The Results Are In, Wellness Is The Priority

What we learned from the 2022 Mountain Careers Survey

Each year, Mountain Careers conducts a survey canvassing both job seekers and employers to gather data about what is important for each of these groups across multiple professional and personal categories. The results of this survey inform the resources that Mountain Careers provides to its community of over 15,000 professionals, and help to optimize the Mountain Careers Job Board, which is the only all-inclusive resource for job seekers to see the full spectrum of job opportunities available to them in major mountain towns in the western United States. 

Photo: Christie Sports (they are hiring!)

With this year’s data, the team at Mountain Careers is really excited to see the alignment between what job seekers are searching for and what employers in the mountains are prioritizing for their ideal workplace. For job seekers, the results indicated that things like schedule flexibility, wellness benefits, and workplace culture were as important or even more important than higher pay and various training benefits. For employers, supplemental resources for housing and health insurance were considered most valuable for their workforces. 

With this year’s data, the team at Mountain Careers is really excited to see the alignment between what job seekers are searching for and what employers in the mountains are prioritizing for their ideal workplace.

What the data say about workplace wellness in the mountains

Which of these benefits would attract or keep you to a job? (Job Seeker Responses and Date)

  1. Good Workplace Culture
  2. Flexible Work including remote or shorter work week
  3. Ski Pass or Wellness Stipend

What’s most important to you at this stage in your life? (top trends)

  • Finding balance to spend time outside and time with friends and family
  • My health and happiness
  • A connection and investment in my community through purpose-driven work
  • Peace of mind, no stress over work, and loving connections
  • A job that stimulates my brain and encourages growth

How important is it that your employer commits to the following?

The responses marked most as “very important” were:

  • Good Benefits
  • Workplace Culture
  • Mountain Lifestyle

Employer Responses

What is most important to you when hiring someone?

Some of the best responses were:

  • A positive attitude and willingness to be a team player
  • Curiosity, creativity, and the ability to adapt to change
  • A qualified candidate who is not afraid of hard work and who also likes to have fun
  • A supportive team player that displays humor and professionalism
  • Ability to find housing

What would be most valuable for your workforce?

The top 3 responses from employers were:

  • List of local housing resources
  • Access to health insurance
  • Leadership training

What are your hiring/workforce plans for the next 12 months?

Over 90% of employers said they would be hiring for at least 1-5 positions over the next fiscal year, and nearly 50% said they would be hiring 5-10 or more. 

One thing that is certain is that mountain professionals value work-life balance, health, and family as their current motivators. Caring for the whole human being, not just treating everyone as a corporate asset, is more vital to the success of a company than they’ve ever been, and our survey results prove it. 

We’re also encouraged to see how many mountain employers are planning to hire over the next 12 months! Despite some of the hiring uncertainty you may read in the news, employers in the mountains need quality candidates who value the mountain lifestyle and who will be dedicated to it for the long haul. The Mountain Careers Job Board features dozens of these employers now, check ‘em out!