Public Sector Employee

Discovering what engages and motivates public sector employees

We have over 30 year's experience of conducting employee research, and more importantly, we understand how the public sector operates. The work of our Social Research Institute means that we are always well informed in relation to public policy; with research specialists focused on each part of the public sector. We can draw on these specialisms to complement and contextualise the employee research we undertake in the public sector. Our depth of knowledge concerning employee and HR issues, coupled with our understanding of service delivery, communications and marketing within the public sector, allows us to add significant value to employee research.

Engaged employees are an essential component of the drive to improve productivity in the public sector, an integral part of which is understanding what drives performance and engagement. Ipsos MORI can add significant value to public sector employee research through our:

• detailed knowledge of public sector HR through our dedicated team
• strong reputation for independence and credibility
• specialist in-house sampling, statistics, graphics and web departments
• ability to provide tailored solutions
• in-depth analysis to identify the key drivers of employee engagement and organisational performance
• extensive benchmarking capabilities
• consultancy services to enhance communications, programme design and action planning
• quality standards.
  

Methodologies and approach

We use our research capabilities and experience to tackle an array of research projects, offering bespoke research solutions. We draw on the full range of social research methodologies for data collection and analysis. The approach and methods adopted are determined by the nature of the research questions asked and are always agreed in advance with our clients. The nature of our research varies with the subject matter and our client's requirements, but most research assignments include one or more of the following aspects:

• Quantitative research: We have established expertise in survey design and administration (using online, paper-based, telephone and group self-completion methods). We have specialist in-house data processing, sampling and statistics departments who can provide any level of analysis required.
• Qualitative research: We provide illustration, exploration and insight into all aspects of employee issues through the use of in-depth interviews, focus groups, documentary analysis and observation. Qualitative research acts to identify the reasons why staff think like they do. It can offer an invaluable insight into cultural issues and provide feedback on staff priorities and concerns.
• Communication support: Ipsos MORI works closely with clients in communicating and supporting projects internally. Keeping staff fully informed of any research project is vital to engaging employees. This is especially important with staff surveys for maximising response rates. Prior to any research, we offer advice and support on the best approach to the communication process.
• Action planning support: The main goal of employee research is to elicit feedback, and a failure to act in response can have negative consequences, for example, making employees feel that they are not valued or recognised. As such, Ipsos MORI views action planning as an integral part of the research process. Through action planning workshops, we can help prioritise the issues to be tackled and facilitate the development of the key actions required. We also offer training to develop internal facilitation skills at both senior and local levels.
• Exit surveys: Understanding the issues that come together to produce a negative work experience is crucial to developing effective retention strategies. Despite this, however, many organisations do not know why employees leave. Ipsos MORI believes that most effective use of exit surveys is to assess exit data alongside other HR metrics including staff surveys. In this way, they become predictive tools that provide a focus on what organisations need to change if they want to retain people rather than just focusing on why employees are leaving after they have taken the decision to leave. We can deliver exit surveys through online, telephone, or paper-based methods and provider an interpretive analysis every six months.
• Analysis and reporting: Our aim is to provide clients with data in a format that is easy to understand and enables senior managers to understand the core messages emanating from the research. Ipsos MORI has the ability to provide results in many different formats, including toplines, computer tables, detailed reports, online reporting and presentations. We have also developed a range of in-depth statistical analyses to identify the key drivers of employee engagement, how employee attitudes link to customer satisfaction and where best to target follow-up actions.
• Benchmarking: Ipsos MORI is able to offer an extensive normative database of benchmark questions covering 200 normative questions. Our benchmarking data is comprised entirely of data collected through staff surveys we have previously conducted for our clients and is updated on a quarterly basis. In this way Ipsos MORI norms can be relied upon in terms of recency and accuracy. Through our global Representative Employee Database (RED) database, we are also able to offer international benchmarking comparisons across both private and public sectors from 13 countries in Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Employee benchmark data is available for a wide range of issues including:
• loyalty and commitment
• awareness and understanding of organisational values and objectives
• awareness of, and attitudes to, specific corporate initiatives
• job satisfaction and its antecedents
• diversity, equal opportunities and discrimination
• relationships with line managers and senior managers
• internal communication
• opportunities for consultation and upwards feedback
• training and development
• performance management
• organisational change.

Clients and case studies
We have a substantial and diverse client base within the public sector, comprising central and local government, educational institutions, advisory bodies and NGOs. Please click on the logos below to find out more about how we help our public sector clients.

The Workers' Index
The Workers' Index, conducted jointly by Ipsos MORI and The Work Foundation, is a biannual survey tracking workers' opinions on workplace issues. The Workers' Index is the only regular survey that provides leaders and managers in the public sector with regular information about employees' job satisfaction, engagement, levels of autonomy and their feelings towards management. By assessing both public and private sector employees, the Workers' Index acts as a ‘temperature check' on how employees are feeling about a range of issues relevant to their working lives. Currently, the Index covers attitudes towards:

• senior management
• line management
• the services their organisation provides
• their organisation as an employer
• customer service
• potential workplace improvements.

The findings from the Workers' Index enable us to keep track of the changing nature of working life in both the public and private sector, and this keeps us up-to-date with the latest employee attitudes. Click here to see the latest Workers' Index findings, or contact Victoria Labedon to find out more.