In October 2024, Serbian civil service made a significant step toward enhancing its staff engagement and satisfaction by conducting a wide-reaching Staff Engagement Survey across state institutions. Carried out under the EU-funded project Integrated Human Resources Management in Public Administration of the Republic of Serbia, the survey gathered responses from more than 3.400 civil servants, offering valuable insights into employee attitudes, work environments, and organizational practices. 75 state administration bodies and 12 administrative districts took part in this survey.
Why do these data matter?
The collected data serves as one of the key sources of the newly developed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) methodology, designed to assess the implementation of human resource management (HRM) practices across public administration. This methodology evaluates key HRM processes such as recruitment, performance appraisal, career development, and employee engagement. The survey’s findings provide actionable insights that will create data-driven preconditions for HRM policies and practices across the Serbian civil service.
An important finding is that the survey identified areas for improvement in employee engagement and workplace satisfaction within Serbia’s civil service, including how civil servants perceive their organizations as desirable workplaces. These results highlight the importance of creating a workplace environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and aligned with their organization’s mission. By addressing these challenges, targeted measures can enhance motivation, productivity, and organizational reputation, which, among other things, will also improve the quality of public services provided to citizens.
Why are staff engagement surveys important?
Measuring staff engagement and satisfaction is essential for understanding employee perspectives and driving meaningful changes. Here's why these surveys are a vital tool for modern HRM:
- Boosting productivity and performance: Engaged and satisfied employees are more motivated, productive, and committed to their roles, resulting in better outcomes.
- Identifying areas for improvement: Surveys help pinpoint challenges and employee’s disengagement, enabling targeted interventions.
- Enhancing retention and reducing turnover: Satisfied employees are less likely to leave, reducing recruitment and training costs while maintaining institutional stability.
- Building a positive employer brand: A workplace where employees are engaged and satisfied attracts top talent and strengthens organizational reputation.
- Improving service delivery: In state administration, employee engagement directly impacts the quality of services provided to citizens and businesses. A motivated civil servant ensures more efficient and effective public service delivery.
Building the foundations of public administration reform
At the heart of every social reform are people - both those who are the subject of change and those whose engagement is essential to its success. This is especially true for public administration reform, where motivated and engaged civil servants play a crucial role in achieving reform goals. For this reason, the survey marks another important step in the modernization of HRM in the Serbian civil service, contributing to the foundation of public administration reform, which has been supported by the European Union since its inception, including through this project.
The Staff Engagement Survey conducted under this project is not just a snapshot of current attitudes but a cornerstone for future planning and reform implementation. By focusing on the needs of state administration employees, the project is laying the groundwork for a modern, efficient, and transparent state administration that better serves Serbia's citizens and businesses.