Survey Highlights Workers' Attitudes About Relocation

CHICAGO--(EON:Enhanced Online News)--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.

“Don't tell them about the lakefront; take them for a walk on the beach”

“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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