A good salary is a strong factor in attracting and retaining blue, gray and pink collar workers. But other benefits are also important, as a recent survey shows.
The job exchange Hokify (proper spelling hokify) calls it “do-it jobs”: jobs where you have to get hands-on, which include activities of daily life and where employees at the same time experience a strong identification with the work, people who work in blue, grey, pink and basic white collar jobs.
Info
If Blue-Collar-Jobs refers primarily to professions in production, industry and crafts. The name comes from the classic blue work overalls in contrast to the white shirt – white collar – in sedentary office work. In the field in between, i.e. the gray area Gray collar positions classified, for example activities in the laboratory. Pink-Collar-Jobs are activities that are often socially assigned to women, for example education or nursing professions.
It is therefore interesting for HR to know: How can employers bring these skilled workers into the company and ensure that they stay there? To answer these questions, Hokify conducted a survey in January 2026 among 2,010 blue-, gray-, and pink-collar employees in Germany and 500 in Austria.
“It’s people who pitch in every day and keep the economy running – in the hospital, in the supermarket, on the construction site or even in the cleaning service,” explains Hokify CEO Jutta Perfahl-Strilka. “Around 80 percent of all jobs in Germany are do-it jobs. This is where it is decided how stable companies and entire industries remain, because it is precisely these professions that feel the pressure first and the shortage of skilled workers is most noticeable there.”
Salary as a driver for employee retention depends on the industry
For the so-called do-it workers, having fun with their job is a high motivation. Around 48 percent stated this as a driver for their career choice. 34 percent reported a good salary. However, when broken down by industry, a more differentiated picture emerges when it comes to this aspect. Among employees in industry and production, 52 percent agreed. Employees in education and social professions are significantly less likely to rate salary as the most important reason for choosing a career (13 percent).
Job satisfaction among all respondents is generally high. Overall, around half of all respondents agreed with the statement: “My job is fun and makes me money!” For around 16 percent, their job is a calling. However, 18 percent also rate their job as “okay – but nothing more”. “Identification is particularly high in educational professions – an above-average number see their work as a calling,” says the study report. “Satisfaction is also comparatively high in technical professions and maintenance.”
Here, too, the answers vary greatly between industries: around 30 percent of the employees surveyed from cleaning, logistics or transport stated that they only chose their job because of the money. Conversely, this can also mean that they can be poached with a higher salary.
“One thing is surprisingly clear: time has become the second currency,” says Perfahl-Strilka. “Over 60 percent initially want more money, but when it comes to real decisions to change, noticeable physical relief, predictable working hours or a four-day week long ago beat the next round of pay.”
There’s a reason for that. Working blue, gray and pink collar jobs also comes with unique physical challenges. Around 28 percent of those surveyed stated high physical strain as a high stress factor. This corresponds to the current employment survey by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA). This showed that manual professions in particular, such as construction workers, metal workers and cleaning staff, are among the 10 percent of the most stressed occupational groups in terms of physical and environmental working conditions.
More on the topic
Can you predict fluctuation with AI?
Can AI predict which employees will leave and when? We show how companies use technology to predict fluctuation and what legal hurdles there are.Read more
Dealing with financial worries among the workforce
In second place as a stress factor in the Hokify survey, money worries came in at around 24 percent. With fair salary structures, employers can stand out from the competition: around 72 percent of those surveyed would change if the salary was better. The answers regarding the stress at work are also reflected in the question about benefits. Here, 35 percent of those surveyed see real added value in target-based bonuses, and around 22 percent see health care, for example through a company doctor, as helpful.
The third most frequently mentioned stress factor in the Hokify survey is a bad working atmosphere at around 19 percent. If conditions were better, around 22 percent would be willing to change jobs. In addition, there is sometimes a lack of recognition from managers and companies. Around 40 percent of those surveyed stated that they experienced strong or partial appreciation, while 19 percent only experienced low appreciation. In the team, however, around 53 percent feel strong and 35 percent feel partially valued.
More on the topic
John Deere: Separation with return guarantee
In order to save personnel costs without cutting jobs, the agricultural technology manufacturer is offering its employees the opportunity to take a sabbatical lasting several years. Does this also make sense for other companies?Read more
Hands-on jobs: A high rate of recommendations is standard
In general, however, employee satisfaction is very high among those surveyed, so that 78 percent of them would recommend their job to others. It may be worthwhile for HR to invest in employee referral programs in order to attract more talent. Personal recommendations are an important factor in recruiting for many HR managers. Surveys show this again and again, most recently the Index Recruiting Report 2024.
The Hokify survey also shows: HR is well advised to consider the working conditions that differentiate blue, gray and pink collars from other professions. Work clothing is often a crucial factor in these professions. More than a quarter of those surveyed who see their job as a calling say they are proud of their work clothes. Among those surveyed who only see their job as a way to earn money, this figure is only around 8 percent. At the same time, only 16 percent of all respondents are very satisfied with the quality and functionality of the clothing provided. A starting point for HR to strengthen employee satisfaction and score points in job advertisements.
The willingness to change do-it-jobs is generally very age-dependent. Of those surveyed between the ages of 50 and 64, around two thirds plan to stay until retirement. For the 18 to 29 age group, this rate is significantly lower at around 35 percent.
There are many factors that influence job satisfaction and employee loyalty. Companies should take this into account if they want to retain their skilled workers and recruit new ones. Especially since job satisfaction does not necessarily have to stand in the way of changing jobs.
The 2025 job satisfaction study by the personnel service provider YER recently revealed: Of 1,118 respondents – here with an academic degree – 83 percent said they were satisfied in their job. Nevertheless, 10 percent of those surveyed are planning to change jobs within the next six months, and another 29 percent are thinking about it.
Info
What can HR learn?
What are the most important learnings that can be learned from the survey? Jutta Perfahl-Strilka, CEO at Hokify, summarizes:
The most important lever for HR is: don’t start with glossy employer branding, but rather with the structural framework in everyday life.
- Plannable shifts, realistic staffing ratios and clear processes bind specialists more strongly than any symbolic benefit campaign.
- Time and relaxation become a competitive advantage – additional vacation days, reliable rosters or a four-day week cushion physical strain and stress much better than the next fruit basket.
- In addition, there are benefits that really matter: health care, such as company health offers, and a solid company pension create security in an everyday working life that demands a lot physically and mentally.
- This job group is not about hierarchical advancement, because for many people development means getting better at their own job, specializing in their field and learning in a practical way.
