Focus on Job Fit and Development

Occupational category

The 2014 PSES results indicate that opinions on job fit and development differ among occupational categories^{See Footnote 2}. Employees in the Executive category expressed the most positive opinions on all questions relating to job fit, training and career development.

Employees in the Administrative Support category held the least positive views on job fit, whereas employees in the Operational category expressed the least positive opinions on training and support for career development. The most pronounced difference between Executive and Operational employees' opinions in this area relate to their views on support for career development. Almost three quarters of Executive employees (74%) agreed that their organization does a good job of supporting employee career development (Q53), compared with approximately one third of Operational employees (35%). In terms of job fit, there was a tendency for employees in all occupational categories to feel that their job fits well with their skills (Q7), more than with their interests (Q6) (see Figure 1).

Additionally, Executive employees were most likely to indicate that their job fits well with their interests and skills (93% and 95%, Q6 and Q7), whereas Administrative Support employees were least likely to feel the same (69% and 73%, Q6 and Q7).

Figure 1 - Text version

Figure 1 illustrates the proportion of employees in each occupational category who responded affirmatively to Q6 (My job is a good fit with my interests) and the proportion of employees in each occupational category who responded affirmatively to Q7 (My job is a good fit with my skills).

	Executive	Scientific and Professional	Administration and Foreign Services	Technical	Administrative Support	Operational
Interests	93%	83%	77%	85%	69%	77%
Skills	95%	86%	83%	86%	73%	82%

Community

The 2014 PSES asked employees to indicate the community with which they most closely identify. Employees who identified with the access to information and privacy, the internal audit, the human resources, and the financial management communities tended to express the most positive views relating to training, support for career development and opportunities for promotion. Employees who identified with these communities were more inclined than employees who identified with the security community to indicate that they receive the training they need to do their job (71% to 73%, compared with 51%, Q5) and to agree that their organization supports employee career development (60% to 65%, compared with 37%, Q53).

Further, employees who identified with the access to information and privacy, the internal audit, the human resources, and the financial management communities were more likely than employees who identified with the legal services, the library services, the health care practitioners and the science and technology communities to feel that they have opportunities for promotion within their organization, given their education, skills and experience (46% to 51%, compared with 30% to 39%, Q54).

Interestingly, employees of some of the communities that yielded the least positive results regarding opportunities for promotion were most inclined to indicate good job fit. Among the various communities, employees who identified with the legal services, the health care practitioners, the science and technology, and the communications and public affairs communities were most likely to agree that their job is a good fit with their interests (83% to 86%, Q6) and their job is a good fit with their skills (87% to 88%, Q7). Employees who identified with the client contact centre, the information management, the administration and operations and the access to information and privacy communities were least likely to agree that their job is a good fit with their interests (71% to 75%, Q6) and their job is a good fit with their skills (77% to 81%, Q7).

Age

Employees aged 24 years or younger were more likely to provide positive views on training and career development than did employees of older age groups. More than three quarters of employees aged 24 years and younger (77%) indicated that they get the training they need to do their job (Q5), compared with 60% to 68% for employees in older age groups. Additionally, 72% of employees aged 24 years and younger felt that their organization does a good job of supporting career development (Q53), compared with 50% to 57% for employees in older age groups. Similarly, 62% of employees aged 24 years and younger agreed that they have opportunities for promotion within their organization, given their education, skills and experience (Q54), compared with 38% to 52% for employees in older age groups (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 - Text version

Figure 2 illustrates the proportion of employees who responded affirmatively to Q39 (Senior managers in my department or agency lead by example in ethical behaviour) by age group.

24 years and under	25-29 years	30-34 years	35-39 years	40-44 years	45 to 49 years	50 to 54 years	55-59 years	60 years and over
62%	52%	46%	43%	42%	41%	39%	38%	40%

Organization size

Employees in smaller organizations tended to express more positive opinions on support for career development than did employees in larger organizations. In contrast, perceptions of opportunities for promotion did not vary much according to organization size. To illustrate, 69% of employees in micro organizations (those with fewer than 150 employees) agreed that their organization does a good job of supporting career development (Q53) compared with 49% of employees in large organizations (5000 to 9999 employees) and 51% of employees in very large organizations (those with 10,000 employees or more) In comparison, 38% to 44% of employees across organization size groups felt they have opportunities for promotion within their organization, given their education, skills and experience (Q54) (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 - Text version

Figure 3 illustrates the proportion of employees who responded affirmatively to Q53 (My department or agency does a good job of supporting employee career development and Q54 (I have opportunities for promotion within my department or agency, given my education, skills and experience) by size of organization.

	Micro (fewer than 150 employees)	Very Small (150–499 employees)	Small (500–999 employees)	Medium (1,000–4,999 employees)	Large (5,000–9,999 employees)	Very Large (10,000 employees or more)
Support for career development	69%	66%	59%	56%	49%	51%
Opportunities for promotion	39%	43%	38%	41%	41%	44%

Good job fit linked to greater job satisfaction

Employees who agreed that their job fits well with their interests or that it fits well with their skills were more likely to provide positive views on indicators of engagement, particularly job satisfaction. For example, 91% of employees who agreed that their job is a good fit with their interests (Q6) indicated that, overall, they like their job (Q19), compared with 23% of those who disagreed that their job is a good fit with their interests. Similarly, employees who agreed that their job is a good fit with their skills (Q7) were more likely than those who disagreed to indicate that they like their job (88% compared with 30%, Q19).

Among employees who agreed that their job is a good fit with their interests (Q6), 87% indicated that they get a sense of satisfaction from their work (Q11); that proportion was 20% for employees who disagreed that their job is a good fit with their interests. Similarly, 83% who agreed that their job is a good fit with their skills (Q7) indicated that they get a sense of satisfaction from their work (Q11), compared with 25% of employees who disagreed that their job is a good fit with their skills.

Support and opportunities for career development linked to satisfaction with organization

Employees who felt that their organization supports career development or that their organization provides opportunities for promotion tended to view their organization in a positive light. Among employees who agreed that their organization supports employee career development (Q53), 85% indicated that they were satisfied with their organization (Q59); that proportion was 32% for those who disagreed that their organization supports career development. Similarly, 85% of employees who agreed that they believe they have opportunities for promotion, given their education, skills and experience (Q54) indicated that they were satisfied with their organization (Q59), compared with 41% of employees who disagreed that they have opportunities for promotion within their organization.

Employees who agreed that their organization supports career development (Q53) were more likely than those who disagreed to indicate that would recommend their organization as a great place to work (84% compared with 33%, Q58). Similarly, 85% of employees who agreed that they believe they have opportunities for promotion, given their education, skills and experience (Q54) also indicated that they would recommend their organization as a great place to work (Q58), compared with 41% of employees who disagreed that they have opportunities for promotion.

Support for career development linked to favourable views on senior management

Employees who perceived their organization as supporting career development tended to express positive opinions about senior management. For example, employees who agreed that their organization does a good job of supporting employee career development (Q53) were more likely than employees who disagreed to indicate that they have confidence in the senior management of their organization (75% compared with 25%, Q40), that senior management will try to resolve concerns raised in the survey (67% compared with 18%, Q42) and that senior management in their organization makes effective and timely decisions (65% compared with 18%, Q41).

Support for career development linked to a respectful workplace

Employees who agreed that their organization supports employee career development (Q53) were more likely than those who disagreed to report that their organization treats them with respect (95% compared with 56%, Q57) and that they think their organization respects individual differences (92% compared with 57%, Q56).

Support for career development and relevant training linked to sense of empowerment

Perceptions of support for career development were related to indicators of empowerment. Employees who agreed that their organization supports employee career development (Q53) were more likely than those who disagreed to indicate that they are encouraged to be innovative or to take initiative in their work (81% compared with 39%, Q17) and that they have support at work to provide a high level of service (85% compared with 40%, Q18).

Similarly, 80% of employees who agreed that they get the training they need to do their job (Q5) reported that they have support at work to provide a high level of service (Q18); that proportion was 37% for employees who disagreed that they received the training they need.