It’s not just about salary anymore. In the tight post-pandemic job market, employees now consider benefits, flexibility, career growth opportunities, and more when evaluating job quality. A new tool from Northeastern University measures these factors to help improve job quality and recruitment, benefiting both employees and employers.

“Increasing the number of high-quality jobs—to provide individuals and families with the benefits of their labor and give them the opportunity not only to achieve economic stability, but also to thrive—is crucial,” the researchers explain.

Job quality

The Job Quality Benchmarking Index (JQBI) was developed by JVS, one of New England’s largest workforce development organizations. JVS connects workers with skills, education, and high-quality jobs.

The JQBI is a 35-question online employer self-assessment focusing on five job quality pillars:

• Salary/Wages
• Benefits
• Scheduling
• Access to Career Development
• Supportive Environment

The researchers evaluated the tool with a case study in the child care sector, which has seen significant turnover and changes post-pandemic.

This industry, operating on thin margins, suffered heavy revenue losses during the pandemic shutdown, causing many providers to close. Recovery has been slow, with a surge in job postings in this traditionally low-paying field as society reopened.

Building back better

“In seeking to build back better after the pandemic, the importance of job quality in the child care industry really can’t be understated,” the researchers note.

“One of our frequent mantras is that child care is infrastructure: it helps parents get to work, even more so than roads and bridges. During the pandemic, you didn’t need roads and bridges as much, but if you have a three-year-old at home, you definitely need child care.”

The research analyzed JVS employer data, JQBI data, JVS client data (notably job placement data), and included interviews with employers and employees.

Both groups found the survey useful, but for different reasons. For salary and wages, many employers used the data to advocate for higher wages to their boards. Employees appreciated the resulting wage increases but noted that the average annual salary in the industry was just over $20,000 in 2022, with many child care workers relying on public benefits.

Peer pressure

Regarding benefits, employers liked seeing how their offerings compared to peers, particularly benefits beyond health care like transportation, mental health services, and employee child care. However, employees pointed out that few employers offered retirement plans.

There was a notable disparity in attitudes toward scheduling. “Employers seemed confident they had nailed the scheduling—recognizing it’s in-person work, they had worked on policies to support working parents and provide flexible schedules,” the researchers explain. “Employees, however, felt this didn’t match their lived experience.”

Despite these differences, the data encouraged employers to improve. Modestino sees a future for the JQBI beyond child care.

“Employers want to do the right thing and don’t want to spend money on ineffective policies,” the researchers conclude. “The strong labor market presents an opportunity for JVS to expand the JQBI as a diagnostic tool across different industries and Greater Boston.”