There's a lot of talk about labor shortages in the mining, resource and construction industries but not a lot of solutions are being offered, according to WA firm Marketforce.

Now, the company is undertaking a groundbreaking survey to identify what employees in these industries are looking for in a company, and just what makes an employer stand out in the crowd.

Marketforce Director of Strategy Nicole Walton says the results will help to show mining, resource and construction companies what they need to do to attract and retain the best people.

"This survey will allow people working in those industries to spell out just what combination of factors they're looking for in an employer, and as a result show employers what they need to be doing in order to attract and hold on to good people."

The online survey asks employees in the Australian mining, resources and construction industries a series of questions covering key areas such as hours, working conditions, perceptions of a range of medium-to-large players in the industry and what makes an employer attractive to work for.

The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and participants have the chance to win an Apple iPad 2.

The survey can be completed at http://thecribsurvey.questionpro.com and closes on 7 June 2011.