% favourable) | Change from 2020 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| My manager communicates effectively with me | 75.2 | 0.6 |
| Change is managed well in my organisation | 42.9 | 2.3 |
| Senior managers provide clear direction for the future of the organisation | 54.9 | 1.8 |
| Senior managers keep employees informed about what’s going on | 59.0 | 2.5 |
Source: PMES (2020, 2021)
People management
Effective people managers are essential to high-performing organisations. They’re vital for achieving positive workforce outcomes and delivering a world class public service to the people of NSW. Underpinning a high-performance culture is an effective system for managing individual, team and organisational performance.
73.4% of employees had a performance and development plan in place in 2021
up from 72.3% in 2020
65.0% of employees had formal feedback conversations
up from 63.3% in 2020
80.2% of employees had informal feedback conversations
up from 79.2% in 2020
Source: PMES (2020, 2021)
Employee perceptions of feedback and performance management
61.1% favourable overall in 2021
up from 60.3% in 2020
| Question | 2021 (% positive) | Change from 2020 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| In the last 12 months, I have received feedback to help me improve my work | 64.8 | 0.2 |
| My performance is assessed against clear criteria | 57.3 | 2.0 |
| My manager encourages me to learn from my mistakes | 72.7 | 0.4 |
| My manager appropriately deals with employees who perform poorly | 49.4 | 0.5 |
Source: PMES (2020, 2021)
Employee perceptions of workplace recognition
| Question | 2021 (% positive) | Change from 2020 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| My manager provides recognition for the work I do | 72.6 | 0.8 |
| I receive adequate recognition for my contributions from my organisation | 54.2 | - |
Source: PMES (2020, 2021)
- Next section: our organisations
How we experience our organisations' practices.