Form Attachments 4-6 Attachments 4-6 Interview Protocol

Attachment 4: Phase 1 Interview Guide

Testing Alternative Reporting Periods for the

Job & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)

ROUND 1 INTERVIEW GUIDE

Session Materials:

• Interview Guide

• Consent form

• Blank Calendar

• Current JOLTS form (if needed for Respondent to reference)

• Alternate JOLTS revised form (if time allows for review)

• Green and Red Pens

RESPONDENT VERIFICATION

• Confirm that Respondent is the person we are scheduled to meet with

INTRODUCTION

Hello, my name is ______________ and I work for Westat, a survey research company in Rockville, Maryland. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. We know you are busy and we appreciate your time and willingness to help. We expect that our interview with you today will take one hour.

Westat is working with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to study the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), an establishment survey conducted by BLS to generate statistics for job openings and turnover for key industrial sectors of the United States. The goal of JOLTS is to support BLS’s reporting of unmet labor demand (in the form of rates and numbers of job openings) and turnover.

BLS has come up with some changes to how employers report their JOLTS data to allow it to be more comparable to measures of labor supply, such as the unemployment rate.

We are talking to companies that currently fill out the JOLTS form to collect feedback about the changes that could be made to the reporting form. Before changes such as this are made to surveys, it’s important to test them out with the help of people such as yourself to make sure that the instructions make sense, are easy to follow, and that everyone understands them the same way. Outcomes from our discussion will enable us to learn the feasibility of changing the way we collect data. There are no right or wrong answers, we’re looking for your reactions and honest feedback.

CONFIDENTIALITY and INFORMED CONSENT

Before we get started, there are a few things I want to mention. Your participation is voluntary. If you prefer not to answer a question, just say so and we’ll go on to the next one. You have the right to stop the interview at any time.

All your answers, everything you say, will be kept confidential. Neither you, nor your company will be identified in any reports. (For telephone Interviews read the following: The purpose of this call is for internal purposes only. Information related to this study is confidential and will not be released to the public in any way that would allow identification of individuals or establishments. The BLS, its employees, agents, and partner statistical agencies, will use the information you provide for statistical purposes only and will hold the information in confidence to the full extent permitted by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (Title 5 of Public Law 107-347) and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent.” The survey is being collected under OMB Control Number 1220-0141.)

The interview will take about an hour. I would like to audio record our conversation. This helps me so I can listen to what you are saying and won’t have to take a lot of detailed notes while you are talking. It will also help when I write up a summary of this interview. Only project staff will have access to the recording and other project materials and those materials will be stored in a secure location at Westat.

[IF OBSERVERS: Finally, some of the researchers involved in revising the form are here today observing our interview to learn if there are things that might need to be changed.]

(For In person interviews) HAND CONSENT FORMS TO RESPONDENT: This form contains all of the things I just told you about your rights in this interview. Please read it over and sign one copy if you are willing to take part in the study. You can keep the other copy for your records.

R SIGNS ONE CONSENT FORM FOR PROJECT & KEEPS OTHER COPY FOR SELF.

TURN ON RECORDER. The date and time is ____________. Now that the recorder is running, let me ask again; is it okay with you if we record this interview?

Thank you. I’d like to start by learning a little about this establishment and your role here.

1. RESPONDENT INFORMATION

A1. What division or department do you work in here?

A2. What is the title of your position here?

A3. How long have you worked for [ESTABLISHMENT]?

A4. Tell me, briefly, what you do here.

A5. Are you the one who usually fills out the JOLTS form for your company?

A6. Up to today, have you needed to seek input/data from others in your firm (e.g. payroll, human resources or other departments) to complete the JOLTS form?

A6a. If Yes, who and why?

2. EMPLOYER INDUSTRY & PAYROLL DETAILS

B1. How often are employees paid here? (Note: It is OK to select more than one)

Each week	Once a month
Every two weeks	Other Please describe:________________________
Twice a month

B1a. Is there anything about the frequency of your payroll that has made it difficult in the past to complete the JOLTS form?

B1b. If Yes, can you tell me what is difficult?

B2. According to BLS records, your establishment is in the [NAICS DESCRIPTION OF INDUSTRY] industry. Is this correct?

• YES (GO TO SECTION C.)

• NO (CONTINUE)

B3. [IF NO] I’m going to read a list of industry groupings. Please tell me which one best describes your establishment’s industry:

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	Information
Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction	Finance and Insurance
Construction	Real Estate, Rental and Leasing
Manufacturing	Professional and Business Services
Wholesale Trade	Education and Health Services
Retail Trade	Leisure and Hospitality
Transportation and Warehousing	Public Administration
Utilities	Other Services (except Public Administration)
B3a. RECORD INDUSTRY HERE:

3. Employment

For this study, we’re interested in how you understand and report data for specific reference month. For this interview, we’ll be talking about [fill month]’s data.

Let’s start with Employment. We currently ask for total employment for the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month. Take a look at the calendar for [FILL: last month].

C1. What pay period included the 12^th of the [fill month]?

C1a. What was the start date of that pay period?

C1b. What was the end date of that pay period?

C2. After that pay period is over, how quickly do you have the necessary information (records, listings, reports, etc.) to report total employment?

4. Job Openings

The current JOLTS form asks you to provide “the number of job openings on the last business day of [fill month].”

D1. Looking at the calendar, what was the last business day of the month for your establishment?

D1a. Are you able to provide the data for the last day of the month or do you use another date or time period?

D1b. How did you identify which data to provide for the last business day of the month? (E.g. Where do you get the data about the number of job openings on the last business day of the month?)

D1c. After that pay period is over, how quickly do you have the necessary information (records, listings, reports, etc.) to report number of job openings?

D2. For job openings, we are thinking about asking for the total number of job openings that you had on the 12^th of the current month. Would you be able to report that information?

D2a. When would the information you would need about job openings on the 12^th of the current month be available? (e.g. how long does it take for the necessary records, listings, reports, etc., to be processed and become available?)

D3. We currently ask for Job Openings data for the last business day of the month. Would the process for providing it for the 12^th of the month be any different? How so?

D3a. Do you think it would be easier, harder or about the same to provide job openings data for the 12^th of the month rather than the last business day of the month? Probe: Why would it be easier/harder?

D4. Another option we’re considering is to ask for Job Openings data for the last day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month. Would you be able to report that information?

D4a. When would the information you would need about job openings on the last day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month? (e.g. how long does it take for the necessary records, listings, reports, etc., to be processed and become available?)

D4b. Do you think it would be easier, harder or about the same to provide job openings data for the last day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month? As you mentioned earlier, that would be (Fill C1b). Probe: Why would it be easier/harder?

D5. Would it be easier to report Job Openings for the last day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month or for the 12^th of the month? Why?

D5a. Thinking about the two options, reporting job openings for the 12^th of the month or for the last day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of the month, would you be able to report one earlier than the other? Why?

5. Hires

E1. We currently ask for the number of hires for “the entire month.”

E1a. Are you able to provide the data for the entire month or do you use another date or time period?

E1b. How do you currently get the answer to this question? (E.g. Where do you get the data about the number of hires for the entire month?)

E1c. After that pay period is over, how quickly do you have the necessary information (records, listings, reports, etc.) to report number of hires?

E2. We are thinking about changing this question to instead ask for hires for a different period. Rather than asking about a full calendar month, it would be a reference period from the middle of one month to the middle of the next month. Would moving away from the calendar month be difficult for you?

E3. We’re trying to figure out the best way to help respondents understand the new reference period. We have drafted some steps we’d like you to try and give your feedback on. To find the start date of the reference period,

E3a. Identify the last business day of the pay period that includes the 12^th of last month.

E3b.Then find the first business day of the following pay period.

E3c. That’s (first business day of the following pay period) the start date of the proposed new reference period. Please circle it in green on the calendar.

E4. To find the end date of the new reference period

E4a. Identify the pay period that includes the 12^th of the current month.

E4b. Then find the date of the last business day of that pay period.

E4c. That is the end date of the new period. Please circle it in red.

E5. What do you think about those steps?

E5a. We realize it’s not a simple process. How would you explain it to a colleague?

E5aE5b. Is there an easier way to explain the new reference period?

E5c. Can you think of a term or words that would best describe the new reference/time period?

E6. Now, looking at that new reporting period you circled, would you be able to report hires for that time period? (e. When would you have that information available?)

6. Separations

F1. We currently ask for the number of separations for “the entire month.”

F1a. Are you able to provide the data for the entire month or do you use another date or time period?

F1b. How do you currently get the answer to this question? (E.g. Where do you get the data about the number of separations for the entire month?)

F1c. After that pay period is over, how quickly do you have the necessary information (records, listings, reports, etc.) to report number of separations?

F2. Just like hires we are thinking about changing this question to instead ask for separations for a different period. Rather than asking about a full calendar month, it would be a reference period from the middle of one month to the middle of the next month. Would moving away from the calendar month be difficult for you?

F2a. We’d also be looking for information about separations for that new reference period, the one we just circled on the calendar. Would you be able to report for that time period?

F2b. When would the information you would need about separations for this new reference period be available? (e.g. how long does it take for the necessary records, listings, reports, etc., to be processed and become available?)

F2c. Do you think it would be easier, harder or about the same to provide separations for this new reference period than for what you current report, ‘the entire month’?

7. NEW REFERENCE PERIOD: General Feedback

G1. What, if any, any concerns would you have about BLS changing the reference period that you use to report for the Job Openings and Hires questions?

G2. Would you have any problems changing the dates for which you report information to JOLTS?

G2a. If so, please briefly describe what those would be and why.

8. ALTERNATE FORM, V1 {if session time permits}

As I mentioned, we have a draft form that includes these new reference periods, and I’d like to get your feedback on it. [INTERVIEWER: HAND RESPONDENT REVISED JOLTS FORM]

Up to this point we’ve talked through some of the main changes that relate to changing the reference period for some of the questions.

H1. Take a look at the box marked 3 on the revised version of the form. Please follow the instructions and fill in the blank date fields.

H1a. Please walk me through what you were thinking about when you came up with the dates.

H1c. How easy or difficult was it for you to come up with these Start and End Dates? Probe: What made it easy/difficult?

H1d. What, if anything, is unclear about these instructions? Probe: What might help respondents understand the time period we’re looking for?

H2. Now let’s look at the box marked 4. I’m going to have you show me on the calendar the time period that each column is asking you to provide data for. Using the calendar…

H2a. Show me the time period that you would use to report Total Employment in Column A.

H2b. Show me the time period that you would use to report Job Openings in Column B.

H2c. Show me the time period that you would use to report Hires in Column C and Separations in Columns D through F.

9. WRAP UP AND CLOSING

Those are all of the questions that I have for you today.

I1. Is there anything that we have not already discussed that you would like BLS know about using the alternative reference period to complete the JOLTS form?

Thank you for your time.

Attachment 5: Current JOLTS Form

Attachment 6: Round One Test JOLTS Form

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