The strengths of the police include supervisory work, appreciation of one’s own work, and occupational safety

In 2025, the Finnish police joined the shared and revised central government personnel survey, HenkilöstöBaro. Based on the results, police personnel think that the work of immediate supervisors, the appreciation and meaningfulness of one’s own work, and occupational safety are considered special strengths in the police.

The survey was carried out in co-operation with the Finnish Government Shared Services Centre for Finance and HR (Palkeet). Corresponding personnel surveys have been carried out within the police since 1999, but the joint government survey starts a new period in the examination of the results.

In early autumn 2025, approximately 5,800 members of police personnel, or just over 53 per cent, responded to the survey. The previous police survey was conducted in 2022. At that time, the response rate was just under 49 per cent.

Based on the results of HenkilöstöBaro, the overall satisfaction of police personnel is at the level “good”. The respondents also stated that their ability to work was at a good level and that the chances of maintaining their own ability to work were also considered good. 

Based on the results, the values of the Finnish police – fair, courageous and always reliable – are considered to be worth striving for.

Mutual trust, meaningful work and safety strengthen the workplace community of the police

The work of immediate supervisors, the appreciation and meaningfulness of one’s own work, and occupational safety were considered special strengths and areas of success. In these areas, the most prominent individual factors were trust between the employee and the supervisor, the experience of being yourself in the workplace community, and good opportunities to maintain one’s own occupational safety. The workplace community of the police and peer support are also identified as one resource.

“On the basis of the results, immediate supervisors have clearly succeeded in their work, and the meaningfulness of the work is appreciated highly. It is great that those working in various police positions feel that occupational safety is a significant strength. A more people-oriented approach is wished for in the leadership and operating culture, and we will develop this further,” says National Police Commissioner Ilkka Koskimäki. 

People-oriented leadership ensures productivity and effective operations

According to the personnel experience, the most significant areas requiring development are related to the leadership and operating culture of the organisation as well as to the organisation’s innovativeness and ability to renew. The respondents wish for more consultation from senior management in decision-making that affects them, clear and well-founded decisions, fair remuneration, people-oriented leadership, fair and equal treatment of personnel, serving as a good example and trendsetter, promoting the renewal of the competence of the personnel, and boldly experimenting with new ways and tools of work.

Three themes have been selected as the shared development targets for the police: People-oriented and professional leadership and work of supervisors, interaction and effectiveness of the workplace community, and maintaining and managing the ability to work. Moreover, each police unit can choose a few other development targets if necessary and take this into account in the future development plan.

The results and development measures of HenkilöstöBaro will be discussed in more detail with the personnel in the group discussions of future performance and development discussions and as part of occupational safety and health efforts and the industrial co-operation procedure. 
Employee satisfaction will be improved based on the results of the survey, but previously initiated measures will also be continued and, if necessary, these two will be combined. The goal of the development work is to maintain and consolidate the identified success factors and strengths and to improve operations in the identified areas.

HenkilöstöBaro is one of the tools for supporting and managing the ability to work

The objective of HenkilöstöBaro is to find out the experiences of the personnel of their work and of the workplace community, to support supervisors and management in the development of operations and leadership, to promote the ability to work and job satisfaction, to serve as a tool for the development of workplace communities, and to support decision-making.

Personnel surveys and the development measures launched on the basis of their results are an established part of the management culture of government agencies and part of knowledge management as a whole. The new survey is based on the overall Central Government Human Resources Strategy 2030. One of the objectives of the Central Government Human Resources Strategy is “Our leadership and management are people-oriented, ensuring productivity and effectiveness.” 

In the spring of 2026, the results of the different branches of central government can be compared with each other, even though the most important things for the police are naturally their own results and the conclusions and development measures made on the basis of these results. Based on personnel experiences, several concrete development measures have also been put into practice in the police over the years, and many of them have become established as everyday efforts.

From now on, HenkilöstöBaro will be carried out every two years throughout the police organisation. With the new survey, a new period begins in the examination of job satisfaction among the police. In 2027, the results can be compared with the corresponding results of this year.