What’s it like to work for Canada’s ‘Taxman’?

“Let me tell you how it will be / There's one for you, 19 for me / 'Cause I'm the taxman / Yeah, I'm the taxman.” Those are the opening words from the 1966 song Taxman by The Beatles. It was somewhat aimed at the government of the day in Great Britain that was taking a big chunk of The Beatles’ earnings. Our version of the 'Taxman' in this country is the Canada Revenue Agency, and while some may think CRA is also taking too much of our earnings at this time of year, our tax rates do not even come close to the 95 per cent represented in that song. And contrary to the ‘Taxman’ in that song, the CRA does not tax our feet, at least not yet! There is something about the CRA that few Canadians would likely know. Employees at that federal agency are among the happiest employees across the whole federal public service. In fact, with a little analysis of the last Public Service Employee Survey, the CRA looks to have the most engaged and satisfied public servants of all the larger federal agencies. Why is that? Do CRA employees get a ‘cut’ of the tax money they bring in? I have it from good sources that they are not, in fact, working on a commission basis! Even if they do sometimes seem difficult to deal with—that is if you can ever actually get to talk to one of them—they are paid to be helpful, and they are. I know that some may point out that a bunch of CRA employees were recently fired because of misuse of CERB, the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit. Yes, some 185 workers were let go from the agency for that reason. But, come on, that represents a small part of one per cent of its 55,000 employees, hardly enough to draw any conclusions about the overall integrity of its workforce, at least in my view. It brings forth questions worth seriously considering: what does the CRA do to motivate its employees so well? And, what could the rest of Canada’s public service learn from that experience? While the official reports on the survey results are typically innocuous and do not provide any comparative rankings—on purpose?—with just a little bit of analysis, one can derive that ‘insider’ information. That’s what I have been doing for some 20 years, as a former federal employee. It makes for some interesting findings. Compared to other federal agencies, our national tax collector stands out in positive ways. Consider these results in the 'strongly agree' category: 1. Some 52 per cent of CRA employees are very satisfied with their agency. That compares to only 40 per cent of the public service overall. 2. Sixty per cent of them feel very well respected at work, compared to 50 per cent for all public servants. 3. Forty per cent have a lot of confidence in their senior management at CRA. It’s 32 per cent for the rest. Other responses tell a similar story: the CRA is a good place to work. How does CRA do it? To find out, I was given the opportunity to speak with Laura Simpson who has been a public servant for over 20 years, and has worked at the Canada Revenue Agency for nearly seven. After talking with her, it is clear she loves her job and is passionate about the CRA. Here’s what I learned. While most agencies have a well-being strategy for all their employees, the CRA goes beyond. It hires leaders and managers who treat their staff well, with respect, and as valued members of a team. The agency appears to recognize the fact that just being a talented employee with demonstrated technical or analytic skills does not necessarily make one a good manager. (Yes, I saw a bit of that during my time in the public service.) The CRA looks to do more, promoting character-based leadership as a mandatory strength in all their senior leaders. Another thing that Simpson pointed out was an agency-wide effort to get employee input on major decisions that affect their work. Virtual town-hall sessions are held with all employees where many of the topics suggested come from employees themselves. Staff at any level can also email CRA Commissioner Bob Hamilton, and be sure their message will receive a respectful reply. Simpson mentioned that the CRA does not keep secrets from its employees, and treats them as if they are the “best,” which the survey results seem to confirm. CRA employs several other unique methods to energize and engage workers. Initiatives such as their active employee networks, innovative internal communications, and leadership identification and development programs apparently contribute to a supportive and nurturing environment. The welcoming culture, emphasis on respect, and recognition of achievements collectively appear to help create an exceptional workplace. By the way, Simpson emphasizes that the CRA is always looking for exceptional people—maybe 185 of them?—to join the agency. I wonder if other leaders in our public service could take cues from the success that the CRA has achieved in creating a positive workplace for its employees. When I see the last survey results for some of the other large agencies, it seems that CRA could offer some useful suggestions to improve morale, and by consequence, workplace performance and other measurable, positive results. As for my own dealings with CRA, I’m still searching for my missing receipts and T-slips, because thinking about another song by The Beatles, they are Nowhere, Man! Jake Cole worked for the public service for 34 years in six departments. He has been tracking the ‘real’ results of the Public Service Employee Survey for some 20 years. The Hill Times Data analysis by Jake Cole and team, using the Public Service Employee Survey

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What’s it like to work for Canada’s ‘Taxman’?

Employees at the Canada Revenue Agency are among the happiest employees across the whole federal public service.

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