Research - Employers about Migrant Workers
Below is information on what the employers's say about their workers.
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There were 43 clients who were asked to evaluate 177 employees in 2003. We received 32 evaluations back from 14 employers. Which constitutes a 32% participation rate. This is a lower figure than we hoped for – but we trust that we can increase the return rate each year as the employers realize the importance of the feedback we receive.
If we look at the response rate of large vs small employers? (e.g,"small" being employers who applied for 3 or fewer combiners vs "large" employers who asked for 4 or more.), we find that - 4 harvesters participated in evaluating their workers - one sent in 5 evaluations (bigger harvester) two harvesters each did three evaluations and one did two evaluations. So 13 (40%) of the 32 evaluations were of combine harvest workers. The rest were all normal mixed crop farmers.
Of all the employers who participated each one evaluated all the workers that were supplied to them for this 2003 season. So a 100% evaluation of all the workers.
Following is a summary of the results with an interpretation of some of the main findings.
In terms of the habits of the workers
It seems from the results that most employers (76.6%) felt that the personal habits of the workers (ranging from drinking, smoking etc.) were never a problem to them.
In terms of the interaction and communication aspect of the relationship
Most employers (82%) felt that the workers understood their instructions all the time.
Most employers (78%) felt that the workers communication skills were good to excellent.
More than 76% of the employers were positive about their worker’s ability to use their own initiative.
Most employers (79%) confirmed that satisfactory communication between worker and employer was received.
In terms of the general skills level of the workers
Most employers (89%) rated the worker’s ability to operate job specific equipment as good (32%) to excellent (57%).
Most employers were very pleased with the level of maintenance and machinery repair skills and 81% rated it as between good (42%) and excellent (39%).
Most employers (90%) felt that the workers are willing to learn any and all new skills they might lack.
In terms of work related problem solving skills
Nearly all the employers (96%) felt that the workers had an average (31%) to good (34%), to excellent (31%) ability to solve work related as well as personal problems on their own.
In terms of general behavior issues
More than 75% of the employers felt that the worker’s stress handling skills are fair to average (18%), good (29%) and excellent (46%).
89% of the employers rated the level of honesty of the workers between good (17%) and excellent (72%).
When the employers were asked to give their impression of the worker’s general behavior, 7% said it was fair/ average, 28% said it was good and 65% said it was excellent.
88% of the employers said that they would like their worker to return and 12% would like to continue using South African workers but indicated that they would like to have different workers for the next season.
The results of this survey showed that the employers’ overall rating of the workers is very high with 52% describing it a excellent, 34% as good and 14% as average.
