Factors motivating employment in the machine-building industry

A survey carried out in 2007 within the framework of the EU Phare project of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association aimed to define the factors behind the attractiveness of working in machine-building companies and the recruitment of qualified personnel in the industry. The main findings of the survey reveal significant differences in motivation when it comes to the type of job and age groups. The survey also examined employees’ satisfaction with the work environment.

On 19 October 2007, the Risk Analysis Foundation presented the main findings of its survey on motivation for working in machine-building companies, carried out within the framework of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (Асоциацията на индустриалния капитал в България, BICA) project under the EU-funded Phare Programme ‘Development of an adult training centre network’. The questionnaire-based survey was conducted in 10 machine-building companies in seven cities and towns, including the capital Sofia, Bourgas, Varna, Gabrovo, Veliko Tarnovo, Shoumen and Yambol in April 2007.

Survey sample

The survey covered 382 employees including 262 production workers and 120 administrative staff. The gender breakdown shows that the sector is still male dominated, with 92.7% of respondents being men. Female workers are mainly represented in the middle age group of 35–45-year olds and in blue-collar occupations such as crane, press and engine operators, production organisers and other basic occupations. The white-collar female workers interviewed in the survey were shown to hold administrative posts at the lower level of the company hierarchy, while their male counterparts occupy top and middle management positions.

With regard to age, the proportion of survey respondents aged 18–29 years old is very low, with just 6.5% of the men and 7.5% of the women falling into this age group. Conversely, half of the male respondents and 35.9% of female respondents are over 46 years old.

In terms of educational level, a high proportion of respondents have an upper secondary vocational education (46.3%), followed by those with a general upper secondary education (34.4%). The proportions of respondents with third-level and lower secondary education are much lower, corresponding to 9.7% and 9.6% respectively. According to the International standard classification ISCED 1997, the upper secondary education ISCED 3 comprises three educational dimensions: general education, pre-vocational or pre-technical education, and vocational or technical education. In the latter dimension, participants attain the practical skills, know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation or trade or class of occupations or trades, leading to a labour-market relevant vocational qualification.

Main survey findings

Job satisfaction

In general, production workers are less satisfied than administrative personnel with the work environment in the machine-building industry. When compared with the administrative staff, the production workers are more critical and show a higher level of discontent concerning the working environment. In their view, serious physical stress factors exist that lead to negative attitudes towards working in the machine-building industry. The workers identified the following factors of discontent:

• low pay;

• poor recognition of work carried out;

• poor working conditions;

• a significant share of manual work;

• high work intensity;

• poor work organisation.

Key drivers of motivation

In terms of motivation, the survey participants ranked the key drivers as follows:

1. prestige and reputation of company – the survey results indicate that almost 70% of respondents are willing to work in a large company which has the reputation of having a stable market position. This appears to be regarded as a guarantee for better employment conditions;

2. promotion opportunities and career development – for 65.5% of administrative staff and 46.6% of workers, the motivation to work in a particular company is linked to opportunities for career development. More than 60% of respondents indicated that the more prestigious the company is, the higher the chances are for career development;

3. payment – the decision of 47% of workers and 40.2% of administrative personnel to start working in a machine-building company was largely motivated by the level of remuneration. Although workers and administrative staff only ranked this factor in third place, it is highly influenced by the other two motivational aspects.

Figure 1 shows that administrative staff emphasise career development as a motivational factor, while production workers are more motivated by the economic aspects associated with working in a machine-building company.

Key drivers of motivation, by category of staff (%)

Source: BICA, Motivation programme, 2007

Motivational differences by age groups

The motivations of employees in different age groups differ significantly (Figure 2). For younger workers aged between 18 and 35 years, the most important motivating factor in the industry is career development (57.1%), followed by the level of remuneration (44.4%). Workers aged between 36 and 45 years are more likely to be motivated by the level of remuneration and the company reputation (both 54.5%) than by opportunities for career development (35.2%). The respondents aged over 46 years ranked company reputation in first place and the remuneration package in second place.

Motivation of workers, by age group (%)

Source: BICA, Motivation programme, 2007

A lower proportion of administrative staff in all age groups, on average about 40%, indicated that the level of remuneration is the most significant motivational factor when it comes to working in the machine-building industry, while opportunities for career development motivated about 65% of employees aged 18–35 years and 70% of those aged 36–45 years (Figure 3). This factor of motivation is less pronounced among the oldest age group of employees (56%).

Career development as a motivating factor for administrative staff, by age group (%)

Source: BICA, Motivation programme, 2007

Commentary

With this survey, the BICA project highlights the alarming situation in the machine-building industry which is characterised by an ageing workforce, recruitment difficulties and skills shortages. The industry experiences major difficulties in recruiting new workers due to the fact that machine-building jobs are not considered as prestigious activities by labour market entrants. The current situation requires corporate programmes with the aim of reducing skills gaps and increasing the motivation for working in machine-building occupations. Developing on the survey findings, BICA has prepared a Motivation programme (in Bulgarian, 409Kb Word document) and set up a vocational education and training centre.

Nadezhda Daskalova, Institute for Social and Trade Union Research