Cardiff. cardiff. Survey. Business school. partnership. friendly. Parking traffic. facilities. capital. culture. people residents.

(1)

cardiff

EmployEE

SurvEy

tranSport facilitiES buSinESSES Shopping culturE vibrant public pEoplE linkS clEanlinESS city StrEEtS wElSh capital grEEn infraStruturE nightlifE parking walES

community modErn dEvElopmEnt

friEndly rESidEntS traffic congEStion EmploymEnt invEStmEnt opportunitiES travEl cardiff buSinESS School cardiff buSinESS partnErShip

cardiff

(2)

Cardiff Business School is one of the leading business and management schools in the UK. In the most recent UK Government Research Assessment Exercise, it was ranked 4th in the UK for the quality of its research. 70% of the School’s research is considered to be internationally excellent or world leading. Its academics work with leading blue-chip, global businesses such as Tesco, Nestle, Hewlett Packard and Johnson & Johnson, and with international public sector and not-for-profit organisations such as the United Nations, International Labour Organisation and Department for Communities and Local Government. The School educates 2,600 students each year, delivering a broad portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate research degrees.

The Cardiff Business Partnership (CBP)

consists of leading employers in the

Capital of Wales. Its mission is to

represent businesses in the Capital,

ensuring that the views of enterprise

are at the heart of the development

of Cardiff as a competitive global

location. The Partnership aims to

identify key issues facing the Capital’s

economy. Through its members, the

Partnership has the unique ability to

go beyond advocacy to action.

The Partnership also serves as a resource of expertise

and creative thinking for policy makers, media and

others concerned with taking forward the Cardiff and

Welsh economy. The Partnership seeks to influence

policy by presenting the views of leading businesses,

sponsoring research, and bringing together experts

and leaders in city development.

CBP and Cardiff Council have entered a collaborative

arrangement with Cardiff Business School, which

will spearhead leading research aimed at helping to

improve the competitiveness of Cardiff.

itS mEmbErS includE:

admiral

boomErang

frEShwatEr

grant thornton

hugh JamES SolicitorS

lEgal & gEnEral

mEdia walES

pricEwatErhouSEcoopErS

principality building SociEty

S a brain & co.

tata

tESco

(3)

3

The city of Cardiff has a

diverse economic base

and is a major regional

employer, drawing 70,000

people from outside the

city to work each day. This

survey examined the views

of employees within the

service sector: the sector

employs 167,800 people

and is of considerable

importance to the Welsh

economy. It is therefore

constructive to explore the

structure of the industry in

terms of its employees and

attempt to glean insight

into their thoughts on work

and the city.

This report presents the findings from a research project conducted by Cardiff Business School and Cardiff Business

Partnership. The project examined employees’ perceptions of Cardiff as a place to work and asked them what they wanted from the city in the future. Over 640 individuals responded to the survey of which the majority were employees from the Cardiff Business Partnership firms.

ExEcutivE Summary

moSt pEoplE wErE

attractEd to thE city by

‘thE Job itSElf’ but othEr

big attractionS arE thE

nightlifE and Shopping

facilitiES.

driving to work is By far the most Common method of transPort regardless of where PeoPle live. half of the resPondents would like to Be working for their Current emPloyer in Cardiff, But in a more senior Position, in 15 years'

time.

Congestion is a ConCern for those surveyed, with most seeing

City transPort infrastruCture as

a key investment need over the next

deCade. of those surveyed

want to keeP working in Cardiff

for at least the immediate future,

with over 65% indiCating that they wish to keeP working

in the City for the foreseeaBle future.

kEy

findingS

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ababa

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95

%

65

%



   

1

⁄

2

(4)

As the capital of Wales, Cardiff is seen as the economic powerhouse of the nation. The population of the greater Cardiff area, including the Vale of Glamorgan, grew at around 0.5% pa over the period 2002-09 and is projected to continue to grow at this rate until 2013. Cardiff’s growth has outpaced the rest of Wales and is expected to continue to do so for the next decade. One of the biggest group of respondents came from the financial services sector: in 2011, Cardiff has approximately 30,000 people employed in financial services and thousands more in business services. The businesses of Cardiff have seen a continual demand for labour which has outstripped local supply for many years. This has led to the growth of the Cardiff city region: over 70,000 people commute from the Valleys and further across South Wales to work in Cardiff each day.

This report summarises some key findings from a major survey of employees working in Cardiff. The research and analysis has been conducted by Cardiff Business School in conjunction with Cardiff Business Partnership. The survey is the first to look at how people feel about Cardiff as a place to work.

The primary finding from the research is that people report very positively on their employment and Cardiff as a city. The vast majority of respondents (95%) wanted to continue to work in Cardiff for at least the immediate future and over two-thirds (68%) indicated that they believed their longer-term futures were in Cardiff.

In the following pages we explore these findings in detail. In particular, we will look at what it is that people like about Cardiff and what they want to see the city invest in over the coming years. We also focus on the commuting patterns of respondents and how commuting workers from different parts of south east Wales had different opinions on the city's future direction and priorities.

introduction

walES

cardiff

population

all pEoplE agEd 16-64 (%) SErvicE SEctor

groSS wEEkly pay (£)

Economically activE % of population

figurES, StatS walES and nomiS (2008)

2999300 680750 167800 486.2 451.1 68.9 74.2 72.8 63.4 336200

(5)

The survey examined whether people wanted to continue working in Cardiff, based on their experiences to date. There was an overwhelmingly positive response to this question. 95% of respondents wanted to continue working in Cardiff for at least the immediate future, with 68% saying they wanted to continue for the foreseeable future. The 5% who said that they did not want to keep working in Cardiff were asked their reasons for wanting to leave: personal reasons and better standard of living were the major responses given.

what rESpondEntS think

of cardiff aS a placE to work

5

%

No

68

%

Yes

keep workiNg

iN Cardiff?

do You waNt to

yes, for the foreseeaBle future

27

%

Yes

yes, at least for the immediate future 5

(6)

The positive response continues when we consider respondent views on where they would like to be working and for whom in 15 years' time. Close to half of the respondents would like to be working for their current employer in Cardiff, but in a more senior position, in 15 years' time. This suggests considerable satisfaction on the part of many employees with both their employer and city of employment.

Respondents commonly reported that they 'enjoy working with colleagues’ and had an ‘enjoyable working environment'. A number of other features were mentioned, including stimulating work and flexible working arrangements.

Another positive factor for a significant minority was working close to home.

When examining commuting it seems that car/ motorbike is the primary means for getting to work, with over 51% of respondents reporting this type of transport use.

Many of those who took part in the survey (62%) chose more than one method of commuting, with train and walking being the most common combination. More detail on commuting patterns will be presented later in this report.

g

2026

where

would you

like to Be

working

in fifteen

years' time?

what do you

like aBout

working

for your

Current

emPloyer?

getting to work

48

%

working in a more senior role with your Current emPloyer in Cardiff

28

%

good Pay

22

%

walk

8

%

CyCle

16

%

Bus

22

%

train

51

%

Car / motorCyCle

5

%

working with your Current emPloyer outside Cardiff

43

%

work is stimulating

7

%

working in a similar joB, But for another emPloyer, in Cardiff

58

%

enjoyaBle working environment

4

%

working in a similar joB, But for another emPloyer, outside Cardiff

69

%

you enjoy working with Colleagues

9

%

doing a ComPletely

different joB in Cardiff

48

%

you work Close to home

9

%

no Change in your Current CirCumstanCes

29

%

good Career ProsPeCts

13

%

doing a ComPletely different joB outside Cardiff

42

%

flexiBle working arrangements

34

%

training oPPortunities

(7)

7

There was a wide distribution of earnings among the respondents. Although 27% fell into the £15,000 to £20,000 bracket, over 41% of those surveyed earn in excess of £25,000.

The survey was distributed to around 5,000 employees of the member firms of Cardiff Business Partnership. 648 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate of 12.96%). There is a broad split amongst sex and age with a slight skew towards women and respondents aged 24-39. 42% of the sample are under 30 years of age: given that Cardiff has a young population, the sample is thought to be representative.

annual earnings

sex Profile of resPondents age Profile of resPondents

rESpondEntS’ profilE

< £10k

£10k-15k

£15k-£20k

£20k-£25k

£25k-£30k

£30k-£40k

> £40k

£££

£££££££££££££££££££££££££££

££££££££££££

££££££££££££££££££

££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

££

££££££££££££££££

££££££££££££££

£££££££££££

£££££££££££££££££££

££££££££££££££

££££££££££££££££

££££££££££££££

27% 16% 14% 12% 11% 3%

£££

malE fEmalE

57

%

43

%

25-39 18-24 40-54 55-64 65+

11

%

57

%

26

%

5

%

(8)

cardiff

cardiff?

Job, facilitiES

family, friEndS

walES, proximity

It is important to understand why people choose Cardiff as a place to work, as this helps to explain what it is about the city that is attractive. One reason for working in Cardiff is that people were born here or have lived here since childhood (32% of respondents) or that they were initially brought to the area by a job (24%).

To explore this further, more detail was requested from respondents: one of the key findings is that people come originally because family or friends are in Cardiff. Many respondents reported that they were not originally from Cardiff but came here when they met their partner (11%).

The positive impact of Cardiff’s higher education institutions is also clear from the data, with more than a tenth of people reporting that they chose to stay on after graduation (13%). People also allude to facilities and the size of the city itself: “The main reason was for a better work/life balance and to be near friends and family”.

what

attractEd

pEoplE to

why did

you dEcidE

to work in

32

%

you’ve always lived in

or around Cardiff

24

%

you aPPlied for a joB

and it haPPened to Be

in Cardiff

10

%

you liked the City

and deCided to look

for a joB here

13

%

you Came to

Cardiff to study

and deCided to stay

11

%

you moved here to

Be with a Partner/

family

9

%

(9)

9

32

%

Better emPloyment

elsewhere

36

%

48

%

21

%

9

%

Better standard of

housing elsewhere

Personal reasons

Better Cultural offer

elsewhere

Better leisure offer

elsewhere

21

%

6

%

ProBlems in Commuting

Cost and availaBility

of housing

dangErouS

city

livi

ng

ExpEnSivE

£££££££££

commuting

parking /

congEStion

tranSport

ba

what pEoplE don’t likE

]

rEaSonS you

don’t want

to kEEp

working in

cardiff

ba

(10)

what

don't you

likE about

working in

cardiff?

2

%

12

%

19

%

21

%

29

%

54

%

3

%

unfriEndly

city

poor

houSing

choicE

outSidE of

work, it'S

hard to gEt

around thE

city

lack of

EmploymEnt

opportunitiES

lack of

promotion

lack of

clEanilinESS

congEStion

poor

cultural

offEr

6

%

9

%

othEr

While the picture painted in the survey is broadly positive, it is important to reflect on the negatives. Although only 5% of those surveyed said they did not want to continue working in Cardiff, it was important to explore the reasons behind their desire to leave. By far the most important motivation for wanting to leave was personal reasons, followed by the perceived better standard of living elsewhere.

More generally, to give a more rounded picture of Cardiff, we also asked all those surveyed what concerns they had about working in the city. The largest area of concern for respondents was congestion, with over half the people (54%) in the survey highlighting this. This appears to refer specifically to the problem of getting in and out of the city to work since only 9% of respondents said that getting around the city outside work was a problem. The other most significant concern was the lack of cleanliness (29%). When the more detailed, qualitative comments provided by individual respondents were explored, concerns about transport were raised again. Almost 80% of comments were about the problems with transport and infrastructure. Along with congestion, the other major area of concern is parking, with numerous respondents expressing annoyance with the limited parking available and cost of parking in the city centre. A number of respondents thought that buses and trains did not provide effective alternatives to driving, with a typical comment being:

"There is no train connections leaving at a suitable time that will get me into work for 9".

Early

cloSing

hourS

crimE

25

%

22

%

(11)

11

thE futurE of thE city rEgion

ProjeCts you think the City needs to invest in

what issues should the City ConCentrate

on over the next 10 years

0% ₁₀% ₂₀% ₃₀% ₄₀% ₅₀% ₆₀% transPort in the City transPort to other areas retail faCilities sPorting faCilities Parks & green sPaCes residential develoPment

0 10 20 30 40 50

Creating more joBs Creating more graduate joBs easier Commute to work Better transPort in the City imProved health of residents addressing soCial exClusion making the City safer more things to do in the City attraCt Better shoPs more Bars/ restaurants Better digital CommuniCations Cleaner environment PuBliC serviCes

The development of Cardiff’s infrastructure must be at the heart of long term economic strategy. Examining the views expressed by those that work and live, and/or commute into the city, means that important development priorities can be identified.

Those surveyed expressed clear views about the issues that need the city's attention. Public services are cited by over 50% and this is closely followed by transport in general, both in the city and its hinterland. Along with the physical infrastructure, nearly one third of respondents wanted to see investment in parks and green spaces.

(12)

location and commuting

home of resPondents

Approximately 70,000 people commute into Cardiff to work each day. We undertook a spatial analysis of respondents using data provided on post-codes. Of those surveyed, 57% were from the greater Cardiff area. The remaining respondents come from as far afield as 60 miles away, indicating an extensive travel to work area.

outSidE cardiff living in cardiff

58

%

42

%

BRIDGEND

PENARTH

CAERPHILLY

PONTYPRIDD

RHONDDA CYNON TAF

BRECON BEACONS

CARDIFF

THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN

CF3 CF10 41 CF11 45 CF14 59 CF15 18 CF23 31 CF24 69 CF3 32 CF48 12 CF5 60 CF62 19 CF63 12 CF64 31 CF72 14 CF23 CF24 CF83 CF32 CF14 CF15 CF37 CF40 CF43 CF45 CF47 CF42 CF71 CF61 CF34 CF35 CF62 CF63 CF64 CF72 CF10 CF11 CF5 CF38 CF36 CF31 CF33 CF39 CF44 CF48 CF81

most Common

PostCodes of

resPondents

(13)

what don't you like aBout working in Cardiff?

13

Most attracted

the job itself

Local environment

city nightlife, pubs, bars & restaurants

the job itself

standard of living

Postcode

cF10

cF11

cF14

cF15

cF23

cF24

cF3

cF48

cF5

cF62

cF63

Postcode

cF3/14/23

cF10/24/11

cF62/63/5

cF15/48

£10k - £20k

66.7

63.0

50.0

40.0

38.7

37.3

42.4

60.0

30.5

16.7

33.3

congEStion

30.9

26.3

25.6

24.4

£20k - £40k

30.8

26.1

39.7

33.3

51.6

52.2

48.5

30.0

45.8

50.0

25.0

hard city to gEt around

4.6

4.7

5.5

14.6

over £40k

2.6

10.9

10.3

26.7

9.7

10.4

9.1

10.0

23.7

33.3

41.7

lack of EmploymEnt opportunitiES

6.9

6.7

16.5

4.9

poor houSing

4.1

2.7

3.0

4.9

lack of promotion

10.1

9.8

17.7

7.3

poor cultural offEr

2.3

2.0

1.2

0.0

crimE

13.4

16.9

10.4

12.2

lack of clEanlinESS

14.3

19.2

11.6

17.1

night facilitiES

10.1

11.4

6.7

14.6

Most coMMon Method oF transPort

Walking

Bus

Walking

Bus

car/Motorcycle

Walking

train

car/Motorcycle

cycle

Residential location is a key factor in explaining the methods of transport used to commute. Although car/ motorcycle dominated the modes of transport overall, walking or bus was a strong preference for those from Central Cardiff (CF24, CF14, CF11, CF10). Contrary to this, CF23 in central Cardiff saw larger numbers driving to work. Train was the preferred travel option for commuters from the Valleys.

In terms of earnings there are significant differences between respondents according to residential area. Respondents from Central Cardiff reported lower than average earnings with both CF11 and CF14 having around 5% of those

surveyed earning less than £10,000 per annum. The only other area surveyed which had a higher percentage of low earners was CF48 (Merthyr Tydfil) with 20%. At the other end of the scale CF62 and CF63 have the highest percentage of respondents earning over £40,000. Over 40% of respondents from Barry (CF63) earned over £40,000.

When looking at what attracted people to Cardiff, there is little difference between areas with the exception of two: the first is CF63, where the standard of living was the most attractive factor in coming to Cardiff, while people living in CF3 indicated that the local environment was the most attractive factor.

Clear geographical patterns also emerge when exploring the factors that concern people about the city. Those from city areas such as CF11 and CF14 have concerns with cleanliness and crime. Almost all areas have some degree of concern with congestion, but it appears that those living right in the city centre (CF23, CF24) feel this the most. This is an interesting finding as it is in these areas where most people walk to work. The other interesting detail is that, out of all areas, the farthest postcode in this selection, CF48 (Merthyr Tydfil), appears to have the least concern with congestion.

(14)

Looking at the issues that respondents have with Cardiff broken down by age shows some similar patterns to those that have been presented previously. Congestion is seen as the biggest issue within most age bands. However 18-24 year olds see the lack of employment as being the biggest problem. Only one age group (55-64 year olds) highlighted cleanliness as a major issue. A better environment and a cleaner city was chosen by two age groups. Surprisingly, although to this point congestion and transport have been raised by only one age group as the most important, 55-64 year olds choose making it easier to get to work as the city’s priority.

When examining what attracted people to come and work in Cardiff there appears to be a significant age division. 18 to 39 year olds were attracted by City nightlife, pubs, bars & restaurants whereas 55 to 65+ were attracted by the local environment (Parks, green spaces).

agE of rESpondEntS and rESponSES

what does

the City

need to

ConCentrate

on?

what

attraCted

you to Come

and work in

Cardiff?

what do you

dislike the

most aBout

Cardiff?

18-24

agE group

25-39

40-54

55-64

65+

moSt important

moSt attractivE

diSlikE thE moSt

Better environment and

Cleaner City

making the City safer

Better digital

CommuniCation

making it easier to get to

work

Better environment and

Cleaner City

City nightlife, PuBs, Bars

& restaurants

City nightlife, PuBs, Bars

& restaurants

standard of living

loCal environment

(Parks, green sPaCes)

loCal environment

(Parks, green sPaCes)

laCk of emPloyment

oPPortunities

Congestion

laCk of Cleanliness

Congestion

(15)

15

concluSion

This report has examined the findings of the Cardiff Business Partnership Employee Survey. It reveals positive perceptions of the city, with an encouragingly large number of people reporting that they want to continue to work in Cardiff. There is also a strong positive message for employers, with large numbers of employees reporting that their career aspirations are to progress with their current employer.

When examining the evidence in detail interesting patterns emerge. Many of those who responded said it was the job itself that attracted them to Cardiff, not the city. Having said that, many report satisfaction with the city and this is reflected in their future plans.

Although those surveyed report a broadly positive view of working in Cardiff, they do indicate that there are certain issues related to working in the city. Investment in city infrastructure to improve commuting times was raised as important by many of the respondents. Distance does not seem to be the key determinant in the reporting of congestion problems, with the inner city respondents having greater issues with transport than those commuting longer distances. It is important to note one or two areas that have been highlighted as key to the development of the city:

thE EnvironmEnt: this was particularly important to young

respondents who feel that making Cardiff a cleaner and safer city should be a priority.

infraStructurE: transport in general is mentioned throughout the

report both in the responses to questions and the comments of those surveyed. Of the 470 who responded to the question about the vision for Cardiff in 2020, 80% highlighted transport of some kind as being the area that needs to be developed further. This report also reveals the extensive travel to work area of Cardiff. People travel from as far as Bristol and Pembrokeshire to work in Cardiff. Cardiff City Council reports that 70,000 people commute to work in Cardiff each day. Cardiff is far more than an employment source for city dwellers but provides jobs for the south east Wales region. The city remains the fastest growing part of the Welsh economy supporting incomes over a very wide area.

(16)

aCknowledgements

In preparing this report we are very grateful to Jonathan Day of Cardiff Council who was instrumental in collecting and compiling the original data in the survey. Design: www. blacksheep.info

ContaCt details

Dr. Andrew Crawley Tel: +44(0)29 2087 5079 Email: crawleyAJ@cardiff.ac.uk

Prof. Rick Delbridge

Tel: +44(0)29 2087 6644 Email: delbridger@Cardiff.ac.uk

Cardiff Business School Cardiff University Aberconway Building Colum Drive Cardiff CF10 3EU UK Is a Research Fellow at Cardiff Business School

working with Cardiff Business Partnership. He has been involved in publishing reports on sector analysis and regional economic issues within Wales. His research interests lie in industrial economics, spatial and regional economic analysis.

rick dElbridgE

Is Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Organisational Analysis at Cardiff Business School and a Senior Fellow of the ESRC/EPSRC Advanced Institute of Management Research. His research interests include the organisation and management of innovation. He is co-author of The Exceptional Manager (Oxford University Press).

Is Professor of Employment Relations at the Cardiff Business School and Associate Dean for Human Resources, and is Co-director in the Centre for Global Labour Research, Cardiff University. He has published numerous research reports and papers on industrial relations.

max munday

Is Director of the Welsh Economy Research Unit at the Cardiff Business School and Professor of Economics. He has been involved in research projects that have examined the development of the Cardiff economy, and the development of key sectors in the city area.