iTRACE: In-Depth Trends and Root Cause Analysis of Canadian Public Service Employee Survey

Governments continuously implement measures and initiatives to enhance the appeal of careers in public service. Understanding the key factors influencing the satisfaction of public service employees is paramount, as it can lead to enhanced performance, increased employee retention, and the attraction of top talent, ultimately resulting in improved service delivery to the public. Every two years, the Canadian government conducts a survey among public service employees to gauge the effectiveness of current practices and areas needing improvement from the employees' viewpoint. Although strides have been made in utilizing survey findings to inform action plans, their full potential remains untapped. In this study, we propose a multi-layered framework, called iTRACE, to comprehensively analyse the survey data and explore the interrelationships among various factors impacting employee satisfaction. Our findings illuminate concealed patterns in employee responses, pinpoint possible root causes, and offer guidance for targeted improvements. We posit that this approach can assist decision-makers in refining strategies to enhance employee satisfaction and is transferable to other organizations and countries for inferring causal relationships from survey data.