1. 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-Bloomington Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies

2. Introduction Interest What piqued our interest in this area? How did we set up the study/survey? What goals were we trying to achieve?

3. Job Satisfaction Overview Previous studies on job satisfaction Health/nursing Business/employee turnover Academic/faculty Athletics Campus recreational sports

4. 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).

5. General Concepts of Job Satisfaction

6. General Concepts of Job Satisfaction

7. 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 satisfactionis the collection of feelings and beliefs that employees have about their jobs. Organizational commitmentis the collection of feelings and beliefs that employees have about their organizations as a whole.

8. The Experience of Work, Prentice-Hall

9. 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

10. The Experience of Work, Prentice-Hall

11. The Experience of Work, Prentice-Hall

12. About the Study Web survey

13. Sample Demographics N = 980

14. Sample Demographics N = 980

16. Median: 44 years

17. Youngest: 22 years

18. Oldest: 71 years

19. Most often: 47 yearsN = 968

20. Study Demographics N = 980

21. Study Demographics N = 980

22. Study Demographics N = 980

23. Study Demographics N = 980

24. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 93.8%

25. January 5, 2010

26. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 94.2%

27. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 95.5%

28. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 77.0%

29. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 71.2%

30. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 79% 16.6%

31. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 61.3%

32. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 76.3%

33. Overall Job Satisfaction with Current Job and Profession 60.7%

34. Current Degree of Job Satisfaction

35. Current Degree of Job Satisfaction

36. Current Degree of Job Satisfaction

37. Current Degree of Job Satisfaction

38. Rank Order of the Most Important Factors for Job Satisfaction

39. 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

40. What is Valued LEASTin a Job Long hours/nights/weekends Politics/government bureaucracy Pay/benefits Boss/leadership and management style People Lack of facilities and otherresources Unions N=820

41. 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

42. 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

43. 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

44. 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

45. 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

46. Implications for Municipal Parks and Recreation Administrators 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

47. Implications for Municipal Parks and Recreation Administrators 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

48. Retention and Attrition of Professional Staff in Municipal Parks and Recreation Questions or Comments? Dr. Craig M. RossDr. Sarah J. Young Indiana University-Bloomington Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies