EMPLOYER SURVEY Conducting a Comprehensive Employer Survey: Results and Lessons Learned Becky Hall, M.A. Heidi J. Perman, M.A. Mark Sorenson-Wagner University of Minnesota U of M CAREER SERVICES Decentralized/hybrid model – 10+ different offices provide service Career Development Network – – – Collaborate on events Professional development http://www.career.umn.edu WHAT PROMPTED SURVEY Learning Abroad Center inquiry JobPlace/JobTalk emails, no response Big changes ahead at the University, wanted base line data – Shared job posting system (GoldPASS) – University’s strategic positioning efforts WHAT WE WANTED TO LEARN Employer feedback on and expectation of career services – Inform structural decision-making Feedback on student job search skills What employers most value in terms of student skills/experiences TIP: Focus and narrow your questions! COMMITTEE MEMBERS Volunteers from Career Development Network Diverse perspectives = thorough questions Learning Abroad Center 2 career counselors Employer relations coordinator Career services director TIP: Pick committee carefully! Central coordinator career development Vice Provost for Student Affairs SURVEY CONSTRUCTION Ask questions in a way that they truly address your intended outcome Have trained survey developers review questions for purpose and give feedback Have an employer review them and give feedback TIP: Find a graduate student to help. CONDUCTING THE SURVEY Conducted in three parts due to length – Employer Feedback on Career Services - July 2005 – Student Job Search Skills - November 2005 – Skills/Experience - April 2006 Survey created and administered by Office of Measurement Services Sent via email with online link to survey TIP: Be thoughtful about who creates and administers the survey. WHO WE SURVEYED Employer Types For Profit Non-Profit Position Types Full Time Internship Governmental Education Volunteer WHO WE SURVEYED Identifying representative employer list complex task for a decentralized university High recruiter turnover made an accurate list challenging to acquire Utilized a list created for the U of M Job and Internship Fair RESPONSE RATES Initial sent email by: Reminder email sent by: Responses: Vice Provost Vice Provost 44 Vice Provost Career Services 79 Career Services Career Services 163 TIP: Have email sent from well-known name. DATA DISTRIBUTION Career Development Network Academic Advisors Council of Undergraduate Deans Key Campus Leadership Employers TIP: Share this information widely, then share it again. DATA USAGE STUDENT Statistics used in office handouts Classroom presentations Individual counseling appointments Learning Abroad Center TIP: Data from employers intrigues students. DATA USAGE College long-range planning – School of Public Health Funding requests – Regents Collaboration – Validated complexity of our structure Sharing outside the University of Minnesota – Professional development TIP: Data from employers intrigues students. NEXT STEPS Conduct survey again, 2-3 year cycle Refine and condense questions Consider who should answer the questions (recruiters vs. high level) – Tailor to unique populations Offer employer incentives SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 1 What facilities do you expect to be available when you interview on campus? (select all that apply) Parking validation – 22 (50.0%) Interview room space – 19 (43.2%) Interview scheduling – 14 (31.8%) Information session space – 13 (29.5%) Information session scheduling – 7 (15.9%) Meals to be paid for while on campus / be taken out to lunch – 6 (13.6%) SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 1 What should University of Minnesota career offices be doing that we aren’t? Central spot to post jobs – 6 comments Nothing/Positive experiences – 3 comments Better train students on resume/cover letter/interviewing – 2 comments Confusing who to call/contact – 1 comment Have a rep who works with minority students for employers that value diversity – 1 comment More connections with professors/classes – 1 comment Transcripts sent with resumes – 1 comment SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 1 What criteria do you use in deciding which colleges/universities to recruit from? Rank least to most important (calculated by averages: 1=least important, 6=most important) Previous successful hires – 5.45 Quality of student preparedness for employment – 5.3 Reputation – 5.02 Location – 4.67 Quality of student job searching abilities – 4.37 Students’ willingness to relocate – 3.93 Specific program ranking – 3.76 Alumni connection – 3.43 SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 2 When using an online job posting / recruiting system, how much importance do you place on cover letters as compared to the student candidate’s information on their resume? Low Importance 1 2 High Importance 3 4 5 6 12 15 12 13 13 8 15.38% 19.23% 15.38% 16.67% 16.67% 10.26% NA Mean 5 6.41% 3.33 SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 2 Please rank the information that is most important for students to include in a cover letter: Reason interested in your organization – 43 (56.58%) Career objective – 15 (19.74%) Past experience – 15 (19.74%) Knowledge of the company – 2 (2.63%) Other – 1 (1.32%) SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 2 How would you rate the overall quality of University of Minnesota students’ responses to behavioral-based interview questions? Low Quality High Quality 1 2 0 0.00% 2 2.63% 3 4 5 7 28 27 9.21% 36.84% 35.53% 6 NA 4 8 5.26% 10.53% Mean 4.35 SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 2 If you have been presented with a portfolio during an interview, how did the portfolio impact the evaluation of the candidate? Negative Impact 1 1 4.55% 2 Positive Impact 3 4 5 6 1 3 5 7 5 4.55% 13.64% 22.73% 31.82% 22.73% NA Mean 0 0.00% 4.41 SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 3 How would you rate the importance of students having a broad liberal education background for the positions you are trying to fill? Not Important 1 8 4.94% 2 Very Important 3 4 5 6 15 24 44 38 31 9.26% 14.81% 27.16% 23.46% 19.14% NA Mean 2 1.23% 4.173 SAMPLE QUESTIONS – PART 3 What are the three most important skills necessary for identifying a strong applicant for your hiring needs? Interpersonal communication - 61 (37.89%) Ability to work on a team - 57 (35.40%) Problem Solving - 56 (34.78%) Ability to learn new ideas quickly - 52 (32.30%) Leadership - 38 (23.60%) Competent in field of study - 33 (20.50%) Oral Communication - 29 (18.01%) Creative thinking - 26 (16.15%) Ability to work with a diverse workforce - 21 (13.04%) Analytical thinking - 20 (12.42%) QUESTIONS? Becky Hall, M.A. rahrah@umn.edu, 612-626-5151 Heidi J. Perman, M.A. hperman@umn.edu, 612-624-9120 Mark Sorenson-Wagner wagnerme@umn.edu, 612-624-1827 Complete Survey Questions/Results: http://www.career.umn.edu/Employer%20Survey06.pdf