NCS-ORS Stakeholder Survey 2019

NCS-ORS Stakeholder Survey 2019

Email to Survey Participant

Dear Survey Participant,

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is looking to gather critical feedback regarding the National Compensation Survey (NCS) and the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS). We are looking to develop new NCS and ORS products and improve our existing services.

The BLS requests your help in this endeavor and requests your participation in our feedback survey. The survey is being administered by SurveyMonkey.com located at <<insert link>>.

The index component of the NCS, the Employment Cost Index (ECI), measures changes in labor costs. Average hourly costs are presented in the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) data. Both of these products are located at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ect/. The NCS data on detailed benefits data are known as the Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) and are available at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/.

The ORS provides job-related information regarding physical demands; environmental conditions; education, training, and experience; as well as cognitive and mental requirements for jobs in the U.S. economy. The ORS data are available at https://www.bls.gov/ors/.

Even if you are not a frequent user of these products, any feedback you can provide would be appreciated. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. We estimate that it will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We are collecting this information under OMB Number 1225-0088. Without this currently approved number, BLS could not conduct this survey (Expiration: October 31, 2020).

Please note: this survey resides on a server outside of the BLS domain. BLS cannot guarantee the protection of survey responses and advises against the inclusion of sensitive personal information in any response.

The survey questions are based on broad user experience and responses will be aggregated for analysis.

If you have any questions about this survey, please email [email protected] or call (202) 691-6199.

Introduction

Thank you for helping the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gather critical feedback regarding the National Compensation Survey (NCS) and the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS). Your responses will be used to develop new products and improve our existing services.

The index component of the NCS, the Employment Cost Index (ECI), measures changes in labor costs. Average hourly costs are presented in the Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECEC) data. Both of these products are located at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ect/. The NCS data on detailed benefits data are known as the Employee Benefits Survey (EBS) and are available at http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ebs/.

The ORS provides job-related information regarding physical demands; environmental conditions; education, training, and experience; as well as cognitive and mental requirements for jobs in the U.S. economy. The ORS data are available at https://www.bls.gov/ors/.

Even if you are not a frequent user of these products, any feedback you can provide would be appreciated. Your participation in this survey is voluntary. We estimate that it will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We are collecting this information under OMB Number 1225-0088. Without this currently approved number, BLS could not conduct this survey (Expiration: October 31, 2020).

This survey is being administered by SurveyMonkey.com and resides on a server outside of the BLS domain. BLS cannot guarantee the protection of survey responses and advises against the inclusion of sensitive personal information in any response.

The survey questions are based on broad user experience and responses will be aggregated for analysis.

If you have any questions about this survey, please email [email protected] or call (202) 691-6199.

Click Next to begin the survey.

Awareness

1. Do you use information about compensation and benefits, such as information about the cost of wages or health benefits, corresponding measures of inflation, or benefit incidence and participation (take-up) rates?

   1. Yes (continue to question 2)

   2. No (skip to question 15)

2. Are you aware of the National Compensation Survey (NCS) information published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics? [The NCS provides comprehensive measures of employer costs for employee compensation, including wages and salaries, and benefits; compensation trends; and the incidence of employer-sponsored benefits among workers. The NCS also collects data and produces estimates on the provisions of selected employer-sponsored benefit plans.]

   1. Yes (continue to question 3)

   2. No (skip to question 15)

3. How did you learn about the National Compensation Survey? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 4.)

   1. Blog

   2. Conference or presentation

   3. Coworker or colleague

   4. Internet search

   5. Journal articles

   6. Media or press

   7. Teacher or professor

   8. Other (please specify) <text answer>

4. You indicated an awareness of National Compensation Survey information. Do you use information from the National Compensation Survey?

   1. Yes (continue to question 5)

   2. No (skip to question 8)

Use

5. What are the reasons you use the National Compensation Survey information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 6.)

   1. Analysis of the economy

   2. Data bank or reference

   3. Contract negotiations

   4. Escalation

   5. Forecasting

   6. Financial planning

   7. Legal cases

   8. Market analysis

   9. Media reporting

   10. Policy analysis

   11. Other (please specify) <text answer>

Satisfaction

6. Which National Compensation Survey information do you use? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 7.)

   1. Employer Cost for Employee Compensation (ECEC) – average dollar costs of components of compensation such as wages and specific benefits

   2. Employment Cost Index (ECI) – inflation index for wages and benefits costs

   3. Benefit incidence data – the availability and participation rates of specific benefits

   4. Detailed benefits data – detailed data on plan provisions and costs

   5. Modeled Wage Estimates – occupational wage data by various characteristics

7. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements based on your experience with National Compensation Survey information. If you are not familiar with the item, please select “Don’t Know.” (Continue to question 9.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
NCS data are accurate
NCS data are current enough for my needs
NCS data are available at the level of detail I need (e.g., industry, occupation, sector, full or part-time, etc.)
NCS tables are in the format I need
NCS tables provide the information I need
NCS data releases provide useful information
NCS data releases are easy to understand
NCS articles provide useful information
NCS produces information that reflects current topics in compensation trends
Handbook of Methods provides useful information.
Website Questions and Answers are easy to understand

Other Sources of National Compensation Survey Information

8. What are the reasons why you do not use National Compensation Survey information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 9.)

   1. NCS data are difficult to use

   2. NCS data are difficult to locate (e.g., through the BLS website)

   3. NCS data are not in the format that I require

   4. NCS data are not timely enough

   5. NCS data are not available at the detailed level that I need (such as the occupation, industry, or area)

   6. NCS data are not applicable to my business/profession

   7. NCS data are not applicable to my current research/field of interest

   8. NCS does not produce data that reflects current topics in compensation trends

   9. NCS data are similar to data obtained from another source

   10. Other (please specify) <text answer>

   11. I do use NCS information (Go to Question 5)

9. What other sources do you use to get compensation information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 10, except answer J.)

   1. Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI)

   2. Kaiser Family Foundation

   3. Human Resource associations

   4. Industry associations

   5. Bloomberg BNA (Wage Trend Indicator)

   6. Consultants

   7. MetLife (Study of Employee Benefit Trends)

   8. Other Government Agencies (Federal, State, or Local)

   9. Other, (please specify) <text answer>

   10. I do not use any sources other than the NCS for compensation information (skip to question 12)

10. What types of compensation data do you use from these other sources? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 11.)

    1. Health benefits data

    2. Paid leave data

    3. Retirement benefits data

    4. Wage data

    5. Other (please specify) <text answer>

11. Why do you use a source other than the National Compensation Survey for compensation data? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 12.)

    1. Non-NCS data are easier to use or presented more clearly

    2. Non-NCS data are easier to locate (e.g., online)

    3. Non-NCS data are available in the format that I require

    4. Non-NCS data are more timely

    5. Non-NCS data are available at the detailed level that I need (such as the occupation, industry, or area)

    6. Non-NCS data are more applicable to my business/profession

    7. Non-NCS data are more applicable to my current research/field of interest

    8. Non-NCS produces data that better reflect current topics in compensation trends

    9. Non-NCS data are distinct from data obtained from another source

    10. Other (please specify) <text answer>

New Products

12. If the National Compensation Survey were to expand its current products, what types of wage and benefits information would be of interest to you? (Continue to question 13.)

Wages <text answer>

Benefits <text answer>

Customer Service

13. Have you contacted the Bureau of Labor Statistics for help with the National Compensation Survey?

    1. Yes (continue to question 14)

    2. No (skip to question 15)

14. Please indicate your level of BLS customer service satisfaction in the following areas.

	Very Dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neutral	Satisfied	Very Satisfied
Knowledge of representative
Responsiveness
Professionalism

Awareness – ORS

15. Do you use information about occupational requirements, such as the physical demands of work; environmental conditions; and job related education, training, and experience?

1. Yes (continue to question 16)

2. No (skip to question 29)

16. Are you aware of the Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) information published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics? [ORS provides job-related information regarding physical demands; environmental conditions; education, training, and experience; as well as cognitive and mental requirements for jobs in the U.S. economy.]

    1. Yes (continue to question 17)

    2. No (skip to question 22)

17. How did you learn about the Occupational Requirements Survey? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 18.)

    1. Social Security Administration

    2. Conference or presentation

    3. Coworker or colleague

    4. Internet search

    5. Journal articles

    6. Media or press

    7. Teacher or professor

    8. Other, (please specify) <text answer>

18. You indicated an awareness of the Occupational Requirements Survey. Do you use information from the Occupational Requirements Survey?

    1. Yes (continue to question 19)

    2. No (skip to question 22)

Use – ORS

19. What are the reasons you use the Occupational Requirements Survey information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 20.)

1. Analysis of occupations

2. Data bank or reference

3. Safety and health

4. Career or vocational counseling

5. Social Security Administration disability process

6. Veterans counseling

7. Legal cases

8. Media reporting

9. Policy analysis

10. Other (please specify) <text answer>

20. Which Occupational Requirements Survey information do you use? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 21.)

1. Physical demands

2. Environmental conditions

3. Education, training, and experience

4. Cognitive and mental requirements

Satisfaction – ORS

21. Please indicate your level of agreement with each of the following statements based

on your experience with Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) information. If you

are not familiar with the item, please select “Don’t Know.” (Continue to question

22.)

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Don’t Know
ORS data are accurate
ORS data are current enough for my needs
ORS data are available for the level of detail I need (e.g., occupation, full or part-time, etc.)
ORS data release provides useful information
ORS data release is easy to understand
ORS articles provide useful information
ORS Profiles provide useful information
Handbook of Methods provides useful information
Website Questions and Answers are easy to understand

Other Sources of National Compensation Survey Information – ORS

22. What are the reasons why you do not use Occupational Requirements Survey information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 23.)

1. ORS data are difficult to use

2. ORS data are difficult to locate (e.g., through the BLS website)

3. ORS data are not in the format that I require

4. ORS data are not timely enough

5. ORS data are not available at the detailed level that I need (such as the occupation, industry, or area)

6. ORS data are not applicable to my business/profession

7. ORS data are not applicable to my current research/field of interest

8. ORS does not produce data that reflects current occupational requirements

9. ORS data are similar to data obtained from another source

10. Other (please specify) <text answer>

11. I do use ORS information (Go to Question 19)

23. What other sources do you use to get occupational requirements information? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 24, except answer e.)

1. Dictionary of Occupational Titles

2. Occupational Outlook Handbook

3. O*NET

4. Other, please specify <text answer>

5. I do not use any sources other than the ORS for occupational requirements information (skip to question 26)

24. What types of occupational requirements data do you use from these other sources? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 25.)

1. Physical demands

2. Environmental conditions

3. Education, training, and experience

4. Cognitive and mental requirements

5. Other (please specify) <text answer>

25. Why do you use a source other than the Occupational Requirements Survey for occupational requirements data? (Select all that apply.) (Continue to question 26.)

1. Social Security Administration does not use ORS data in disability determinations or adjudications

2. Non-ORS data are easier to use or presented more clearly

3. Non-ORS data are easier to locate (e.g., online)

4. Non-ORS data are available in the format that I require

5. Non-ORS data are more timely

6. Non-ORS data are available at the detailed level that I need (such as the occupation, industry, or area)

7. Non-ORS data are more applicable to my business/profession

8. Non-ORS data are more applicable to my current research/field of interest

9. Non-ORS produces data that better reflect occupational requirements

10. Non-ORS data are distinct from data obtained from another source

11. I was not aware of the ORS data prior to this survey

12. Other (please specify) <text answer>

New Products – ORS

26. If the Occupational Requirements Survey were to expand its current products, what

types of information about job requirements would be of interest to you? (Continue

to question 27.)

1. Physical demands <text answer>

2. Environmental conditions <text answer>

3. Education, training, and experience <text answer>

4. Cognitive and mental requirements <text answer>

Customer Service – ORS

27. Have you contacted the Bureau of Labor Statistics for help with the Occupational Requirements Survey?

a. Yes (continue to question 28)

b. No (skip to question 29)

28. Please indicate your level of BLS customer service satisfaction in the following areas.

	Very Dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Neutral	Satisfied	Very Satisfied
Knowledge of representative
Responsiveness
Professionalism

Demographics

29. Which category best describes your organization?

1. Academia

2. Financial institution

3. Industry or trade association

4. Media

5. Research and development

6. Consulting organization

7. State government

8. Local government

9. U.S. (Federal) government

10. Union

11. Other privately or publicly-owned company

12. I use NCS data for personal needs

13. Other (please specify) <text answer>

30. Which category best describes your position?

1. Contract specialist

2. Employer or business owner

3. Human resource professional

4. Journalist

5. Vocational Expert

6. Safety and health professional

7. Career counselor

8. Blogger

9. Legislator or legislative aide

10. Management consultant

11. Marketing or sales professional

12. Policy analyst

13. Policy developer

14. Researcher

15. Student

16. Teacher or professor

17. Union representative

18. Individual user not affiliated with an organization

19. Other (please specify) <text answer>

General Comments

31. Do you have any other comments you would like to share? The National Compensation Survey and Occupational Requirements Survey greatly values all input.

<text answer>

Request for Potential Contact

32. The Bureau of Labor Statistics may wish to contact respondents for further information as we review our products to fulfill customer needs. If you are interested in participating in a brief, subsequent interview, please provide your name, professional title, organization, and email or telephone number. Otherwise, click Next to skip this question.

1. Name <text answer>

2. Title <text answer>

3. Organization <text answer>

4. Email or Telephone <text answer>

You have reached the end of the survey. Thank you for your generous time and support.

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