Each year, United Way sponsors a research project called the ALICE Report. ALICE stands for Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. United Way performs this report for every county to gain a better understanding of the needs of those who are working but are still having a hard time getting by. After reviewing the report for our own county, the Pentaflex team decided it would be beneficial for us to create our own version of the survey for our employees to see what their needs are and to see what we can do as a company to better meet those needs.
Pentaflex chose to partner with ThinkTank in Springfield, Ohio to gather more information about where we are doing well and what areas need improvement. While we know we can’t do everything, we want to know that what we are doing is the most effective and beneficial for our employees and our community.
Why ThinkTank?
ThinkTank, an organization located in Springfield, Ohio, “works to amplify human stories and empower local change agents. Through poverty simulations, training content and key initiatives guided by leaders with lived experience, Think Tank equips groups to rethink poverty and partner with those affected to create lasting change”.
Pentaflex chose to partner with ThinkTank because they are a neutral partner in the survey that is better able to create an environment where potential vulnerable employees feel the most comfortable sharing personal information. ThinkTank also has the tools and resources available to best aggregate the information gathered into an appropriate company-wide view.
Our Findings
While we are pleased that the survey conducted by ThinkTank indicates most of our employees are living above the ALICE threshold, the survey told us that there are some of our colleagues who would benefit from help and guidance to overcome obstacles outside of the workplace to improve their overall quality of life.
One of the most interesting findings from the report that we did not know before is that not as many employees have issues with child care since most of their children are grown up. This would make sense with an aging workforce. Instead, transportation and access to medical care were two prevalent issues from the survey that are the most important to the majority of our employees at this time.
Next Steps
Based on the initial results, we have decided to utilize ThinkTank to conduct some more detailed focus groups to delve a little deeper into issues that were raised on the survey. Part of our mission is to be responsive to the community and our employees. We feel that by taking the initiative to learn more about our colleagues we will be able to see them better as individuals and by extrapolation, a better view of our community.
You can learn more about how we were able to help meet one of the needs found in this survey by reading our blog post discussing our transportation initiative.