DESPITE HIRING CONCERNS, only a small fraction of sign companies wanting to add an employee or more last year failed to do so. Offering internships or apprenticeships appears popular, with many companies reporting hiring an intern or apprentice. Meanwhile, subcontracting remains a trend on the rise.
31. How many new employees has your company hired in the last 12 months?
| None — we weren’t trying |
| 24% |
| None — we were trying |
| 7% |
| 1 to 2 |
| 36% |
| 3 to 5 |
| 23% |
| 6 to 9 |
| 6% |
| 10 to 20 |
| 1% |
| More than 20 |
| 3% |
DOING IT RIGHT? For all the moaning about how hard it is to hire someone these days, only about 1 in 14 respondents who wanted to, was unable to hire a new employee in the last 12 months. More than 3 in 4 who tried were able to do so.
32. What’s the approximate average age range of all employees at your company?
33. Has your company ever hired one of your interns or apprentices?
YOU’RE HIRED! Hopefully, the fact that more than three times as many respondents who’ve had interns or apprentices and hired one, versus those who’ve hosted but never hired one, will convince more sign companies to give interns and apprentices a try.
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34. Check off the benefits you provide to staff:
| Paid vacation |
| 86% |
| Paid sick days |
| 66% |
| Medical insurance |
| 53% |
| Dental or vision insurance |
| 40% |
| Life insurance |
| 29% |
| Disability insurance |
| 27% |
| Mental health days |
| 16% |
| Flexible schedule or workplace |
| 55% |
| Bonuses or profit sharing |
| 52% |
| 401K or IRA plan |
| 49% |
| Financial support for education |
| 12% |
| Paid maternity/paternity leave |
| 22% |
| Merchandise discounts |
| 29% |
| None of the above |
| 6% |
| Other (see below) |
| 10% |
BENEFICIAL. Benefits allowance, accident insurance, birthdays off, commuting allowance, expense accounts, free apparel, free lunches, use of tools and bucket trucks for home projects.
35. Does your company offer internships or apprenticeships to students?
ALL SET. Less than 20% of the owners and managers not offering nor planning to offer internships or apprenticeships to students, feel that recruiting and retaining new employees is the industry’s primary threat. Twice as many fear competition from non-sign companies the most.
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37. If you subcontract any of your signwork, what do you subcontract?
| Design |
| 12% |
| Fabrication |
| 62% |
| Permitting |
| 21% |
| Installation |
| 55% |
| Maintenance |
| 16% |
| Other (see below) |
| 12% |
| Nothing (We do not subcontract) |
| 11% |
FARMED OUT Some (not all) of fabrication, installation, painting and printing, excavating, electrical work, neon, powder coating and more.
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