In April, Strategic Pay released its annual Central Government Remuneration Report. We surveyed 27,912 employees across 159 job categories within 31 central government organisations. Here’s a summary of the key findings, and what we can learn from them.
The findings
Our survey included notable findings in tenure, gender distribution, bonuses and benefits. We found that:
- Tenure – Job tenure is highest in regulatory services (12.1 years), customer service and call centres (9.5 years) and operations/service delivery (8.3 years).
- Gender distribution – There are more women than men in customer service (75 per cent) and information management (69 per cent). Meanwhile, information technology (IT) and regulatory service are predominantly male (68 per cent and 57 per cent respectively).
- Performance bonuses – These are received by one per cent of general staff and eight per cent of top executives.
- Benefits – The survey found that 72 per cent of central government staff receive one or more benefits in addition to base salary. The most popular benefit is KiwiSaver, followed by additional leave, other superannuation and medical insurance.
What can we learn from this research?
Low employee turnover is sought after by most organisations. The above figures for tenure show that in some functions, central government has a low turnover – perhaps this is helped by the high proportion of staff who receive additional benefits. Employers both inside and outside government should review their own benefit system, particularly KiwiSaver and additional leave, to see if their rewards are contributing to staff retention.
Gender equality and distribution is an important topic at the moment, particularly in IT, New Zealand’s central government follows the worldwide trend of having few women in IT. As there is a serious skill shortage in the country, it’s more important than ever to tap into the unused talent that resides in women. Employing more female IT workers is one way to bridge the gap.
Strategic Pay’s surveysThe central government remuneration report is just one of many market information reports that Strategic Pay conduct on a regular basis. If you would like access to our surveys, or if you have any questions, please contact us.
