Senior leaders in the public service are at the forefront of building effective and efficient public sector organisations that can deliver the government’s priorities. They communicate the mission, priorities and direction of the organisation, and motivate employees to find innovative solutions to address citizens’ needs. Managers play a pivotal role in bridging the divide between senior leaders and employees by helping to translate the strategic direction and priorities of the organisation into team and individual objectives. In doing so, managers help employees to feel connected and see how their work contributes to the organisation’s wider purpose. They are also vital in communicating and reinforcing expected and valued behaviour and attitudes through feedback, rewards and recognition, and daily interactions, thereby upholding the culture of the organisation.
A survey of central administration employees in seven OECD countries and two accession countries found they had more positive perceptions of their immediate managers than of their organisation’s senior leadership. The OECD Manager Index captures the extent to which employees agree that their immediate supervisor is supportive, acts with fairness and integrity, and provides feedback and delegates appropriately. The Senior Manager Index captures perceptions of how well senior leaders provide clear direction, communicate and manage well, promote co-operation, and act with integrity. Average scores for the Manager Index range from 66.6 in Denmark to 75.5 in Lithuania, on a 0-100 scale. In contrast, average scores in OECD countries for the Senior Leadership Index are about 10 percentage points lower, ranging from 56.1 in Slovenia to 64.9 in Latvia (Figure 14.8). This difference is probably due to the more frequent informal communication, greater visibility and closer relationships employees have with their line managers.
In addition to formal performance management (see Figure 14.4 in Section on “Performance assessments in central administrations”), managers can use informal performance management practices, including regular check-ins and feedback. Regular feedback from immediate supervisors is important for staff development while rewards and recognition are important for motivating employees and reinforcing desired behaviour. Figure 14.9 shows perceptions among central administration employees of their immediate supervisors’ informal performance management practices by country. On average across the seven OECD countries surveyed, the share of employees who feel their supervisor provides helpful feedback (62%) and recognises and rewards good performance (63%) are comparable. In four out of seven countries (57%) respondents are more positive about their immediate supervisors’ use of feedback than about their use of rewards and recognition. In contrast, in Denmark and Latvia, the shares are the other way around.
