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Workforce Metrics Dictionary for the NT Public Sector

Workforce Metrics Dictionary for the NT Public Sector

September 2014

Acknowledgements

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment acknowledges and thanks the many

people who contributed to the development of this guide. In particular, OCPE would like to

thank the Corporate Leadership Council and the Victorian Public Sector for their original

work in establishing standards for Human Capital Measures.

© Copyright of the Northern Territory Government, 2013

Further information

Contact Strategic Workforce Planning and Development

Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment

Email: [email protected] or phone: (08) 8999 4170

September 2014 (version 2)

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mailto:[email protected]

IntroductionThe Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment, with the kind support of the Victorian

Public Sector and the Corporate Leadership Council have developed this Workforce Metrics

Dictionary for the Northern Territory (NT) Public Sector and the associated Guide to using

workforce metrics in the NT Public Sector to support agency human resource (HR)

practitioners, managers and Chief Executive Officers in the use of workforce data and

measurement. This dictionary has been designed to be used in conjunction with the Guide to

using workforce metrics in the NT Public Sector and will allow agencies to quickly and easily

review a common standard of measurement across the sector using a standard set of

definitions. The purpose of the dictionary is to strengthen management reporting for

decision making by agency executives, strengthen workforce planning efforts, proactively

monitor workforce activities and influence agency workforce strategy.

These documents have been developed in close consultation with members from the

Department of Corporate and Information Services (DCIS) Corporate Reporting team, the

Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment (OCPE) statistician and a small testing

group of HR Directors. It is intended to complement rather than replace or override your

existing reporting arrangements.

All agencies use workforce metrics and collect data in varying forms. While all agencies

have access to the same data repositories, agencies have different tools and systems for

collecting, interpreting and reporting data. The purpose of the dictionary is to provide a

standard set of definitions which then allows CEOs, Senior Managers and HR practitioners

to rely on a common standard of measurement across the sector.


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How to use the Workforce Metrics DictionaryWith an increasing responsibility for senior leadership teams to develop a more complete

picture of their workforce, and for human resources professionals to move from

administrative to strategic partners, measuring workforce activities and information is key in

demonstrating the workforce impacts on an agency. When used strategically, workforce

metrics can be a powerful tool to assist agencies strengthen workforce planning efforts and

proactively influence agency workforce strategy. Collecting workforce data offers deeper

insights concerning the state of the workforce and is a cornerstone to making evidence

based decisions.

Each measure is accompanied by an information sheet that describes the measure in detail

and provides the rationale for collection. Additionally, each information sheet contains

technical discussion regarding application, dimensions for analysis and data sourcing. This

dictionary is not intended to replace or override existing reporting arrangements in agencies.

As the level of sophistication around workforce data continues to grow, reporting technology

improves and users gain experience with data and analytics, it is expected that the suite of

workforce metrics will evolve over time.

Although the source of many of these metrics is derived from the PIPS system the accuracy

of this data is contingent upon the timely and accurate entry of data from agencies and

employees. It is therefore incumbent on agencies to proactively contribute to PIPS data

quality.

Other dimensions for analysisThere are a number of common dimensions of analysis that span across the majority of

metrics. Agencies can add an additional filter to the data in the following ways:

Location (and groupings)

Division

Gender

Age (groupings)

Classifications (job family)

Length of Service (groupings)

Employment status (ongoing / fixed period)


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DefinitionsPaid headcount / paid employeesA count of all employees who were paid salary or wages in any specific period.

Ongoing employeesEmployment until the employee resigns or the employment is terminated under the Public

Sector Employment and Management Act (PSEMA).

Fixed period employeesEmployment for a period of time specified in the contract of employment, other than casual

employment.

Casual employeesEmployment to work as and when required from time to time.

BOXIA business and strategic reporting system provided and operated by the Department of

Corporate Information Services (DCIS).

Full Time Equivalent/s (FTE)The overall staffing figures are normally based on the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figure for

all employees. The FTE figure itself is calculated by taking each person's actual base pay for

the fortnight and dividing it by the figure that they would have been paid if they worked full

time (with a maximum FTE value of 1.00).

Significant injuryA workplace injury that is likely to result in the employee being incapacitated for a continuous

period of more than five days, whether or not any of those days are work days and whether

or not the incapacity is total or partial or a combination of both.

Higher duties allowanceTemporary performance of the duties of a designation that has a higher attainable maximum

salary that the substantive designation occupied.


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Miscellaneous EmployeesMiscellaneous employees are coded in PIPS as having ‘Z’ status. The PIPS system defines ‘Z’ status employees as being either board members, pensioners or former employees on worker’s compensation. For the purposes of these metrics, miscellaneous employee excludes pensioners and former employees (A small number of additional classifications may be erroneously included as having a ‘Z’ status).

Workplace absencesEmployee absence from the workplace are often grouped into two categories, either planned

or unplanned. For the purposes of this publication unplanned or unscheduled absence is

referred to as ‘workplace absence’. Workplace absence refers to absence from work in

recognition of circumstances that can generally arise irregularly or unexpectedly, making it

difficult to plan, approve or budget for in advance.

Internal applicantsEmployees who are currently employed in the NTPS.

External applicantsEmployees who are not currently employed in the NTPS.

Indigenous Public Sector EmployeeFor the purposes of the Commonwealth and Jurisdictions, commitments under element 4 of

the National Partnership Agreement on Indigenous Economic Participation, an “Indigenous

public sector employee” is a headcount of paid employees:

who have self-identified as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and/or in a

position which can only be held by a person of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait

Islander descent

are of State, Territory or Commonwealth public sector organisations (based on the

ABS SESCA Level of Government classification)

and

are in paid employment types that include permanent and non-permanent positions

or roles.


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Metric Menu

The NTPS Workforce Dictionary is supported by a menu that provides a list of the included

metrics grouped under five dimensions that are impacted by the workforce. This menu was

designed to contribute to developing an agency’s understanding of its achievement and

activity in these areas.

These areas are:

Organisational culture: shaping and influencing the guiding principles that influence the way people in the agency behave.

Succession planning: designing and delivering processes and systems to identify and develop key individuals and roles to ensure strong succession plans are in place.

Leadership development: designing, delivering and evaluating programs and products to develop leaders.

Recruitment and resourcing: getting the right number of people, with the right skills, at the right time, to meet agency needs.

Talent management: identifying, developing and retaining talent in the agency.

METRIC NAME

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AGEAge profile ■ ■ ■ ■ ■Age profile (50 + years old) ■ ■ ■ ■ ■GENDERGender distribution ■ ■ ■ ■ ■DIVERSITY (EEO distribution)People with Disability ■ ■ ■People from culturally Diverse Backgrounds ■ ■ ■Indigenous Australians ■ ■ ■


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EMPLOYMENT STATUSOngoing employment rate ■ ■ ■ ■ ■Fixed period employment rate ■ ■ ■ ■ ■Part-time rate ■ ■ ■ ■ ■Probation ■ ■Visa holders ■ ■ ■Flexible work practices ■ ■Supernumeraries ■ ■CLASSIFICATIONClassification distribution ■ ■ABSENCESWorkplace absence ■ ■Accrued leave liability ■Leave without pay ■ ■ ■SEPARATIONSSeparation ■ ■ ■Separation reason ■ ■ ■Exit interviews ■ ■ ■ ■LENGTH OF SERVICELength of service profile ■ ■ ■PROMOTIONSHigher duties allowance ■ ■ ■ ■LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENTStudy assistance ■ ■OCPE leadership program participation ■ ■ ■PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENTPerformance management participation ■ ■ ■RECRUITMENTPositions advertised ■ ■ ■ ■Average time to finalise selection ■Recruitment source ■Internal vs. external recruitment ■ ■ ■ ■


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LEADERSHIPEmployee satisfaction with leadership ■ ■Women in senior management ■ ■ ■ ■WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETYWorkplace incidents ■ ■Workplace incidents (cost) ■ ■


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THEME: AGE AGE PROFILE

DESCRIPTION

Distribution of employees by paid headcount according to their age at a point in time.

Age groupings:

15–19, 20–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65+

REPORT INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS

REASONS FOR COLLECTION

Disaggregating the data by age provides a detailed view of the age distribution across the agency. This measure can be used to determine age specific workforce challenges that relate to the agency.

Employee preference and behaviours tend to vary with age. For example, the benefits and conditions desired by 25 year old employees are likely to differ from those valued by 55 year olds. The reasons that employees enter and leave an agency are also likely to differ across age groups. Given these variances, it is important for an agency to understand how its employment offer appeals to employees at various ages and what behaviours are likely for various age groups.

Experience levels are likely to vary with age, either industry specific experience or professional working experience. While age is certainly not a predictor of performance, the experience levels of various age groups may necessitate different development strategies. Agencies with a young workforce may focus on development of basic professional skills or basic leadership development, while those with an older workforce may focus development energies on emerging technologies, high level leadership development or other areas.

This measure can also assist agencies to gauge a potential exposure to retirement cost and knowledge drain from employees nearing retirement age. The average age of retirement would also be a useful indicator.

SOURCING THE DATA Age profile data is based on employee date of birth and can be sourced from PIPS.


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AGE PROFILE (50 + YEARS OLD)DESCRIPTION Distribution of employees by paid headcount who are 50 years or older at a point in

time.



Disaggregating the data by age (50+ years old) provides a detailed view of the 50+ age distribution across the agency. Agencies can use this measure to understand their potential exposure to employees nearing retirement age. Australia faces a future skill shortage created by the impending retirement of the baby boomer population. This retirement wave over the next 15 years is likely to bring with it significant retirement costs, such as accrued long service leave credits. It is also likely to cause a drain of important knowledge, skill and experience held by older workers. Agencies will want to develop an understanding of their knowledge drain exposure to plan in advance for the back-filling of impending retirements. It is also possible that this cohort will be wanting to downshift either in terms of responsibility of position, or time at work through a phased retirement plan or access to flexible work options.

This measure could also be considered in conjunction with an analysis of the agencies leadership capability and succession pool. As managers and executives tend to be older employees, the leadership strength of an agency may be susceptible.

Agencies may wish to further disaggregate the data to assess the proportion of employees within one, three and five years of normal retirement age. Additionally, agencies may identify pockets within the agency that are most susceptible to the negative impact of a large wave of retirements.

SOURCING THE DATA

Age profile data (50+) is based on employee date of birth and can be sourced from PIPS.


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THEME: GENDER

GENDER DISTRIBUTIONDESCRIPTION Distribution of paid employees by gender at a point in time.



This measure enables agencies to monitor the composition of its workforce, to promote diversity and to help address gender bias in the workplace. This measure is also used to gauge the effectiveness of equity strategies and to guide actions around attraction, retention and development of employees.

While this measure may help to identify gender imbalances in the workforce it will not by itself explain why such balances exist. Agencies may wish to analyse the data in relation to recruitment and turnover trends among males and females to understand which functions within the agency may have difficulty attracting or retaining a particular gender. To achieve a targeted gender composition in certain functions or areas agencies may consider implementing gender specific attraction and retention strategies, or with the permission of the Commissioner for Public Employment introducing special measures to attract a particular cohort.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to employee gender can be sourced from PIPS.

BUSINESS RULES To be shown as a ratio (Female to Male)


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THEME: DIVERSITY (EEO distribution)

People with DisabilityDESCRIPTION Distribution of equal employment opportunity groups (People with Disability) by paid

headcount at a point in time.



This measure enables agencies to monitor the diversity of its workforce, to promote diversity and to help remove bias in the workplace. Having a workforce profile that reflects the general working population helps to ensure that an agency can deliver services more effectively. This measure can also be used to gauge the effectiveness of EEO/equity strategies and to guide actions around attraction, retention, and development of EEO employee groups. More broadly, it is an indicator of whether the agency is an inclusive employer, and of the agency’s contribution to inclusive work environments.

SOURCING THE DATA

Ethnicity based data can be sourced from EEO declarations (which include Indigenous status, country of birth declarations or NESB language declarations) as captured in PIPS. Note: Reporting against this metric is voluntary and as such often results in an under-report. Agencies may wish to consider how to encourage staff to update their information and self-identification in myHR.


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People from Culturally Diverse BackgroundsDESCRIPTION Distribution of equal employment opportunity groups (People from Culturally Diverse

Backgrounds) by paid headcount at a point in time.




SOURCING THE DATA



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Indigenous AustraliansDESCRIPTION Distribution of equal employment opportunity groups (Indigenous Australians) by paid

headcount at a point in time.




SOURCING THE DATA



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THEME: RECRUITMENT

POSITIONS ADVERTISEDDESCRIPTION Number of positions advertised at the end of a reporting period.


This metric includes: All paid positions


This measure assesses the number of positions advertised in a specified period, indicating the relative volume of recruitment activity. This measure will be an important consideration for agencies that experience rapid change in industry dynamics or sector focus.

This measure will also be a useful indication of the effectiveness of retention strategies, and whether an agency’s workforce is growing or contracting. It can also guide the development of strategic priorities as expanding organisations may wish to focus HR resources on onboarding, training, and other assimilation programs to maintain productivity and corporate values during the expansion. Contracting organisations may wish to focus resources on programs that maximize productivity from a smaller workforce, retain employees with key skill sets, and maintain morale.

The types of positions advertised could also suggest skill gap areas and could inform professional development strategies to grow from within the sector.

SOURCING THE DATA

Recruitment related data can be sourced from the eRecruit system.


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AVERAGE TIME TO FINALISE SELECTIONDESCRIPTION Average number of days elapsed between the date the position is advertised and the

acceptance of an offer for internal and external hires.


This metric includes: Ongoing employees Fixed period employees Internal and external hires Advertised positions

This metric does not include: Casual employees Temporary vacancies Miscellaneous employees


This measure assesses the average length of time that elapses from the date a job is advertised to the date the selection outcome is approved (in the eRecruit system). In most cases this measure is used to monitor the efficiency of the recruitment process.

Agencies with lengthy recruitment processes may wish to investigate the recruitment process steps to expedite the process. Additionally lengthy recruitment processes may have a negative impact on the agency’s ability to source the best candidates by deterring potential applicants.

SOURCING THE DATA Recruitment related data can be sourced from the eRecruit system.


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RECRUITMENT SOURCEDESCRIPTION Distribution of hires by recruitment source, such as referral, newspaper advertising,

website etc.


This metric includes: All paid positions


Recruitment source distribution presents the composition of hires according to the avenue through which those hires first learned of the job opportunity. This measure will be useful to gauge comparative effectiveness of each recruitment source.

While the sourcing channel may not have a significant impact on the performance of new employees, certain channels may be leveraged to increase retention. Agencies can also track this measure to help monitor the take up of technology and advertising investments. For example, if an agency sees a growing proportion of hires sourced from its website, it may wish to invest more resources in posting timely and accurateinformation to the site and investigate whether the website technology is sufficient to handle increasing traffic.

Additionally, this measure can also be used to inform future recruitment actions and assist agencies to monitor recruitment costs as cost can vary widely across each source.

SOURCING THE DATA

Recruitment related data can be sourced from the eRecruit system. The information can also be gathered from the employment application, induction and/or orientation.


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INTERNAL VS. EXTERNAL RECRUITMENTDESCRIPTION The percentage of selection outcomes filled by internal applicants compared to the

percentage filled by external applicants.


This metric includes: Ongoing vacancies Fixed period vacancies

The metric does not include: Casual vacancies


This measure indicates the percentage of the workforce hired both internally (within the NTG) and externally (outside the NTG) within the reported period.

This measure will be useful for agencies to assess the success of strategies that aim to grown our own, reduce turnover and improve development opportunities. It may also provide an indication of the extent to which the current employees have the required capability to take-up new positions and provide an indication of the availability of an internal succession talent pool.

This measure can also be indicative of the level of insularity of the agency and its capacity to compete effectively as a preferred employer.

When paired in analysis with separation data, an agency can monitor the renewal of the workforce or the extent to which certain groups are moving through the agency. A low percentage of external recruitment may indicate low turnover or contraction of the workforce. A very low percentage can also potentially foster insularity, which can in turn inhibit innovation and create a stagnancy of skills and ideas.

A high percentage of external recruits may indicate an expansion of the workforce or high turnover. Generally agencies will experience a level of external recruitment activity which is beneficial for fostering and growth of new ideas. However, high levels of external recruitment can reflect large costs to the agency, including the direct costs of recruitment as well as the indirect cost of productivity and training.

Internal recruitment can be considered as a positive contributor to employee development where employees are either moving upward into positions of greater responsibility of laterally to gain additional functional or business unit experience.

Agencies may wish to separate the data into ongoing and fixed period vacancies.

SOURCING THE DATA Recruitment related data can be sourced from the eRecruit system.


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THEME: CLASSIFICATIONCLASSIFICATION DISTRIBUTIONDESCRIPTION Distribution of paid headcount by classification at a point in time.


This metric includes: All actual classification levels in PIPS


This measure is useful for monitoring the composition and structure of the workforce. When used as a comparison between two points in time it can show if there has been a classification creep or other trends across classifications.

This measure can also provide an indication of changing levels of work complexity, workforce cost, labour market shortages, and attraction issues.

Expectations and goals regarding career paths, salary and benefits desired work environment and other aspects of the agencies employment offer may differ according to classification / salary level. If an agency understands each population’s values regarding the employment brand, it can use this measure to inform the design of training programs, engagement strategies and other workforce programs and interventions.

Some agencies may also wish to track classification data to monitor the progress of initiatives design to alter the basic makeup of the workforce. For example an agency that is looking to reduce the number of administrative positions and increase the number of highly skilled positions in order to support its business strategy may expect employment level composition to shift to higher classifications and levels.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to employee classifications is based on an employee’s actual classification and can be sourced from PIPS.


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THEME: SEPARATIONSSeparationDESCRIPTION Separations during the reporting period as a percentage of the agency workforce.


This metric includes:Ongoing employees Fixed period employees

This metric does not include: Casual employees Miscellaneous employees


This measure indicates the percentage of employees who left the agency during a reporting period and reflects both voluntary and involuntary separations.

Examining separation data can be useful in understanding the overall rate at which employees are leaving the agency and can provide an indication of the adequacy of an agency’s employment offering and the strain of turnover on the agency.

Separations often represent a loss of corporate knowledge, culture and processes. Depending on the calibre of the replacement, separations may also carry a net loss of skills and knowledge among the workforce

High separation rates can have negative consequences for an agency related to cost, efficiency, productivity and service delivery. Separation and subsequent recruitment can create departure costs (i.e. accrued leave) but also vacancy costs (i.e. loss of productivity, recruitment advertising) and new hire costs such as relocation and training.

Excessively low separation rates however can also negatively impact the agency. Low separation rates may foster an inward looking culture and inhibit new ideas. Low separation rates may also reflect ineffective performance management programs that encourage career complacency or fail to manage out poor performers.

When considering strategies to address turnover, agencies may wish to disaggregate separation into voluntary and involuntary separations.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to separations can be sourced from PIPS.

BUSINESS RULES Employee separation x 100 / employee paid


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SEPARATION REASONDESCRIPTION Separation reason during the reporting period.


This metric includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees who separate due to:

Cessation of contract Resignation Retirement Dismissal Other

This metric does not include: Casual employees Employees on long-term workers compensation Miscellaneous employees


Disaggregated data by separation types provides a summary of the reasons for separation from the NTPS and measures the composition of separations by type including voluntary and involuntary.

This measure is useful for examining the reasons why employees are exiting the agency to ensure workforce strategies effectively target potential workforce risks.

Disaggregating the data by separation reason can assist agencies to understand the mix of circumstances by which employees leave the agency. Voluntary and involuntary separations may carry different productivity costs. An agency with relatively high levels of involuntary separations might examine where process failures are occurring to require those levels of dismissals or contract cessations. An agency with relatively high levels of voluntary terminations might examine employee engagement and commitment to identify weak areas that are causing the workforce to leave.

The mix of voluntary reasons for separations may help agencies to direct retention efforts and interventions in recruiting and onboarding. Examining the involuntary reasons may also have a significant impact on future recruiting efforts, performance management and disciplinary processes.

This measure can provide a lagging indicator of employment brand and the fit of the workplace conditions and culture. Understanding separation reasons can help pinpoint problem areas for the agency that drives undesirable voluntary turnover.

Variations for this measure include exit interview data that can also be useful in understanding the mix of voluntary and involuntary reasons surrounding employee departures.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to separations can be sourced from PIPS. Further information can also be extracted from exit interviews if they have been conducted.


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EXIT INTERVIEWSDESCRIPTION Employee reasons for exiting the agency during the reporting period.


This metric includes: Ongoing employees

This metric does not include: Fixed period and casual employees Miscellaneous employees


This measure collates constructive feedback as to the reasons why employees leave the agency. Results can inform workforce planning, recruitment, attraction and retention strategies by examining issues such as

Reasons why employees are leaving Which employment value proposition attributes are driving dissatisfaction for

departing employees How likely are employees to recommend an agency as an employer of choice Assessment of training and development and leadership within the agency

Understanding separation reasons can help pinpoint problem areas for the agency that are driving undesirable voluntary turnover.

SOURCING THE DATA

Although agencies have agreed to collect information against a minimum set of exit interview questions, there is currently no systematic process for data collection. Agencies are required to capture this information manually as it is not captured in PIPS.


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THEME: LENGTH OF SERVICE

LENGTH OF SERVICE PROFILEDESCRIPTION Distribution of NTPS length of service at a point in time.


This metric includes: Includes ongoing and fixed period employees

This metric does not include: Casual employees Leave Without Pay Prior Service Miscellaneous employees


This measure can provide an insight into the stability of the workforce and continuity of employment within the NTPS. Additionally, this measure can also provide an insight into turnover trends and inform on boarding and development strategies. While new entrants to the NTPS can bring fresh perspectives, new skills, new ideas and practices from other organisations, they have no knowledge of agency history, culture, relationships and processes. Effective orientation and induction processes are required to bring these new employees to full productivity.

Agencies may wish to further disaggregate the data according to critical separation times such as length of service less than one year. Agencies may also wish to disaggregate the data by individual to assist in length of service recognition activities

SOURCING THE DATA

Length of service is determined from the difference between the reporting date and the ‘commenced in service’ date. For employees on executive contract, the commencement date is the date of their actual commencement in the service, not the date they commenced on their first executive contract.

BUSINESS RULES Median figures to be used


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THEME: PERFORMANCE & DEVELOPMENTPERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATIONDESCRIPTION Percentage of employees who have a current performance plan during the reporting

period.


This metric includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees

This metric does not include: Casual employees

Miscellaneous employees


This measure identifies the number and distribution by work unit of employees who have a current performance plan in place. This measure will provide an indication of the extent to which individual performance is being managed in different work units and the effectiveness of the performance management process.

Managing employees' work performance is critical to achieving agency objectives and a responsibility of all managerial or supervisory roles in the NTPS. All managers have responsibility for managing the work performance of their employees.

This measure is also important as a monitoring tool as there is a legislative imperative for agencies to devise and implement employee performance management and development systems.

Periodic reviews of performance can be important to employees to understand how their performance has matched with the agency’s expectations. Reviews can also provide important feedback on future development and career path progress. Appraisals can help engage employees by illustrating how their individual performance helps drive organisational success and how their performance links to the NTPS Capability and Leadership Framework. Performance assessments, in aggregate, can help expose training and development needs and drive development opportunities within the agency.

SOURCING THE DATA Agencies are required to capture this information manually.


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STUDY ASSISTANCEDESCRIPTION Employees who have received study assistance at the end of the reporting period.


This report includes: Approved reimbursement requests Approved study leave

This metric does not include: Non approved reimbursement requests Non approved study leave requests Study undertaken as part of flexible work arrangements


This measure will be most useful for agencies to monitor and track approved reimbursement and study leave usage among the workforce for agency up skilling.

Many agencies have study assistance policies in place, though the specific terms of those policies can vary across the sector. The rate of reimbursement may depend in part on the types of degrees or certifications, grade/passing requirements, or the extent to which the study is necessary for the position.

Apart of monitoring the relative successes of study endeavours, this measure can also assist with succession planning and demonstrating a culture of continuous learning. It may also assist agencies in determining strategic partnerships with learning providers and academic institutions for the provision of development programs in skill gap areas.

SOURCING THE DATA

Tuition reimbursement data can be either housed separately by the unit that processes the reimbursement requests, or data can be sourced from PIPS / GAS.

Study leave information can be sourced from PIPS.

BUSINESS RULE

Financial assistance reimbursements are captured in GAS and study leave is sourced from PIPS (for those agencies that require employees to enter the leave in PIPS.Agencies that do not record study leave in PIPS would capture this information manually through employee study assistance applications.


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OCPE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPATIONDESCRIPTION Employees participating in each of the following leadership development programs at

the end of the reporting period.


This metric includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees The suite of standard OCPE Leadership Programs including:

Australia and New Zealand School of Government programs Public Sector Management Program Executive Leaders Program Future Leaders Program Lookrukin Indigenous Women’s Leadership Development Program Kigaruk Indigenous Men’s Leadership Development Program Discovery Women as Leaders Program 360 degree feedback


Miscellaneous employees One day workshops or short courses offered by agencies or external providers


This measure provides an indication of the extent to which employees have the opportunity to participate in NTPS sector wide leadership programs. Leadership development programs can provide a contextualised NTPS focus and can help to prepare the future leaders of the agency. Development programs can also help engage and retain talent.

This measure is also useful in examining the preferences and level of demand for courses and can inform the design of future learning and development strategies.By further disaggregating the data, agencies can develop a sense of how extensively the eligible workforce participates in leadership development activities.

SOURCING THE DATA

This information is available from OCPE. Agencies may have access to data on relating to workforce attendance at other leadership programs where there is no central record.


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THEME: LEADERSHIP

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION WITH LEADERSHIPDESCRIPTION Gauge of employee satisfaction with agency leaders over a period of time.


This metric includes: Respondents to the NTPS Staff Survey

This metric does not include: Any agency specific measurement instruments resulting from 360 degree

feedback instruments


This measure is broadly applicable across all agencies, though it will be most useful for agencies that have a high response rate for the NTPS Staff Survey, or perform periodic internal employee surveys.

Employee survey results provide insight into employee attitudes and may give an indication of an employee’s commitment, engagement and values.

Measuring employee satisfaction with leadership focuses on capturing employee opinions about leadership capability in a business unit, function and area as well as the leadership of the agency as a whole. The opinions solicited from relevant survey questions typically relate to leaders competencies and skills, the ability to inspire confidence and trust and to motivate and manage performance.

Capturing these opinions is important as it has an impact on the employment brand and the employee’s commitment to the agency. These factors can in turn influence productivity, morale and turnover representing potential significant organisational gains or losses.

This measure can also provide agencies with an insight into areas that would benefit from targeted development in specific leadership capabilities as they relate to the NTPS Capability and Leadership Framework.

Note, survey related measures represent employee perceptions at a point in time and can reflect temporal evens. Satisfaction with leadership is one aspect of the employee’s relationship with and opinions about an agency. The extent to which an employee is committed or engaged in an Agency can also be measured by other factors such as separations, absences and length of service.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data can be sourced from responses to one or more questions from the NTPS Employee Survey.


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WOMEN IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT (SAO2 – ECO6)DESCRIPTION The percentage of women in senior management roles by paid headcount at a point

in time.


This metric includes: Women nominally in SAO2- ECO6 classifications

This metric does not include: Women on Higher Duties in Senior management roles Miscellaneous employees


This measure can be used to gauge the effectiveness of leadership equity strategies and to guide actions around the attraction, retention, and development of aspiring and current women leaders. The used of quantitative data will enable agencies to monitor the gender balance of its senior management positions at a point in time.

When used as a comparison between two points in time it can illustrate how the agency has been able to attract and retain women and can offer insights into the strategic use of targeted learning and development activities.

Employee surveys can be also used as a qualitative measure that explores perceived barriers to career advancement.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to women in senior management positions is based on nominal classification levels of an employee and can be sourced from PIPS. Additional data may be sourced from responses to one or more questions from employee surveys conducted by the agency, or the NTPS Employee Survey.

BUSINESS RULES A disclaimer is to be included on the Weather Map - administration classifications only


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THEME: ABSENCESWORKPLACE ABSENCESDESCRIPTION Average number of workplace absence days per employee over a period of time.


This metric includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees Personal Leave (paid and unpaid) Specific types of miscellaneous leave (paid and unpaid) such as emergency leave

and compassionate leave. Absent without authority leave

This metric does not include: Casual employees Recreation leave Long service leave Leave without pay Paternity / maternity / adoption leave Purchase leave Specific miscellaneous leave, including graduation, jury duty, defence leave. Flex time and time in lieu Study leave



This measure provides an indication of the prevalence of workplace absences in an agency and can be particularly useful for agencies that are significantly impacted by a high number of workforce absences. This measure can also assist agencies to understand the timing of absences and anticipate workforce needs and can also be indicative of workforce morale, or a potential impact on workforce stability.

This measure is particularly useful to identify issues related to unscheduled leave in order to implement targeted strategies or initiatives.

In some circumstances high levels of workplace absences can be an indication of morale, engagement and/or the general health of particular segments of the workforce. It may also be used for analysing changes in policies, for example flu vaccination rates. A comparison over time may also illustrate trends in workplace absences within an agency.

While some workplace absences are to be expected, unplanned absences in particular can result in direct costs and productivity losses for the agency.

Agencies can further disaggregate the data according to absence type which can help to identify undesirable absences and create appropriate policies or programs.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to workplace absences can be sourced from PIPS.


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ACCRUED LEAVE LIABILITYDESCRIPTION The number of accrued leave days at a point in time.


This report includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees Recreation leave Long service leave


Personal Leave Miscellaneous employees


This measure will assist agencies to monitor accrued leave liability and track employees who currently have excessive amounts of leave. It is also particularly useful for workforce planning efforts to understand potential employee absences.

Excess leave credits can be a major financial liability if not managed in a planned and strategic manner. Where an employee has recreation leave credits in excess of two years, the CEO may direct the employee to take recreation leave.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to accrued leave can be sourced from PIPS.


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LEAVE WITHOUT PAYDESCRIPTION Number of employees on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) exceeding 12 weeks, as a

percentage of the agency workforce at a point in time.


This metric includes: All LWOP arrangements Ongoing and fixed period employees

This metric does not include: Ad-hoc periods of LWOP less than 12 weeks



This measure will assist agencies to monitor and report on extended leave without pay usage and is also useful to monitor the frequency of use of LWOP amongst employees. This measure can also assist agencies to understand the timing of absences and anticipate workforce needs. Excessive LWOP can also be indicative of workforce morale and/or the general health of particular segments of the workforce.

If an agency has a high percentage of the workforce on LWOP it can contribute to instability through the need for backfilling and potential productivity losses. If an agency has a low percentage of the workforce on LWOP it may reflect an inflexible attitude to work life balance and similarly have a negative impact on how the agency is perceived as an employer of choice.

As a general workforce planning activity this measure will also assist managers to plan for the return to work of employees after a period of absence. Agencies may wish to further disaggregate the data to determine the length and reasons for LWOP.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to leave without pay can be sourced from PIPS.


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THEME: PROMOTIONS

HIGHER DUTIES ALLOWANCEDESCRIPTION Employees on higher duties allowance (HDA) as a percentage of the agency

workforce by paid headcount at a point in time.


This metric includes: All paid headcount employees in receipt of HDA

This metric does not include: Transfer at the same classification level (i.e. receiving no additional salary)



This measure will be most useful for agencies that currently have employees on fixed period promotions receiving HDA and also for tracking changes in the HDA rate over time.

HDA can be viewed as an important element of the agency’s ability to develop and build internal capability, as well as provide recognition of and reward for strong performance.

This measure can be seen as a positive contributor supporting vertical and horizontal career development where employees are gaining additional experience in new or extended roles. This experience broadens employee skill sets, exposes employees to a wider scope of agency responsibilities and expands their personal networks. However, excessive use of HDA arrangements can result in productivity losses from vacancies. Agencies need to balance the development opportunities and organisational agility benefits of HDA with the risk of prolonged vacancies and staff dissatisfaction.

Comparing HDA metrics over time helps an agency to understand the employee experience in terms of the possible movement opportunities available. The extent to which employees are offered HDA opportunities forms part of the overall intent to drive engagement and retention.

Agencies may consider further disaggregating the data by length of HDA, whereby prolonged periods, or a high number of extensions, may by an indicator of other recruitment issues in the agency.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to employee HDA status can be sourced from PIPS.


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THEME: EMPLOYMENT STATUSONGOING EMPLOYMENT RATEDESCRIPTION Ongoing employees as a percentage of the total ongoing and fixed period workforce

by paid headcount at a point in time.


This metric does not include: Executive Contract Officers Casual / fixed period employees



This measure can be used to monitor the agency’s workforce stability

While it is impossible to prescribe the “right” mix of on-going and fixed period employment, many agencies aim to strike a balance between managing the seasonal ebbs and flows of workforce demand with longer term workforce stability managing overhead costs and providing adequate functional support to the business lines.

A lower percentage of ongoing employees may indicate recruitment planning and management issues or alternatively reflect a reluctance to nominally fill positions.

A comparison of the percentage of employees who are ongoing over time can be helpful in monitoring strategies that are aimed to either grow or contract the workforce.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to employment status can be sourced from PIPS.


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FIXED PERIOD EMPLOYMENT RATEDESCRIPTION Fixed period employees as a percentage of the total ongoing and fixed period



This metric does not include: Executive Contract Officers Casual employees



Fixed period employment is where staff are employed for a limited duration. This measure is particularly useful for agencies that currently use fixed period contracts with relative frequency or expect to use fixed period contracts in future periods.

Agencies may use fixed period employees to fill short-term recruitment vacancies or the temporary absences of regular employees. Agencies might also find that fixed period employees can be released more quickly than ongoing employees when workloads decline.

In some cases, fixed period employment can also be used by agencies to allow for workload contingencies such as peaks or seasonal swings in resource requirements. Agencies can track this measure monthly and quarterly to better plan for or mitigate their monthly, yearly or cyclical swings in labour demand and their resultant use of temporary resources.

In some cases, an excessive number of fixed period employment arrangements may indicate that an agency relies too heavily on short term vacancies rather than use longer term workforce planning, or to avoid restrictive recruitment policies.

It could also indicate that an agency uses temporary employees as a cost cutting measure. However agencies adopting such workforce strategies must also weigh the productivity costs associated with cycling though fixed period employees, as new employees require time to understand the agency processes, rules and culture to be effective.

The appropriate use of contract extensions is covered by the PSEMA and subordinate legislation therefore the use of extensions should be closely monitored and mitigation strategies put in place to minimise excessive use.

Agencies may wish to further disaggregate the data to examine the number of fixed period contract extensions per employee.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to employment status can be sourced from PIPS. Contract extension information can be sourced from the eRecruit system.


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PART-TIME RATEDESCRIPTION Part-time employees as a percentage of the total ongoing and fixed period workforce

by paid headcount at a point in time.


This metric includes: All employees with a paid headcount who have an ongoing part-time work arrangement and so are flagged as being part-time in the part-time variable in PIPS.

This metric does not include: Ad hoc arrangements not flagged in PIPS (such as absences without pay) Flex-time or flexible working arrangements not flagged in PIPS Casual employees


This measure is particularly useful for agencies that make use of part-time work arrangements with relative frequency or that actively manage part-time arrangements as part of a portfolio of flexible work practices.

Part-time work arrangements are often seen as having desirable work life balance benefits and can be effective for agencies in many circumstances. Employees who are not able to devote fulltime hours to a role but have an important skill set or valuable experience may still be retained by an agency on a part-time basis. Additionally, employees may wish to retire gradually over a period of time and to transition into a part-time employment arrangement allowing the agency to continue to benefit from their knowledge.

Part-time employees may also present some limitations for agencies. If employees are only available to perform certain activities during certain hours, other employees or processes may experience productivity interruptions.

Agencies with very low results for this measure may wish to assess whether more pervasive part-time arrangements can positively impact retention and knowledge management across the workforce.

Agencies with high results in part-time may instead wish to analyse the productivity and processing cost of part time workers to ensure costs and efficiencies are being managed appropriately relative to the agency benefits of part time arrangements.

Analysis of this measure can also illustrate where part-time arrangements are common, which can in turn inform job design. For example, there may be jobs that do not require full time staffing or may lend themselves to job sharing initiatives.

A comparison of this measurement over time will illustrate the trends in access to, and take up, of part time employment and will be an indicator of workforce flexibility.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to employment status can be sourced from PIPS.


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PROBATIONDESCRIPTION Employees on probation at a point in time.


This metric includes: Ongoing employees on probation

This metric does not include: Fixed period employees



This measure can be used to monitor and report on the number of employees on probation at a given time.

The initial period of probation should generally be sufficient to determine whether a probationer’s employment will be confirmed.

It is the agency’s responsibility to recommend deferment, confirmation or termination of the appointment. If the agency intends to terminate the appointment, this decision must be made and the employee informed within the probation period. Therefore this measure is a valuable tool for managers to flag upcoming probation due dates and where appropriate commence any necessary action if performance issues have been identified.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to employee probation can be sourced from PIPS.


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VISA HOLDERSDESCRIPTION Total number of employees on a visa at a point in time.


This metric includes: Employees flagged in PIPS with the visa code


This measure is used to inform agency managers of the number of employees that are employed on a visa arrangement.

This measure can be useful to ensure that agencies are aware of the number of employees on a working visa and to monitor whether the agency is meeting its obligations in accordance with the relevant immigration policy.

It should also be used as a flag to alert HR to any reporting requirements to ensure the agency is not in breach of its obligations, for example if a visa holder’s employment ceases the relevant immigration authority must be informed.

At the sector wide level, an analysis of the skills and positions of visa holders can inform discussions relating to the development of the annual NT Skilled Occupation List for skills in demand.

SOURCING THE DATA Data related to visa categories and visa validity dates can be sourced from PIPS.


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FLEXIBLE WORK PRACTICESDESCRIPTION Employees with a flexible work arrangement as a percentage of total employees.


This metric includes: Ongoing and fixed period employees Flexible working hours Home based work Job sharing Part-time work Career breaks Short-term absences for family and community responsibilities Utilisation of recreation leave at half pay Purchased of Additional Leave Scheme NTPS Extended Leave Scheme

This metric does not include: Casual employees Miscellaneous employees Flex-time / Flex leave


Agencies can use this measure in order to gain an understanding into the usage and adoption of flexible work practices.

The availability of flexible work practices can have an impact on an agency’s ability to attract and retain staff, and is an important element in the value proposition to the prospective employee.

Flexible work practices are often seen as having desirable work life balance benefits and can be beneficial for agencies for multiple reasons. Employees who might otherwise leave the agency may stay because of the flexibility of their work hours. For example, some flexible work practices may attract or retain mature aged workers or those with caring responsibilities. For some agencies it may be useful to have employees working unusual hours to provide coverage of systems or client work that spans more than the typical working day.

However flexible work practices may also present some limitations, primarily related to productivity interruptions and backfilling. Managers should be cognisant of the flexible work practices of their workforce to ensure it does not impact representation at work and responsiveness to work priorities. This would be more useful for large teams or for agency wide analysis.

Therefore it is useful to monitor an agency’s flexible work practices and understand which employee groups have high or low percentages of take up. This will assist in designing workforce strategies that address the expectations of the workforce.

Agencies may wish to further disaggregate the data according to the types of flexible practices.

In the long-term, this metric could inform job design and team structures, for example covering peak workload periods, job sharing, or project work.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to flexible work practices is not captured in PIPS. This is a manual data collection requirement for agencies and is reported in the annual State of the Service Report.


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SUPERNUMERARYDESCRIPTION Supernumerary employees as a percentage of the total ongoing and fixed period



This metric includes: Includes all employees without a position number.




This measure can assist agencies to examine the number of employees who are considered to be supernumerary (those employees who are not nominally in a position are considered to be supernumerary to the establishment).

This measure can be used to determine the agency’s capacity to present a clear and fully costed organisation structure. It can also be an indication of potential separations (if contracts are not renewed) that can in turn inform operational discussions for business continuity.

As a general rule, the use of supernumerary positions should be kept to a minimum. Excessive use of supernumerary positions can be an indicator that workforce planning efforts have not fully captured the supply and demand variables of the workplace.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to employee supernumerary status is based on an employee’s actual occupancy and can be sourced from PIPS.


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THEME: WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETYWORKPLACE INCIDENTSDESCRIPTION Total number of workplace incidents that resulted in five or more days lost


This metric includes:Ongoing employeesCasual employeesFixed period employees

This metric may also include:Non-NTG workersOther personsNote: This report can also include incidents relating to non-NTG employees defined as workers and any other person, e.g. visitors, that the NTG is obliged to provide a duty of care to under the Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) Act i.e. it could include the total number of severe incidents attributable to the NTG as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) as defined under the Act.


Agencies have a duty to employees to provide a safe work environment. Safety promotes employees’ well-being, productivity, and regulatory compliance. Health and safety incidents involve potential injury to employees, lost productivity, and financial costs such as compensation payments and the costs to replace workers. Unsafe environments may also serve to increase employee turnover and detract from being an employer of choice.

This measure will assist agencies to monitor the effectiveness of their safety systems and processes. It can also provide information to assist agencies to:

Evaluate their WH&S management performance over time and identify risk.

Develop and implement specific strategies that help reduce the number severity and cost of future workplace injuries.

Align their WH&S management performance with Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 targets.

Agencies can also analyse incident data further to determine trends in injury types, injuries by business unit, jobs and location.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to workplace incident can be sourced from FIGTREE – a centralised database housed in DCIS that records workplace incidents and compensation claims.


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WORKPLACE INCIDENTS (COST)DESCRIPTION Total compensation costs relating to incidents that resulted in five or more days lost.


This metric includes:Ongoing employeesCasual employeesFixed period employees

This metric may also include:Non-NTG workersOther personsNote: This report can also include incidents relating to non-NTG employees defined as workers and any other person, e.g. visitors, that the NTG is obliged to provide a duty of care to under the WHS Act i.e. it could include the total number of severe incidents attributable to the NTG as a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) as defined under the Act.


This measure will assist agencies to monitor the effectiveness of their safety systems and processes. More specifically, this measure highlights the financial impact of workplace incidents.

It can also provide information to assist agencies to: Evaluate WH&S management performance over time and identify risk. Develop and implement specific strategies that help reduce the number,

severity and cost of future workplace injuries. Align their WH&S management performance with Australian Work Health

and Safety Strategy 2012-2022 targets.

Agencies can also analyse incident data further to determine trends in injury types, injuries by department, jobs and location.

SOURCING THE DATA

Data related to workplace incident can be sourced from FIGTREE – a centralised database housed in DCIS that records workplace incidents and compensation claims.


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