The government sector is notably different from the private sector in many ways, but one fact remains true – labour productivity has a real impact on the organization, whether public or private. In the former’s case, labour productivity is inextricably linked to citizen service. Better efficiency outputs means better service to the public, plain and simple. In fact, a study released by the BC Public Service Work Unit detailed how better employee engagement contributes to higher customer satisfaction.
In today’s environment, citizens expect more from their governments, just as they do from private companies. They want better communication, they want to be able to reach service representative digitally, and they want more individualized service. Meeting these increasing demands means evaluating work efficiency and looking for ways to improve it. Here are a few ways that the public sector can achieve this.
1. Better Interaction With Citizens
Many government departments have worked to implement more innovative ways to communicate with citizens, particularly in the digital spaces they frequent. Initiatives include features such as individualized online services and client portals, better engagement via social media, the digitization of files and information, and more transparent sharing of data. Equipping public service workers with the means to improve citizen interaction can ultimately help in delivering better, more personable citizen service.
2. Improved Workforce Management
Since labour productivity has a demonstrable impact on the quality of citizen service, improving the latter means better management of the former. Improving workforce management can help not only lower the cost of administration, but also allow managers to allocate resources more intelligently. Additionally, with the use of workforce management software, governments can more effectively manage attendance, reduce exposure to compliance risks, as well as monitor and improve labour productivity.
3. Embracing Organizational Learning
In a previous post, we discussed the important role of organizational learning (OL) in building better government. In a similar light, organizational learning significantly improve work efficiency and consequently result in more effective citizen service. When governments embrace OL, not only are employees better equipped to do their jobs, but departments are enabled to collaborate easily, and organizational change and innovation are implemented more effectively. This helps to ensure that governments are continually improving in order to expedite processes, institute changes and provide better citizen service.
While the end customer may be different for the public service, work efficiency is just as important as it is in the private sector. By focusing on the three methods discussed above, government can boost labour productivity, which consequently, can positively impact the level of citizen service provided.
