How To Keep Your Professional Staff Results Of A State National Study

Retention and Attrition of Professional Staff in Municipal Parks and Recreation

“How To Keep Your Professional Staff: Results of a

State/National Study”

Dr. Craig M. RossDr. Sarah J. Young

Indiana University-BloomingtonDepartment of Recreation, Park, and

Tourism Studies

Introduction

Interest What piqued our interest in this area?

How did we set up the study/survey?

What goals were we trying to achieve?

Job Satisfaction Overview

Previous studies on job satisfaction Health/nursing Business/employee turnover Academic/faculty Athletics Campus recreational sports

Work Values An employee’s personal beliefs about what

outcomes one should expect from work and how one should behave at work.

The most general and long-lasting feelings and beliefs people have that contribute to how they experience work.

Values can be intrinsic (i.e. related to the nature of work itself) or extrinsic (i.e. related to the consequences of work).

General Concepts of Job Satisfaction

IntrinsicFactors

Work/jobitself

Rewards

Recognitionand

approval

Meetingexpectations

Careeradvancement Growth and

development

Decision-making

opportunities

Jobdescriptions

In-servicetraining

General Concepts of Job Satisfaction

ExtrinsicFactors

Adminleadership/

support

Promotionopportunity

Spouse employment

Agency reputation

Social interaction/

climate Geographiclocations

Childcarefacilities

Workload

Salaries/fringe

benefits

Work Attitudes Collections of feelings, beliefs, and thoughts about how

to behave that employees currently hold about their jobs and organizations.

Compared to values, attitudes are: More specific and based on experiences Not as long lasting…we can change our attitudes

Specific work attitudes: Job satisfaction is the collection of feelings and

beliefs that employees have about their jobs. Organizational commitment is the collection of

feelings and beliefs that employees have about their organizations as a whole.

The Experience of Work, Prentice-Hall

Work Moods How people feel at the time they actually perform

their jobs.

More transitory than values and attitudes.

Can generally be categorized as positive or negative.

Determining factors: Personality Work situation Circumstances outside of work

The Experience of Work, Prentice-Hall

About the Study

Web survey

Sample Demographics

N = 980

2.1%

49.3%

22.6%

13.8%

7.3%4.9%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

<25,000 25,001-75,000

75,001-200,000

200,001-500,000

500,001-1,000,000

>1,000,000

Size of Community

Sample Demographics

N = 980

50.1% 49.9%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Male Female

Gender

Study Demographics

Age

• Average: 43.55 years• Median: 44 years• Youngest: 22 years• Oldest: 71 years• Most often: 47 years

N = 968

Study Demographics

N = 980

9.2%12.2% 12.5% 11.7% 9.9%

44.4%

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%

1-3 yrs 4-6 yrs 7-9 yrs 10-12 yrs 13-15 yrs >15 yrs

Full-Time Experience in Field

Study Demographics

N = 980

26.5%

22.1%

16.2%

10.9%

6.4%

17.9%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

1-3 yrs 4-6 yrs 7-9 yrs 10-12 yrs 13-15 yrs >15 yrs

Full-Time Experience in Current Position

Study Demographics

N = 980

9.3%

59.7%

21.7%

0.7%8.6%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

High School Diploma

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Doctorate Other

Education

Study Demographics

N = 980

1.7% 2.8%5.4%

9.7%

23.0%20.0%

13.5%

23.9%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

<$25,000 $25,001-$30,000

$30,001-$35,000

$35,001-$40,000

$40,001-$50,000

$50,001-$60,000

$60,001-$70,000

>$70,000

Salary

Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession

36.9%

56.9%

4.3% 1.4% 0.5%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

No Opinion

Generally speaking, I am satisfied with my current job

93.8%

January 5, 2010


40.7%

53.5%

3.8%0.7% 1.3%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%


No Opinion

Generally speaking, I am satisfied with the parks and recreation profession

94.2%


63.9%

31.6%

3.1% 0.7% 0.7%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%


No Opinion

I feel a high degree of commitment to my job

95.5%


37.2%39.8%

13.3%

2.6%7.1%

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%


No Opinion

If I could choose again, I would become a parks and recreation professional

77.0%

5.3%

13.8%

41.4%

29.8%

9.7%

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%


No Opinion

I would be more satisfied if I were working in another agency


71.2%

4.1%

12.5%

37.5%41.5%

4.2%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%


No Opinion

I frequently think of quitting this job


16.6%

79%

11.6%

49.7%

20.4%12.6%

5.7%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%


No Opinion

I would consider a reasonable offer of another position outside of the parks and

recreation profession


61.3%

4.5%

13.9%

42.4%

33.8%

5.4%

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%


No Opinion

I am seriously looking for another position in parks and recreation


76.3%

19.2%

41.5%

27.8%

9.3%

2.2%

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%


No Opinion

Work demands of my current job intrude into my personal life


60.7%

Current Degree of Job Satisfaction

Rank Order of the Most Important Factors for Job Satisfaction

What is Valued MOST in a Job

Opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people in the community

Working with co-workers Flexibility Personal and professional accomplishments Variety of daily tasks Benefits and job security Challenging job Boss

N=857

What is Valued LEAST in a Job

Long hours/nights/weekends Politics/government bureaucracy Pay/benefits Boss/leadership and management style People Lack of facilities and other

resources Unions

N=820

What are the Most Important “STAYER” Factors

Loyalty to supervisor, community, mission of organization

Family considerations Stability/job security Benefits (includes insurance and health) Challenges of the job Co-workers

N=858

What are the Most Important “STAYER” Factors

Enjoy my job Flexibility of my schedule Location (includes geographic area) Position responsibilities/decision-making

authority/contributions to community Time currently invested in my

job/nearing retirement Support of my supervisor Sense of purpose

N=858

What are the Most Important “LEAVER” Factors

Lack of support from supervisor and administration

Better paying position offered somewhere else Cut in pay, budgets, and program Received a better opportunity somewhere else Change in job responsibilities (i.e., more work,

asked to do more with less...AGAIN!!) Spouse relocation, or changes

in my family

N=853

What are the Most Important “LEAVER” Factors

Politics (includes changes in political climate) Shorter commute (includes being closer to my

family or to home) Negative working environment/conditions If flexibility of work schedule were to

change Lack of challenge in my work, or my

work was no longer meaningful Disrespected in position and/

or contribution to community Retirement

N=-853

Implications for Municipal Parks and Recreation Administrators

Supervisor strong intrinsic work values Employee strong intrinsic work values

Attempts made to improve attitudes, motivation, or performance are most effective when the change implemented is consistent with workers’ values and expectations. Empower staff for increased feeling of ownership Recognize the need for work/life balance Competitive salaries Provide challenging work

Pleasant work environment helps promote positive moods. Show genuine support to staff Continue to provide flexibility for staff


Some staff will be more satisfied than others with the same job because of different personalities and work values.

Work environment can also increase levels of job satisfaction. Place new staff in work groups whose members are satisfied

with their jobs. Be committed to your employees

Recognize work may not always be the highest priority Help them when they have hard times Solicit their input on decisions affecting them


Employees’ perceptions of job factors determine how satisfied they are. Not what you think about them

Changing some factors may have longer-lasting effects on job satisfaction than changing others…depends on the individual. Work environment Effective on-boarding of new employees Recognize achievements/contributions Competitive salary Extras

Retention and Attrition of Professional Staff in Municipal Parks and Recreation

Questions or Comments?

Dr. Craig M. RossDr. Sarah J. Young

Indiana University-BloomingtonDepartment of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies

How To Keep Your Professional Staff Results Of A State National Study

Education

Transcript of How To Keep Your Professional Staff Results Of A State National Study