Capital follows talent, but talent follows place. I first heard this statement from placemaking expert James Lima.
Most of my time is spent helping organizations create great places to work. The ability to attract and retain talent is the difference between successful organizations and others. But is being a great place to work enough to ensure that people will accept a job offer and that a company can build a strong workforce? At one time, it was. For decades, people tended to stay close to where they grew up. Today, this is no longer the case. A great place to work may not be able to be fully staffed if it is not in a community that is a great place to live.
Today, people decide where they want to live, and then the job search begins. People who can work virtually have even more options on where to live.
In my book Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America, I share that at one time, the owner of the large local company, the owner of the local paper and radio station, and the owner of the locally owned bank were keys to a community’s quality of life. Those days are gone. Often, the largest non-government employer headquarters are located cities, states, and even countries away from where many of the workers live. Most media outlets are no longer locally owned. The same is true of lending institutions. This means the top executives do not live in the places where the employees work. Top leaders do not stay in smaller communities as their careers unfold. Today, it takes a variety of citizens to build a vibrant community.
This recently was brought home to me during my time in Mount Carmel, Illinois, at Wabash General Hospital, as well as during my time following the progress being made in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Wabash General Hospital is a small hospital with a big footprint in the community. Not only does President and CEO Karissa Turner lead a Best Places to Work hospital, she understands the need for the organization to be engaged in the community in multiple ways—from helping create a vibrant downtown to economic development to housing. I was fortunate to meet with a variety of community members when in Mount Carmel. The room was alive with people committed to making sure the community is a place where people want to live.
Likewise, Beloit, Wisconsin, has a broad group of citizens who are investing in the community in multiple ways. I encourage you to watch the A & E series Betting on Beloit, which starts on July 12. It shows how the Hendricks family is galvanizing the community to build a great place to live, earn, and play.
For those interested, the Center for Civic Engagement and Strong Towns will host the Civic Leader Summit September 23-25 in Pensacola, Florida. It will feature many examples of communities that are making strides in keeping talent home and attracting talent back. To learn more and to register, visit https://www.civicleadersummit.com/.
Today, the best places to work begin with creating great places to live. We all have an interest in building vibrant communities. Let’s do all we can to make ours even better.
