Recruiting in the US: Tips for Recruiting Across Regions

In today’s globalized economy, we’ve seen sweeping changes in the job market driven by the latest technology innovations – for example, the rise of Internet of Things(IoT) and the automation of traditional manufacturing and transportation jobs. Flexible workplace trends, like telecommuting and flex hours,are also impacting how the workplace operates in a more connected world.

While these are just a few of the trends reshaping the economic environment as we know it, here in the U.S., it’s important to have an ear to the ground in the major regions and cities to understand the different nuances in job markets across the country. In fact, it’s necessary in order to ensure you’re appealing to candidates’ desires and providing sound advice to clients looking to attract the right talent.

Operating a national staffing firm provides insight into the distinctions punctuating various regional job markets including, most notably, the workplace trends that currently appeal to candidates. If not already, almost every recruiter should operate with an awareness of these regional differences, as today’s current candidate climate demands it. To best keep on top of regional trends, here are a few things to keep in mind regarding the national recruiting environment.

How recruitment tactics are shifting

With the job market on a steady upward trend following the recession, we’re continuing to see a very candidate-driven market. Competition among candidates for certain positions and among employers for top talent is creating more opportunity and changes to the recruiting landscape. For one, the increased competition means employers are trying to entice candidates with higher salaries, better benefits and more on the job perks.

The other change we’re seeing from a recruiting standpoint is the breakdown of barriers as a result of our overall connectedness and the pervasiveness of social media. There are a variety of channels on which to research potential candidates and communicate with them before an introduction occurs. LinkedIn is the most credible, but Twitter, Facebook and a growing number of social media and professional sites are presenting recruiters with a much broader pool of talent that’s easier to reach. The obvious tradeoff now being how to cut through all the noise, with candidates receiving job opportunities and information from recruiters at an almost constant rate.

This shift to a candidate-driven market and the upward economy results in employees who are able and willing to move around the country.

Regional Breakdown

In this day and age, candidates have the ability to bounce from job market to job market fairly easily. In the United States in particular, jobs are available in most industries across many cities, and a type of wanderlust has become popular in the workforce, especially with younger generations. A byproduct of this is diversity of talent across markets, and a new challenge for recruiters to bring top talent into certain markets for their clients. They are no longer just competing with the companies that operate in proximity, but companies across the nation that are pining for rock star candidates.

Some things to keep in mind when you’re recruiting top talent across regions includes.

East Coast: With the East Coast the home to the most populated region in the U.S., cost of living is often the barrier for candidates. It’s a much more difficult and competitive setting for young professionals, but it’s unique in the variety of job opportunities available to candidates. An additional incentive for candidates is more opportunity for experience working on more international level, especially in cities like Washington D.C.

West Coast: Like the majority of the U.S., the West Coast is a candidate-driven market, especially in industries such as tech, real estate and construction. The tricky part is candidates often come to the region with escalated expectations around salary due to cost of living, while some companies don’t necessarily offer a higher compensation package. As a result, there are sacrifices made on both the client and candidate side.

Midwest: The Midwest suffered a longer recession than the coasts and had a slow recovery.However, it’s seen as a manufacturing hub and many of the nation’s largest corporations have a presence in cities like Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Minneapolis.Midwest cities are smaller and more manageable for candidates looking to have a city experience, but might feel overwhelmed by a New York City or Los Angeles. Chicago offers the “big city” feel and is the most attractive to millennials looking to stay in the Midwest.

South: The low cost of living in the South,in states such as Texas and Florida, can be an attractive lure for candidates. Another big benefit many candidates cite is a warmer climate. Even if summers are extremely hot, winter is non-existent, and that is something most Northerners dream of experiencing. However, southern cities don’t carry the status of tech or business hubs, like San Francisco and New York City.

Being an attractive workplace to candidates across the U.S. revolves around strong corporate culture, flexibility in work life balance and appropriate compensation. However, slight differences in geography, industry hubs and economic conditions across the various regions of the country can offer recruiters with an additional arsenal of tools in attracting the right candidates for the job.