Survey of Area Community Leaders in Northwest Michigan

The Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce adopted a strategic objective in 2017 focused on developing a plan to tackle the critical need of attracting and retaining a quality workforce.  We realize this issue has been a topic of discussion for many years in pockets throughout the area.  Our initial analysis suggests that to truly move the needle we should consider solutions on a regional basis that come from community leaders throughout Northwest Michigan.

An exploratory task force has been assembled with representatives from the tourism & hospitality industry, healthcare, banking, real estate, construction, and local municipalities. Our initial task is to consolidate the wealth of available information into a comprehensive summary that prioritizes the specific needs unique to Northwest Michigan. This survey, that we strongly encourage you or the appropriate person within your organization to complete, is intended specifically to provide additional feedback from chamber members throughout the region. We expect that it will take 6-9 minutes to complete, and we encourage you to provide your responses to us by June 26, 2017.  Our task force also intends to begin conducting face-to-face interviews with select community leaders to hear firsthand their views on this topic.

The Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce feels strongly about this initiative and is prepared to commit resources in the form of human and financial capital to truly make a difference.  We hope you will share our enthusiasm and assist us as we move forward.  Once we have concluded our exploratory research, we intend to hold a summit by year’s end of a large cross section of community leaders to present our findings and lay out a strategy on how we might move forward.

The Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce and its Board of Directors truly appreciate your consideration and look forward to your reply.

Carlin Smith                                                    Tom Adams
President                                                         Board Chair

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* 1. Business/Organization Name

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* 2. Where is your business/organization located? (If in multiple locations, please check all that apply)

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* 3. Type of Business/Product/Service

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* 4. How many employees work in your business or organization in Emmet and Charlevoix Counties at the time of peak employment? 

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* 5. Approximately what percentage of your employees are seasonal?

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* 6. How would you best describe your employee travel patterns to get to and from work? (Check all that apply)

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* 7. What benefits do you provide to full time employees? (Check all that apply)

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* 8. What benefits do you provide to part time employees? (Check all that apply)

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* 9. Approximately how many job openings have you needed to fill in the past year?

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* 10. From where do new employees for your business come? (Check all that apply)

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* 11. Do you have difficulties attracting qualified employees for your business? 

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* 12. What types of employees have you had difficulty attracting? (Check all that apply)

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* 13. Did you lack applicants with necessary job requirements? 

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* 14. In what areas were candidates lacking in the necessary job requirements? (Check all that apply)

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* 15. For people to whom employment was offered but who did not accept the position, what were the principal reasons given? (Check all that apply)

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* 16. What strategies, benefits, or other factors have helped you recruit qualified employees? (Check all that apply)

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* 17. Share any other comments about attracting quality employees:

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* 18. Over the past 3 years, have you had difficulties retaining employees?

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* 19. In what job categories have you had difficulties retaining employees? (Check all that apply)

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* 20. Over the past 3 years, what are the principal reasons for employee departures from your business? (Check all that apply)

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* 21. What strategies, benefits, or other factors have helped you retain qualified employees? (Check all that apply)

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* 22. Please share any other comments about retaining quality employees:

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* 23. What state and local (city, township, county) government and/or community activities/initiatives would help you meet your employee recruitment and retention needs?

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* 24. Please share any additional comments about workforce here:

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* 25. May we contact you to follow up on your responses to this survey?

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* 26. Following completion and analysis of this survey's results, we expect that Phase II of our initiative will include a range of community leaders providing their expertise and ideas to identify potential solutions to the factors that most affect the successful recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce. Would you be interested in participating in this process?

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* 27. In what area(s) are you interested in participating? (Check all that apply)

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* 28. Your name, position, and contact information

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