News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Responses to the every two-year survey of Putnam County industries have been slow in 2021.
Only three of 71 industries participating in the wage and benefits survey have completed it.
Stephen Crook is Vice President of Economic Development for The Highlands Economic Partnership. Crook said industries giving their answers might help them answer their own questions.
“It gives them the ability to answer some questions that have been haunting them,” Crook said. “You know, ‘why are our retention rates low, why are we losing some employees,’ and sometimes it might be as simple as a 50 cent an hour raise.”
Crook said participation gives industries a better example of what their counterparts are paying at the local level. Crook said local industry leadership can take this data to corporate leaders who set salaries.
“By having some of this localized data, our local leadership at our plants and facilities can take that information up to the corporate leadership,” Crook said. “Usually located elsewhere and help to make the case for how they need to compete in the local labor market. This information can help make that case as opposed to relying on some of those national trends in an industry. Which once again, are just not always reflective of what we’re seeing locally.”
Despite low engagement in the first two weeks of the survey being open, Crook said it is not too late. The survey can be completed until March 25.
“We feel that for the value of this information and the need to have it as accurate as possible,” Crook said. “For it to be as valuable as we think it can be, we just need as many participants to take the survey as possible.”
Crook said this survey goes out every two years. The Highlands Economic Partnership partners with Middle Tennessee Industrial Development Association, MTSU and other communities.
