The 2022-23 Public Service Employee Survey results are in

June 2, 2023 - Defence Stories

Last winter, you participated in the Public Service Employee Survey (PSES) (accessible only on the National Defence network) to express your opinions on a range of important themes to help shape the future of the Public Service and our work environment here at the Department of National Defence (DND).

The PSES is an invaluable tool to identify ways to improve, innovate, and contribute to a highly engaged and productive workforce across National Defence. This past year has seen the implementation of the hybrid work model and a continued focus on equity and inclusion in the Public Service. The PSES results provide insights on how these and other changes impact our people and the workplace.

The 2023 survey measured the views of federal government employees on:

• leadership;
• the workforce;
• the workplace;
• workplace well-being;
• compensation efforts; and
• engagement in your work.

Department-wide survey results across DND are now available with individual L1 organization results to be released on June 19. The overall response rate for the 2022 PSES was 46.4 per cent which was slightly lower than in 2020 and seven per cent lower than the Public Service-wide average. For those who completed the survey, thank you for taking the time to provide us with your invaluable feedback. Your voice matters and makes a difference.

The results

A summary of department-wide results (accessible only on the National Defence network) indicates that employees who took the survey:

• are proud of the work they do (86 per cent) and would recommend DND as a great place to work (70 per cent);
• feel respected by their department (83 per cent) and within their work unit (80 per cent); and
• understand how their work contributes to the Defence mission (84 per cent) and feel they have the information, training, and equipment required to be safe at work (80 per cent).

Your feedback indicates that we are making steady progress in many of the key areas of people management within the organization over the past five years. However, you have also told us that much work remains to be done if the bold changes underway across the organization – whether these reflect culture evolution, diversity and inclusion, total health and wellness, the future of work, or otherwise – are to take root and be felt at all levels and across all workspaces.

What’s next?

In the coming weeks, senior leadership will review the survey results in more detail and identify ways to address the conclusions reached. We will focus on areas where responses are comparatively low in relation to other parts of DND, to the Public Service, or where they show a negative trend over time. This important step will strengthen the Defence Team and bolster our efforts to improve how we conduct business and care for our people.

Your feedback in this survey and all future surveys helps create and sustain the inclusive, healthy, diverse, flexible, and adaptive workplace and workforce. If you have any questions about the survey, please send an email to DND’s PSES Team.

Thank you,

Isabelle Desmartis
Assistant Deputy Minister (HR-Civ)