86 per cent satisfied with their work situation

Employees of the Riksbank are even more satisfied with their work situation than they were last year. 86 per cent of the employees are satisfied with their work situation, which is an increase of five percentage points. The Riksbank's employees are strongly committed to their work and feel that there is an open atmosphere at the Bank. Confidence in both Stefan Ingves and line managers has increased.

As in the two earlier employee surveys, participation in this year’s survey was very high – 92 per cent. This indicates a strong commitment within the organisation. Many employees have taken part in the improvement work, which is of course one important explanation of the results.

Another explanation for the success is that management within the Bank has improved, with clearer requirements, goals and following-up of activities. The Riksbank has actively worked on the development of management skills over the past two years. These efforts are clearly reflected in this year’s employee survey. Management in general and clarity within the organisation regarding goals and following-up are among the areas that have improved the most.

“I am very pleased that the results are so good and that they are also improving from one year to the next. We are consciously striving to improve the working climate and are constantly endeavouring to make the Riksbank a good and attractive workplace,” says Governor Stefan Ingves.

If one looks at what Synovate calls its employee index, the Riksbank’s index has improved considerably. The employee index is a summary of an average of the percentage of employees who are satisfied within the central areas covered in the survey (work structure, management, organisational climate, personal work situation, ability to act) where all of the questions carry equal weight. Synovate’s benchmark for this index is 61 per cent. Our employee index is now 72 per cent, compared with 67 per cent in the previous survey.

Areas for improvement

The survey shows that there is still room for improvement in some areas, for instance, how different divisions cooperate and learn from one another and how employees develop their competence. Workload and stress have increased in relation to last year.

The departments and divisions within the Riksbank will now discuss the results and develop measures for those areas that require development.

How the survey was made

The Riksbank carries out an annual employee survey to identify areas that require improvement in the working environment. The 2008 employee survey was in the form of a web-based questionnaire completed in September. The response rate was 92 per cent, which was equal to the responses in the surveys made in 2007 and 2006.