generation greensboro 2 01 8 -2 0 1 9 SU RV E Y RE SU LTS
Respondent Demographics Total Respondents: 2,414 This survey was primarily distributed through local employers via the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and Action Greensboro. To increase workforce representation, invitations to employees of Greensboro based businesses to the complete the survey also were communicated through social media platforms, email distribution and hard copy flyers.
AGE
2% Non-Binary/No Answer
GENDER
28% 51 and over 20% 41-50
25% 30 and under
31% Male 67% Female
27% 31-40
RACE 12% African American
2% Asian
1% American Indian
4% Hispanic or Latino
75% Caucasian/White
6% Other/No Answer
EDUCATION LEVEL 27% Masters
11% Post Graduate
1
9% Associates
40% Bachelors
12% High School/Some College
INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION
21%
28%
Healthcare
Business, Technical Info, Finance
4%
4%
Nonprofit
Natural Resources, Utilities, and Construction
8%
11%
Education
Manufacturing
3%
Hospitality, Arts & Entertainment
3%
Government
7%
Self-Employed, Consulting
3%
Wholesale Transportation Warehousing
6%
Retail Trade
1%
Management, Administrative Support
GREENSBORO CONNECTION
17% Native
70% Transplant
13% Boomerang
RESIDENTIAL STATUS
27% Renters
2% Other
71% Homeowners
53% of renters indicated they were interested in buying a home in Greensboro in the next 3 years.
Look for these icons throughout this booklet:
Finding
Recommendation
2
LIVELive AND WORK and Work Renters in Greater Greensboro were less likely to be interested in buying than those in the Central Greensboro.
Most survey respondents reported living in Greater Greensboro but working in Central Greensboro. This was most characteristic of those in the 25-40 age range.
WORK 62%
38%
Central Greensboro
Greater Greensboro
LIVE 32%
Central Greensboro
Residents living in Central Greensboro placed a higher value on neighborhoods, city culture and downtown vibrancy than those living in the Greater Greensboro.
68%
Greater Greensboro
GREENSBORO GEOGRAPHY )"
65
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY
)"
65
158 £ ¤ Town of Stokesdale
)" )"
150
29 £ ¤
150
)"
220 £ ¤
61
)"
840 § ¦ ¨
73 § ¦ ¨
City of Greensboro
Town of Kernersville 40 § ¨
Town of Gibsonville
§ ¦ ¨
840
70 £ ¤ 40 § ¦ ¨
)"
68
220 £ ¤ 70 £ ¤
40 85 § ¦ ¨ § ¦ ¨
)"
29 £ ¤ 70 £ ¤
85 § ¨
85 § ¦ ¨
85 § ¦ ¨
City of High Point 311 £ ¤
70 £ § ¨¤ 85
29 £ ¤
85 § ¦ ¨
73 § ¦ ¨ 220 £ ¤
Town of Pleasant Garden
85 § ¨
3
City of Burlington
61
Town of Jamestown
421 £ ¤
RANDOLPH COUNTY
)"
62
City of Archdale
22
)"
.
)"
Town of Sedalia
40 § ¦ ¨
73 § ¦ ¨ 421 £ ¤
100
)"
421 £ ¤
FORSYTH COUNTY
61
Town of Whitsett
ALAMANCE COUNTY
Town of Oak Ridge
)"
150
150
Town of Summerfield
0
Greater Greensboro
Central Greensboro
5
10 Miles
Central Greensboro: Area within in a threemile radius from the center of the city. Greater Greensboro: Area beyond Central Greensboro reaching to the city limits.
PROFESSIONAL Live and WorkADVANCEMENT
39%
36%
of respondents thought that their next job would be in Greensboro
were unsure or did not think that their next job would be in Greensboro
1. Personal reasons/motivators
REASONS CITED WERE
2. No upward professional advancement 3. Career opportunities
Boomerangs and transplants were not as likely to believe their next job will be in Greensboro Top aspects when considering changing or seeking a new job:
Work/ life balance
Job aligns with career
Financial stability
Income/ salary
Work environment
4
PERCEPTION OF GREENSBORO Live and Work Regardless of age, gender and location survey respondents identified these three statements as the best way to describe Greensboro.
Work in progress/ improving
Great place to put down roots
Family-friendly
They also assigned the following emojis to their feelings about Greensboro.
9%
10%
13%
8%
35%
24%
PERSONAL PURSUITS Outside of work, respondents placed high value on the following community resources:
K-12 Education
Healthcare
Safety
High Speed Internet
Leisure and Recreation
CIVIC PARTICIPATION There were higher rates of civic involvement in local school and civic organizations rather than state, national and international organizations.
5
Generation Greensboro Recommendations Community Recommendations: We recommend that the Greensboro community continues the following strategies and tactics to strengthen our ability to attract and retain a talented workforce.
• Leverage state and local funding for Guilford County Schools and early childhood education to make our community a choice community for cradle to career learning and development. • Invest in downtown Greensboro and implement policies to make the center city more vibrant and feel safer. • Incentivize multi price point housing and infill development in Greensboro’s central city. • Support the development and continuation of programs and organizations that improve the health of our people. • Strengthen Greensboro’s identity and reputation by elevating our positive attributes internally and externally. • Embrace our community as a University City by nurturing college and university students and better connecting our seven campuses to downtown. • Encourage private expansion of fiber-optic internet throughout all of Greensboro’s neighborhoods. • Support the attraction and retention of new jobs and create awareness of local industry sectors and career opportunities. • Promote community engagement and leadership development through local volunteerism, philanthropy and public service. • Elevate our social capital by participating in community arts, culture, sporting events and celebrations. • Practice good citizenship by saying hello on our streets and office hallways, meeting neighbors, building community and voicing our concerns with civility.
Employer Recommendations: We believe employers have a unique opportunity to enrich the lives of their employees starting from the recruitment and onboarding process. We recommend Greensboro employers consider the following practices and policies to strengthen the wellbeing of our local workforce.
• Acquaint new employees to Greensboro by using relocation guides and tailored Greensboro-specific onboarding materials. • Encourage community engagement from c-suite executives to emerging-professionals through volunteerism, leadership development, civic clubs and community activities. • Invest in Greensboro through corporate philanthropy and matching employee giving. • Develop team building exercises and launch employee resource or “interest-based” group programs. • Integrate family friendly policies within the workplace. • Create an organizational culture of health by offering on-site fitness programs, wellness seminars and flexible desk spaces. • Provide educational advancement support through tuition assistance or flex scheduling. • Foster professional development through on-site lunch and learns and mentorship/reverse mentorship programs. • Fuel Greensboro’s talent pipeline by hosting interns and/or apprenticeships • Consider small policy adjustments that may reap big rewards, such as dress code and office hour flexibility. • Keep in mind that place matters; consider Central Greensboro satellite offices or co-working space membership.
Refer to Action Greensboro’s Talent Toolkit for community resources, local examples and inspiration when implementing these recommendations!
6
AC T I O N G R E E N S BO RO 122 North Elm Street, Suite 110 Greensboro, NC 27401 (336) 379-0821
S PE C I A L T H A N K S
to the Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for technical assistance on this survey.
For more on Action Greensboro ACTION G R E E N S B O R O . O R G