Significant increases in Police staff engagement

Levels of engagement amongst Police staff have increased significantly in 2012.

Acting General Manager Human Resources Alan Cassidy says results from the 2012 NZ Police workplace survey show increases across all measures when compared with previous surveys.

The number of people in Police identified by the survey as being "fully engaged" increased from 21 percent last year to just on 28 percent.

This is well above the State Sector benchmark of 20.4 percent. Police has slightly fewer disengaged staff than the benchmark.

In the report's commentary, survey provider Kenexa/JRA says engagement levels are now almost the same as those seen in New Zealand's major employer of choice survey, the Best Workplaces Survey.

"This is an enviable achievement for an organisation that was once performing significantly below the State Sector benchmark," the report says.

It's particularly remarkable given today's challenging environment, says Acting General Manager Human Resources Alan Cassidy.

"Police is going through a period of change, yet through this we have managed to continue to build engagement amongst our staff."

The workplace survey is being well used to drive discussion with staff and develop actions to make Police a better place to work, says Alan.

"Our Performance Index (which is an average of all the questions in the survey) has increased by 3.5 percent and responses to every question, of the 63 asked in the survey, has improved - many significantly.

"Our Engagement Index (measuring how we apply ourselves to our work) has increased by 2.8% from 2011. This is considered to be a 'significant' increase.

"The number of engaged people in our organisation has increased from 21% being fully engaged in 2011 to just on 28% in 2012.   This is well above the State Sector benchmark of 20.4 %.

"Eleven districts or service centres recorded increases in engagement while only two showed a decline.  Performance index scores increased for 16, with none declining."

"We have significantly more engaged staff and slightly fewer disengaged staff than the state sector benchmark.  This reflects really well on the whole organisation," says Alan.

Alan says enhancing internal communications, celebrating success and helping people to see how their efforts are helping to prevent crime and keep communities safe are key themes being worked on in the coming year.

"While levels of engagement within NZ Police now exceed NZ State Sector benchmarks we need to continue to focus on improving overall engagement levels.

"If we focus on the right things, and follow though on the results the outcome will be a more highly performing organisation. That is why we commit to an annual survey process," says Alan.

"Three years ago comparing ourselves to the 'employer of choice' benchmark seemed an unattainable goal.  Now we have many work groups across the whole organisation that are above that benchmark, including a number of our operating areas.  Our results show that if we focus on the right things, and follow through, we can achieve significant and sustained results", he says.