When the Swedish Tax Agency decided to start working according to the Agerus method in 2019, it was because the agency wanted to get away from the large, traditional employee survey and instead work locally in the business to create a sustainable performance culture. Since the introduction, the agency has further developed its way of working with the method and now also includes work on organizational and psychosocial work environment issues in the process. In 2022, the Swedish Work Environment Authority approved an approach for how this work should be carried out.

It is not surprising that the Swedish Tax Agency has developed its way of working with the Agerus method. Right from the start, they were innovative and saw possible links to the work environment.

– With us, each group owns its result and works with it based on its own conditions,” says Maria Andrén, HR strategist and responsible for the Agerus measurements at the agency. “Early on, we also started to look at whether we could clarify the link to work environment management because we recognized so much from the OSA regulations in the Agerus method.

Approved by the Swedish Work Environment Authority

– Now we have added OSA questions and strengthened our own process. We can therefore say that the survey is both our new type of employee survey and our psychosocial survey. The big benefit is that it makes it easier for managers and employees to work in the same process. With it, we can really create the conditions for a productive and good working life.

– After this change, we have had the Swedish Work Environment Authority here on several inspections that have checked and approved how we work with the work environment. So we have received a quality stamp in that area!

Support from safety representatives

The approach was developed in close cooperation with the trade unions.

– We have found something we are happy with both as employers and with our safety representatives. The support of the safety representatives is a great help in this context for this to reach out and be used in a good way.

Another thing that has developed during the course of the work at the Swedish Tax Agency is that the measurements are now compiled at the overall departmental level without showing the results of the individual groups.

– The idea is that management groups and work environment groups should be able to contribute to creating the right organizational conditions for our groups on issues that they cannot influence locally,” says Maria Andrén.

– It feels very good that we can work with the balance between individual, group and organizational level. For example, if there is a high workload in a group, there will be a dialog both in the group and with the individuals, and reports will be aggregated so that we can provide overall support on the issue. We can also see if it is the same in several groups and then change how you work with planning and technical support, for example.

– We train our managers to become good at having dialogues with their employees individually and with groups. When we started working according to the Agerus method, many people had a very good dialog, but not so many documented what they came up with. If we are to say that this is also our psychosocial protection round, it does not quite measure up. Therefore, we have built on these parts and made documentation a more important part of our process.Maria Andrén, HR strategist, Swedish Tax Agency

Appreciated and satisfied managers

How has the work according to the Agerus method been implemented in the business?

– The approach is appreciated. But it can take some time to get good dialogues going out in the business. And learning how to work with methods and results can take a few measurement rounds,” says Maria Andrén.

So what do managers say after working with the Agerus method for a few years?

– They are pleased that we are continuing to use a method that they have come to know. They are also pleased that we have now linked the work environment issues. It creates clarity around the issues. As a manager and responsible for the work environment, you no longer have to wonder whether you have lived up to the requirements or should do something more.

Aligns with the values

– “We have found a way of working with the Agerus method that fits in well with our values of responsiveness, innovation and responsibility. And that’s exactly what you do when you work with your results and go from words to action to develop and improve,” says Maria Andrén.

Maria André has developed her own approach to working with the Agerus method.

– I work a lot to make us stop, reflect and work on the overall picture of our results. It’s so easy to get bogged down in the details when you’re working with numbers, when we need to look at the big picture in order to develop the business.

Dialogue central

At the Swedish Tax Agency, dialog is central to all types of business development. Dialogue is also at the heart of the Agerus method.

– We train our managers to become good at dialoguing with their staff individually and with groups. When we started working according to the Agerus method, many people had a very good dialog, but not so many documented what they came up with. If we are to say that this is also our psychosocial protection round, it does not quite measure up. Therefore, we have built on those parts and made documentation a more important part of our process.

Looking ahead

The Swedish Tax Agency has just made a new procurement to continue working according to the Agerus method. What do you want to do even better in the future?

– We can be even better at the dialog about the mission and then the link to it when answering the questions. We are also considering introducing the possibility to add “questions of the year” that can be linked to the methodology. It will be something new that makes you come alive while giving the experience of a common thread.