A message from the Clerk to managers at the National Managers’ Community Symposium.
Video Transcript
Date: September 28, 2022
Duration: 00:14:12
Janice Charette: Hello, everyone!
I am speaking to you today from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people. You may know it as Ottawa. Wherever you find yourself today, I encourage you think about the Indigenous Peoples who call these lands home and who have acted as the guardians, past and present, to allow us to make our homes and our careers on these lands.
I am grateful to the National Managers’ Community and the Canada School of Public Service for organizing this symposium and for bringing us all together. The work they do behind the scenes to support public service and public service managers is truly remarkable and much appreciated, so Bravo, and a big thank you!
You know, if I had to choose one word to describe the past year, it would probably be “uncertainty.” It seems like every time one crisis was finally under control, another one was waiting just around the corner for us.
I am so proud of how public servants and how managers in particular have responded throughout the pandemic. When the going got tough, you were the steady and dependable force that your teams, senior leadership, and Canadians really needed.
If you take only one thing away from my remarks I hope it is thanks, thanks for all that you have done and for how you have done it. For stepping up to serve Canadians and make Canada the best place in the world to live and to raise a family. And perhaps above all, for supporting your teams and helping them to navigate this prolonged period of uncertainty and unexpected challenges.
A lot of credit for the public service’s success and achievements over the past year has to go to managers. You are truly at the heart of all of our efforts. Be it your response to the pandemic, the floods and the wildfires in Western Canada, the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, Budgets 2021 and 2022, convoys and the occupation of Ottawa well, it’s quite a list and you have tackled a lot together over the past year, in a governing context that is about as complex as anything that I have seen in my career.
One of the biggest challenges that we have seen emerge post-COVID is the sudden rebound to pre-pandemic volumes, which has especially affected our service delivery operations. The pandemic has disrupted our usual lines of work. This has played out in a number of ways, perhaps most significantly in the significant wait times at airports and the major backlogs and delays in the processing of passport and immigration applications. These service delivery challenges will inevitably be part of our transition to a post-COVID world, but we must, and we can offer Canadians a better service experience. Our credibility depends on it. Canadians need to have confidence in their public service, and we need to earn that confidence every single day.
Now I recognize that despite my enthusiasm for all of your dedication and accomplishments, the speed of change, the volume of work, and the pressure to deliver have been significant. The achievements and the successes of the last year are remarkable, but they are a long list of big, hard things. And doing hard things while managing people through more than two years of a global pandemic – that is difficult.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that. But that’s the thing about working in a challenging governing context that’s ripe with uncertainty, it comes with the expectation to do more and unfortunately to do it faster.
Leadership is what we make of the circumstances that we face, and I have been awed by the leadership that I have observed at all levels across the public service this year. “How can I help?” has been the overwhelming response from managers. The willingness to step in and step up where needed gives me tremendous confidence as we begin the next phase of public service renewal and transition to what we all hope will be a post-COVID world.
We have exciting opportunities before us to renew our public service in a way that provides Canadians with the highest quality of service and ensures we are well positioned for whatever challenges come next.
I see three areas for action that I want to talk to you about today. Because I think they will allow us to make the most of this moment.
The first is the exciting opportunity that we have to define our new public service workplace.
I strongly believe that the hybrid formula is the way of the future for government office work.
I think public servants were able to respond really quickly in the pandemic, in part because they drew on the large reserve of skills, relationships, and trust that had been built up over many years of working together in person. Now 2 years plus later, that reserve has become depleted as people have left the public service or moved positions, or new recruits have been hired without even meeting their colleagues face to face.
Now it’s safe to come back to the office. We must double down and invest in team building and collaboration again and rebuild those relationships and that trust between colleagues, and with clients and Canadians. So, what does this look like?
For me, it looks like a hybrid model that is: clear and flexible; that acknowledges the unique nature and requirements of every department and agency; and that adopts and balances the best aspects of being in the office and the advantages of remote work.
Is it all in the office? Nope. Is it all working remotely? Nope. So, what is it? It’s a blend of both, and it has to be built by you and by your teams.
I know that throughout the summer and fall, many of you have been testing and fine-tuning various hybrid work models. Although every department and agency is very different in terms of this journey, I expect that many have defined their hybrid work models by now and are asking employees to adjust accordingly.
This next phase and probably the most challenging phase of implementation has put managers at the forefront. You are responsible for translating the direction from senior leaders into practical, on-the-ground solutions. You are the ones that are fielding questions from your teams and in some cases, being asked to make tough decisions.
I know it’s not an easy role to play. I know that there are going to be bumps. I also understand that many employees have rearranged their lives to work remotely and many feel even more productive at home. You may even be getting some pushback from your employees. Some of that I have to say is to be expected.
At the end of the day, we have to really approach this with common sense and flexibility and with empathy. Does it make sense for people to come to the office and sit in front of a computer screen and be on MS Teams calls all day? Absolutely not.
So, we have to be purposeful about why – why are we bringing people into the office? That may mean that working at home is reserved for independent work that really requires more quiet and more concentration. And the office then becomes a place for more collaborative tasks, like brainstorming and team meetings.
I encourage you to continue having regular conversations with your employees on how we can maximize the benefits and minimize the losses of this new way of working. I can’t stress enough the importance of open, ongoing, and frequent communications with your teams. Fine-tuning our hybrid work models will be an ongoing team effort, and your feedback and your input in this process are invaluable.
The second area of action I believe will make us better positioned for future challenges is our ongoing work to fight anti-Black racism and discrimination against Black and racialized employees, as well as persons with disabilities and our Indigenous employees. The future workplace that we are building must promote diversity and inclusion and reduce barriers to an accessibility.
Together, we have made great strides.
The Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion, which was launched in 2020, has inspired efforts and spurred change across the public service. Departments are not just appointing more Indigenous, Black, and other racialized employees to leadership positions, they are educating people to be able to identify and eliminate systemic barriers in our organizations.
Not being racist is not enough. As an institution, we must all strive to be anti-racist.
Departments are also seeking out more accessibility tools and services for employees with disabilities to ensure that they are equipped to do their jobs and can fully participate in all events and meetings.
And last year was the launch of the first-ever Public Service Pride Awards to recognize and celebrate public servants who have helped create more inclusive workplaces for employees who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, or as members of sexual and gender diverse communities.
We are on the right track, but more needs to be done and we’ve got to do move faster. Our employees and Canadians are demanding more of us – more action, less talk.
This is especially important in the context of your plans to return to the workplace. Surveys show that our Black, racialized, Indigenous and disabled employees found working from home reduced the impact that they felt from racism and micro-aggressions. Please consider those diversity and inclusion elements in your return to the workplace plans and invite employee networks in your engagement processes.
Everyone has a role to play in building a more inclusive work environment. Hiring managers are uniquely positioned to bring this to life. I really need you to be the “action” in the Call to Action!
Keep taking note when you are sitting around your tables who is part of your team, which voices are not speaking up – who is missing from your table. Continue to foster an environment where every person feels included that they can bring their whole selves and feel comfortable coming to work. And let your senior leadership team know when you see blockages or challenges that you need help to overcome and how can we best help equip you to do this important work.
We can’t lose our focus on this. This is about ongoing action to transform over the long term. It’s not just the right thing to do for our people; it is one of the keys to designing and delivering better policies, better services, and better programs for the incredible country that Canada is.
This brings me to the third and final area of action: the way we recruit and retain talent.
The public service, like all employers, wants to be able to attract and hire the very best people. We are facing an increasingly competitive labour market, especially in the regions. We currently have a job vacancy rate of 4.9 percent – that’s up from 3.1 percent at the beginning of 2020.
So what does this mean? It means we must adopt a more assertive and faster recruitment approach that identifies the skills and the experience that we need for today and for tomorrow. It’s going to require us to actively recruit to fulfill our commitment to hire 5,000 persons with disabilities by 2025.
I really urge managers to approach this in a thoughtful and creative way.
Are you attracting and retaining people that are going to be able to add value into your teams and into your organization?
Are you helping to recruit people who help meet our diversity profiles?
Above all, are you taking steps to ensure that all your employees are fully included in your organization and given the opportunity to be themselves and realize their full potential?
Think about what sets the public service apart from other employers. I am confident that new recruits can be attracted by the opportunity that we offer to serve their country and make a difference in the lives of Canadians.
To recruit talent, we got to keep emphasizing this comparative advantage. To retain it, we must continue to be flexible, safe, inclusive, and rewarding workplaces.
Collectively we as Canadians and as public servants we’ve weathered many challenges in this past year. I am so proud of all that has been accomplished. And I am committed to working with you to build on those accomplishments as we transition to that post-COVID world.
Now as I look to the future, it is clear to me that the public service needs to continue harnessing the lessons we have learned during this past year to deliver on the government’s priorities and be ready to support Canadians whatever comes next.
The future is likely to continue to be uncertain. The expectations will be high. But we are in this together. And we’re going to figure out how to move forward together.
Government work is teamwork. And I am confident that, as a team, we can and we will chart a new path for the public service that blends the best of our traditions with emerging approaches so we can deliver the very best results for Canadians.
Thank you again for all that you do and for being on this journey with me. Enjoy the symposium!
Merci beaucoup. Meegwetch.
