A Guide to Building and Retaining Workforce Capacity for the Railroad Industry (2015)

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C-1 Recruitment and Retention Survey for Operations Managers and System Engineers Introduction 1. Select the description that best describes your current employer: a. Class I railroad b. Class II railroad c. Class III railroad d. Commuter/urban transit rail system e. Consulting firm f. Construction/maintenance contractor g. Rail manufacturer/supplier h. Government i. Professional association j. None of the above 2. How many years have you been with your current employer? 3. How many years have you worked in the railroad industry? 4. Indicate the area that best describes the focus of your current responsibilities a. Operations b. Engineering c. None of the above Recruitment Practices 5. How did you become aware of employment opportunities in the railroad industry? Choose the answer that best applies. a. Suggestion from family member or friend b. Newspaper job postings c. Internet job postings, including railroad websites and job placement websites d. Career fair e. Educational institution f. VA advisor g. Military outplacement service h. Other __________________ 6. Do you have a family member or friend who has worked or works for railroads? a. Yes. If so, did this affect your career decision to join the railroads? i. Yes ii. No b. No A P P E N D I X C

C-2 A Guide to Building and Retaining Workforce Capacity for the Railroad Industry 7. What was your image of the railroad industry before starting your job search? a. Positive b. Neutral c. Negative 8. Why did you choose to work for the railroad? Select all that apply. a. Salary b. Health insurance c. Vacation time d. Pension e. Job security f. Job variety/options g. Work schedule h. Career change i. Interest in trains/railroads j. Other (please specify): _______________________ 9. How would you rate your experience applying for a railroad position? a. Excellent b. Satisfactory c. Unsatisfactory d. Poor 10. After applying, how long did it take before you started training or working for the railroad? a. Less than 2 weeks b. 2 weeks to one month c. One to three months d. Three to six months e. More than six months Education and Training Opportunities 1. Indicate your highest level of completed education: a. High school/equivalent b. Associate’s degree/military equivalent c. Bachelor’s degree d. Master’s or Ph.D. degree 2. Did your formal education include rail-related coursework? a. Yes b. No 3. Have you participated in rail-related continuing education or training offered by your employer in the past two years? a. Yes b. No 4. Have you participated in rail-related continuing education or training offered by an orga- nization other than your employer in the past two years? a. Yes b. No 5. Are you a member of a professional organization that is related to the rail transportation industry? a. Yes b. No

Recruitment and Retention Survey for Operations Managers and System Engineers C-3 6. In your educational program, do you feel that you had sufficient access to rail-related courses and seminars? a. Yes, there were many courses or seminars offered related to the rail industry. b. No, there were only a small amount of courses or seminars offered related to the rail industry. c. No, I don’t recall any courses or seminars offered related to the rail industry. d. Not applicable. 7. What was most helpful in preparing you to enter a career in the railroad industry? a. Courses/seminar material in educational programs b. Internships within the railroad prior to graduation c. Professor/Supervisor/Mentor relationship and guidance d. Participation in a rail-related club or organization e. Guidance from someone within the railroad industry f. Previous employment g. Other (please specify):___________________________ 8. Do you feel your training or education adequately prepared you to conduct your job in a safe and satisfactory manner? a. Training/Education has been more than sufficient b. Training/Education has been sufficient c. Training/Education has been insufficient d. Training/Education has been absent e. Unsure 9. How long was your training period before starting your position? a. Less than a month b. Two to three months c. Four to six months d. More than six months e. I did not receive a training period 10. What type of training has been the most effective in building your skill set, knowledge, and confidence for your current position? a. On-the-job training b. Classroom education c. Online courses d. Working with experienced persons in the field e. Other (please specify): ________________________________ 11. What obstacles did you face during your training period? a. Unwillingness to train properly b. Inexperienced classroom instructor c. Lack of cooperation from others d. Lack of time Retention Practices 1. Where do you see yourself in the next five to ten years? a. Promoted b. Same job c. Same organization, different position d. Retired or close to retirement e. Leave railroad for another job

C-4 A Guide to Building and Retaining Workforce Capacity for the Railroad Industry 2. Do you intend to make working for the railroad a life-long career? a. Yes b. No c. Unsure 3. What factors affect your willingness to continue working within this industry? Select and rank the three most important reasons, with 1 being the most important to you. a. Wages b. Health insurance c. Pension d. Job security e. Interesting/challenging work f. Work schedule g. Travel opportunities h. Camaraderie with coworkers i. Job and career mobility j. Workload k. Participation in union l. Training and educational opportunities m. Other (please specify): _______________________________ 4. What is your level of job satisfaction? a. Extremely satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral d. Unsatisfied e. Extremely dissatisfied 5. What could the railroad do to increase your job satisfaction? Select and rank the three most important reasons, with 1 being the most important to you. a. Increase pay b. Cover more of the health insurance costs c. Offer 401K match d. Offer more vacation time e. Increase in or offer paid sick leave f. Offer a stock purchase program g. Improve predictability of work schedules h. Growth/advancement opportunities i. Additional training and educational opportunities j. Acknowledgment from management for a job well done k. More solicitation of worker input by management l. Provide adequate tools m. Improve maintenance of locomotives/trucks n. Hire more workers o. Other (please specify): __________________ 6. Would you recommend working for the railroad to a family member or close friend? a. Yes b. Unsure c. No 7. What is your level of satisfaction with opportunities for advancement in the railroad industry? a. Very satisfied b. Satisfied c. Neutral

Recruitment and Retention Survey for Operations Managers and System Engineers C-5 d. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied f. I have no interest in advancement. Conclusion 1. Indicate your gender a. _____ Male b. _____ Female 2. Indicate your age range a. Under 25 b. 25–34 c. 35–44 d. 45–54 e. 55–62 f. 63 and older 3. Indicate the range that corresponds to your annual wage from your current rail position a. Under $ 56,000 b. $ 56,000–$ 79,999 c. $ 80,000–$ 114,999 d. $ 115,000 and greater 4. Provide the first 2 zip code digits for your primary work location (for non-US locations, enter 00) a. ________ 5. If you have additional comments, please provide them here: