1. State of the Public Policy Labour Market
Perception is reality

2. Objectives
• What does the policy labour market look like?
• What are the pain points in the world of public policy?
• Where are we wanting/needing to go?
• How are we going to get there?
• What’s the effect on day to day recruitment?
2

3. good to know you
“Quality policy
advice underpins
effective decision
making… and the
policy context is
becoming more
complex”

4. What does the policy labour market look like?
Internal pool of talent
4
3% of policy staff
were recruited from
the private sector

5. What does the policy labour market look like?
General Trends vs. Policy Analyst Trends
5
*Data collated from SSC HRC Survey 2013
Staff numbers have increased by 2.7%
Salary increases are modest with an
overall average 2.1%
Size of leadership group has decreased
both in number and percentage of the
public sector
Staff turnover is down with core
unplanned turnover 10.5% in 2013
compared with 11.4% in 2012
Policy Analysts have decreased 2.7%
Salary increases are modest at 1.4% (four
largest increase compared with other
occupational groups)
Size of leadership group has increased
with one in five policy staff in a
management or leadership role
Policy staff turnover has stagnated at
15%

6. What are the pain
points in the world
of public policy?
good to know you
6

7. What are the pain points in the world of public
policy?
Recruit, Train and Deploy
7
Salary
Expectations
The Title Creep
Senior Policy
Advisors

8. What are the pain points in the world of public
policy?
Recruit, Train and Deploy
8
“Buy not grow”

9. What are the pain points in the world of public
policy?
Recruit, Train and Deploy
9
Principal Advisor
Senior Advisor
Advisor
7% 11%
43%
50% 40%
49%
2007 2013

10. Where are we
wanting/needing to
go? How are we
going to get there?
good to know you
10

11. Where are we wanting/needing to go? How are we
going to get there?
The trinity and their initiatives
11
State Services
Commission
Treasury
Department of Prime
Minister and Cabinet
BPS Results
Four Year Plans
Changes to CE
performance agreements
Leadership Capability Development and
Deployment
Professionalizing policy workforce

12. What’s the effect
on day to day
recruitment?
good to know you
12

13. What’s the effect on day to day recruitment?
Traditional skills and contemporary requirements
13

14. What’s the effect on day to day recruitment?
Untapped talent pools
14

15. Going Forwards
good to know you

16. State of the Public Policy Labour Market
Perception is reality