A MAJOR survey of the Skipton area workforce could shape employment policies of the town's top employer for years to come.

Skipton Building Society is conducting 150 interviews to find out what attracts people to a job.

The society has grown rapidly in recent years and has concluded that it will find it increasingly difficult to recruit from the local pool of workers.

Although it is not a problem now, Chris Worts, the society's human resources manager, said it could be a problem in the future and the society is planning how to tackle a changing jobs market.

The company has always stressed its commitment to Skipton and the role it plays in the town's economy. SBS now employs 750 at its headquarters on the Bailey with another 600 at its subsidiary, Homeloan Management Limited. But last month HML announced the opening of an office at Padiham in order to tap into the Lancashire jobs market.

The society will use the survey to draw up a report outlining what steps SBS should take to attract workers in future.

"This is all against a background of employment legislation such as flexible working arrangements, which workers have a right to ask for," said Mr Worts.

He said possible results from the report could be providing transport or childcare facilities at the head office. If the lack of these facilities were identified as obstacles to people working at SBS then the society might have to look at providing them in future.

"It seems that society is moving away from the traditional 9 to 5 culture and if that is the case SBS would have to move with it," said Mr Worts. "We have always accepted that people work from 9 to 5 and never changed from that but these days people might want to start work after their children go to school and work later. We may have to look at that if it is a barrier to employment."

Among other employment issues the society could consider are flexible shift patterns, working a four day week, job shares, and working only during school term times.

It is also prepared for some radical thinking about recruitment, turning to older people, perhaps those who have retired early but would still like a little part time work, or people who are looking for a change of career.

Terry Marriott, human resources executive at HML, said interviews would be conducted by phone in June.

The questions will ask people about their work preferences, such as what they would need to change their job, preferred working hours, preferred place of work, their general attitude to work, any barriers they have to accepting any job.

It will also ask about their perception of Skipton Building Society. The responses will be confidential.

The aim is to complete the report by September.