In order to effectively recruit and retain talent, employers and regional governments must understand how community characteristics play into workers' decisions about job seeking and relocation, according to a study recently presented at the Chicago Talent Summit by the Human Capital Institute.
CHICAGO (Business Wire EON) November 16, 2007 --
In order to effectively recruit and retain talent, employers and
regional governments must understand how community characteristics play
into workers' decisions about job seeking and relocation, according to a
study recently presented at the Chicago Talent Summit by the Human
Capital Institute.
“Employers and governmental entities within a
given region can play an important role in attracting job seekers with
top leadership skills by promoting the unique advantages they offer to
residents in concrete terms,” said Allan
Schweyer, president and executive director of the Human Capital
Institute, who co-authored the study with John Eggert, Ph.D.
“Don't tell them about the lakefront; take
them for a walk on the beach,” Schweyer added.
Workers chose San Diego, San Francisco and New York as the top three
U.S. metro areas for job relocation while New York, Detroit and Los
Angeles topped the list as the least preferred. New York made both the
most and least preferred list. FortiusOne, a next-generation mapping
service, has created an interactive graphic that shows other top
U.S. metro areas.
The study showed that the “brand”
of a city played prominently in workers attitudes.
“Cities and employers that understand, manage
and promote their brands will be best positioned to attract and keep
knowledge workers of all ages,” said Schweyer.
Key Findings
People are hard to move. The majority of respondents say they are
satisfied with their community; therefore it is advisable to look for
new employees among people in transition - recent college graduates or
those who have recently lost their jobs, for example.
People think about cities in the abstract, but they make relocation
decisions concretely. Job opportunities, clean and safe communities
and cost of living are the most powerful factors in attracting talent to
area particular region.
The negative images of the city may have a stronger impact than the
positive. Employers need to acknowledge less flattering
misconceptions about their region and look to address them during the
interview process.
“Town and Gown”
issues will not improve without more integration and alignment. Both
corporations and universities need to cooperate to ensure success.
Corporations should take an active role in making curriculum
suggestions, while universities should stay abreast of the job market to
better prepare students.
The study also looks at the job categories that employers say are the
hardest to fill, along with the top leadership skills they say are
hardest to find.
“Talent Markets: The Importance of Location
in the Competition for Human Capital,” was
conducted by the Human
Capital Institute, a global think tank, educator and professional
association, in collaboration with Monster®,
the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. The full
results of the survey are available online.
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