State of the Workforce Employer Survey

This survey is designed to capture the views and values of employers doing business in Hillsborough County. In order to grow a regionally strong workforce in our communities, we need to further understand the needs and perspectives of employers.

The survey is divided into the following sections:
1. General Employee Information
2. Hiring Information
3. Current Employer/Training Information

Most questions provide several choices to move through quickly by clicking your selection. We appreciate your thoughtful attention and responses. This survey should take about 15-30 minutes to complete.

Aggregated results of the survey will be available after analysis on the CareerSource Tampa Bay website (www.careersourcetampabay.com).

Data collected will assist CareerSource Tampa Bay in developing and enhancing its program and services. Individual responses will be completely anonymous. Your input is valuable to our region. This survey will be available from June 5th to September 30th.

General Employer Information

Question Title

1. What industry sector does your organization most resemble?

Accommodation and Food Services

Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

Construction

Educational Services

Finance and Insurance

Health Care and Social Assistance

Information

Management of Companies and Enterprises

Manufacturing

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

Other Services (except Public Administration)

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

Public Administration

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

Retail Trade

Transportation and Warehousing

Utilities

Wholesale Trade

Question Title

2. How many employees does your organization have?

1-5

6-9

10-24

25-49

50-99

100-249

250-499

500-999

1000+

Question Title

3. Percentage of type of employee: (Full-time: 32 hours or more per week. Part-time: Less than 32 hours per week. Seasonal: Employee that does not work year-round). Total must equal 100%.

Full-time

Part-time

Seasonal

Question Title

4. How many years has your company been in business in Hillsborough County?

Question Title

5. Top reasons your company is located in Hillsborough County? (Select top 3)

Strategic Location

Access to Customer Bases

Quality of Life

Competitive Cost of Living

Average cost of employee wage and benefits

Tourism and hospitality industry

Diverse economy

Availability of skilled workers

Cost of hiring/overhead

Incentives offered when located

Availability of warehouse space, industrial parks, and/or land.

Cost of warehouse space, industrial parks, and/or land.

Support of business by local government (zoning, permitting, etc.)

High quality Post-Secondary

Other (please specify)

Question Title

6. Which of the following benefits do you offer? (Select all that apply)

Retirement

Health Insurance

Paid Vacation

Sick time

Personal time off

Onsite Child Care

Free or reduced-price childcare

Transportation assistance

Housing assistance

Educational assistance

Remote working options

Hiring Information

Question Title

7. Are you currently hiring?

Yes

Question Title

8. Over the past 12 months, has your organization had difficulty hiring qualified applicants?

Yes

Question Title

9. How much do you spend annually on hiring per employee? (Include costs associated with advertising open positions, training, and on-boarding)

$0-$1,000

$1,001-$2,500

$2,501-$5,000

$5,001-$7,500

$7,501-$10,000

$10,001 or more

Question Title

10. Which educational attainments, degrees or certificates are needed by your organization? (Check all that apply)

High School Diploma/GED

Associate’s

Vocational Certificate

Bachelor’s

Masters

Doctorates

Specialized

Certificates: List specific Certifications

Question Title

11. What resources has your organization used to hire new employees? (Select top 3)

Hiring/Recruitment Fairs

Social Media

College/University Career Offices

Chamber of Commerce Website

Employ Florida

Job Search Engines

Company Website

Internal Referrals

Staffing Agency

Craigslist

Newspapers/Publications/Broadcast Media

Word of Mouth

Other, please specify:

Question Title

12. Reasons for difficulty in hiring by job level? (Select top 3 for each job level)

	Entry	Mid-Level	Senior
Employability	Employability Entry	Employability Mid-Level	Employability Senior
Low Number of Applicants	Low Number of Applicants Entry	Low Number of Applicants Mid-Level	Low Number of Applicants Senior
Work Experience	Work Experience Entry	Work Experience Mid-Level	Work Experience Senior
Technical Skills	Technical Skills Entry	Technical Skills Mid-Level	Technical Skills Senior
Soft Skills	Soft Skills Entry	Soft Skills Mid-Level	Soft Skills Senior
Education	Education Entry	Education Mid-Level	Education Senior
Pay/Compensation	Pay/Compensation Entry	Pay/Compensation Mid-Level	Pay/Compensation Senior
Commuting Distance	Commuting Distance Entry	Commuting Distance Mid-Level	Commuting Distance Senior
Criminal Records	Criminal Records Entry	Criminal Records Mid-Level	Criminal Records Senior
Drug Screening	Drug Screening Entry	Drug Screening Mid-Level	Drug Screening Senior
Language Barrier	Language Barrier Entry	Language Barrier Mid-Level	Language Barrier Senior
No difficulties hiring	No difficulties hiring Entry	No difficulties hiring Mid-Level	No difficulties hiring Senior
Other	Other Entry	Other Mid-Level	Other Senior

If other selected above, please list specific answer here:

Question Title

13. Which skills are lacking in potential employees? (Include both soft skills and hard skills if applicable)

Question Title

14. How much difficulty, if any, has your organization experienced in finding qualified applicants at the following educational levels or with credentials required by your organization?

	No Difficulty	Some Difficulty	Considerable Difficulty	Not Applicable
High school or GED	High school or GED No Difficulty	High school or GED Some Difficulty	High school or GED Considerable Difficulty	High school or GED Not Applicable
Some College	Some College No Difficulty	Some College Some Difficulty	Some College Considerable Difficulty	Some College Not Applicable
Associate’s degree	Associate’s degree No Difficulty	Associate’s degree Some Difficulty	Associate’s degree Considerable Difficulty	Associate’s degree Not Applicable
Bachelor’s degree	Bachelor’s degree No Difficulty	Bachelor’s degree Some Difficulty	Bachelor’s degree Considerable Difficulty	Bachelor’s degree Not Applicable
Advanced Degree	Advanced Degree No Difficulty	Advanced Degree Some Difficulty	Advanced Degree Considerable Difficulty	Advanced Degree Not Applicable
Credentials	Credentials No Difficulty	Credentials Some Difficulty	Credentials Considerable Difficulty	Credentials Not Applicable

Question Title

15. Which activity is the most expensive for your organization?

Hiring

Recruiting

Training

Question Title

16. When recruiting, do you prioritize graduates of local schools?

Yes

Question Title

17. If yes, which schools?

Question Title

18. What is the average turnover percentage for your company?

0-10%

11-20%

21-30%

31-40%

41% or more

Question Title

19. Reasons for turnover? (Select all that apply)

Left for another organization

Lack of stability within the organization

Unable to perform job functions

Lack of training opportunities/advancement

Difficulties with managment

Workload

Retirement

Other (please specify)

Question Title

20. How has your organization responded to hiring difficulties? (Select Top 3)

Increased recruiting efforts within the region

Recruited from outside the region

Overtime for existing skilled workers

Provided internal and/or external skills training

Increased pay and/or compensation to attract more applicants

Hired less qualified applicants

Used temporary labor or outsourced work

Did not fill the job openings

Moved some operations out of the region or relocated

Did not expand

No difficulty hiring

Other (please specify)

Question Title

21. How would you rate the “overall workforce readiness” of the job applicants your organization has interviewed in the past 12 months for entry level positions?

Well above average

Above average

Average

Below average

Well below average

Not applicable/don't know

Question Title

22. How would you rate the “overall workforce readiness” of the job applicants your organization has interviewed in the past 12 months for mid-level positions?

Well above average

Above average

Average

Below average

Well below average

Not applicable/don't know

Question Title

23. How would you rate the “overall workforce readiness” of the job applicants your organization has interviewed in the past 12 months for senior level positions?

Well above average

Above average

Average

Below average

Well below average

Not applicable/don't know

Question Title

24. Over the past 12 months, has your company left any job(s) unfilled due to underqualified applicants?

Yes

Question Title

25. If yes, what positions and how many of each?

Question Title

26. How would you compare the current hiring experiences to the previous year?

The Same

Easier

More Difficult

Question Title

27. Do you expect to be able to fill your vacancies 5 years out?

Yes

Current Employer/Training Information

Question Title

28. Which certifications are required to earn a higher rate of pay?

Question Title

29. Are there any certificates or degrees you need for your employees that are not available locally?

Yes, specify certificates/degrees:

Question Title

30. A year from now, do you expect an increase, decrease or no change in the number of employees at your organization by full-time and part-time employees?

	Full-time Employess	Part-time Employees
Increase	Increase Full-time Employess	Increase Part-time Employees
Decrease	Decrease Full-time Employess	Decrease Part-time Employees
Stay the Same	Stay the Same Full-time Employess	Stay the Same Part-time Employees

Question Title

31. Level of work experience, in years, required for your positions by entry, intermediate, senior.

Entry

Intermediate

Senior

Question Title

32. What resources are used by your organization to meet training needs? (Check all that apply)

Internal training paid by your organization

Outside consultants

Internet resources or online workshops not affiliated with local organizations

Regional seminars/workshops/conferences

National seminars/workshops/conferences

CareerSource Tampa Bay (On-the-job training, Incumbent Worker Training)

Local community colleges or vocational/technical schools

Local four-year colleges and universities

Apprenticeship programs

Industry recognized credentials/certificates

Training is not required

Other (please specify)

Question Title

33. How much concern, if any, does your organization have with each of the following workforce issues?

	A lot	Some	None	Don't know
Aging workforce	Aging workforce A lot	Aging workforce Some	Aging workforce None	Aging workforce Don't know
Work ethic/work habits	Work ethic/work habits A lot	Work ethic/work habits Some	Work ethic/work habits None	Work ethic/work habits Don't know
Childcare for employees	Childcare for employees A lot	Childcare for employees Some	Childcare for employees None	Childcare for employees Don't know
Automation/robotics	Automation/robotics A lot	Automation/robotics Some	Automation/robotics None	Automation/robotics Don't know
Emerging technologies	Emerging technologies A lot	Emerging technologies Some	Emerging technologies None	Emerging technologies Don't know
Regulatory costs of doing business	Regulatory costs of doing business A lot	Regulatory costs of doing business Some	Regulatory costs of doing business None	Regulatory costs of doing business Don't know
Lack of qualified applicants in the area	Lack of qualified applicants in the area A lot	Lack of qualified applicants in the area Some	Lack of qualified applicants in the area None	Lack of qualified applicants in the area Don't know
Training of employees	Training of employees A lot	Training of employees Some	Training of employees None	Training of employees Don't know
Employee retention	Employee retention A lot	Employee retention Some	Employee retention None	Employee retention Don't know
Transportation for employees	Transportation for employees A lot	Transportation for employees Some	Transportation for employees None	Transportation for employees Don't know
Substance abuse	Substance abuse A lot	Substance abuse Some	Substance abuse None	Substance abuse Don't know
Cost of labor	Cost of labor A lot	Cost of labor Some	Cost of labor None	Cost of labor Don't know
Mental health	Mental health A lot	Mental health Some	Mental health None	Mental health Don't know
Cost of health insurance	Cost of health insurance A lot	Cost of health insurance Some	Cost of health insurance None	Cost of health insurance Don't know
Other	Other A lot	Other Some	Other None	Other Don't know

If other selected above, please list specific answer here:

Question Title

34. What is your biggest workforce challenge?

Question Title

35. In which of the following areas, if any, does your organization need assistance? (Check all that apply)

Hiring assistance

Internships

Apprenticeships

Staff development and training

Networking opportunities with industry professionals

None

Question Title

36. How does your organization try to retain its employees? (Check all that apply)

Increased pay/bonuses

Additional medical benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Training

Employee wellness programs

Employee recognition and rewards programs

Career growth opportunities

Provide time/opportunity for community involvement

Flexible work schedules

Other (please specify)

Question Title

37. What is the average number of hours per employee used for professional development during an average year?

Question Title

38. Have you used workforce development services available through CSTB such as Job Postings, Local Incumbent Worker Training, Apprenticeship, Summer Job Connection, Paid Work Experience or On-the-Job Training?

Yes

Question Title

39. If you haven’t used workforce development services, why not?

Not aware of these resources

Services do not fit the needs of my business or industry

Job candidates available are not the right fit for my business

Not worth the time or effort

The quality of services isn’t sufficient

Other (please specify)

Question Title

40. Would you like information on how CSTB can help you?

Yes

Question Title

41. If yes, please list contact information below.

Name:

Title:

Phone:

Email: