To get top talent in the Great Lakes, sell more than affordability.

If your recruitment pitch to a 22-year-old engineer from a top university starts with, "Look how cheaply you can live here," you have already lost. But too often, that’s the message we’re selling in the Midwest.

In an effort to compete for talent who might be headed to the coast, many regional employers have made "low cost of living" a key part of their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Our largest employers have relied on being able to pay competitive salaries and the thought was that when combined with the cost of living relative to Chicago or New York; this was enough to bring top talent in the door.

But for the best and brightest talent, compensation alone is not enough. Hilary Doe, Chief Growth Officer at the Michigan Institute for Growth and Opportunity; pointed a key insight gained with talking to young people throughout Michigan at Great Lakes Human Capital’s “Brain Drain Turnaround Playbook” event last month:

“I think one of the mistakes that regions like ours have made is to say ‘it’s cheap here’ and that’s just part of the message, but not all. It’s important for us to lean into the industries where we’re best in the nation, to highlight innovation; and once you’ve done those things, affording a home makes it the cherry on top.”

Affordability is table stakes. Top talent is going to assume their employer will compensate them well enough to pay the bills. What they don't assume is that they will find rapid career acceleration, meaningful mentorship, and a vibrant community in what is still often referred to as the "Rust Belt."

The good news is that our companies have a lot more to offer that just ‘bang for the buck,’ they just have to communicate it. If you want to win top entry-level talent, you need to stop selling a "job + cheap rent" and start selling a "career + ecosystem." Here are three tangible ways that companies across the Great Lakes can reshape their EVP today and bring top talent in the door.

1. Sell the Experience, Not the Zillow Listing

We cannot compete with New York or San Francisco on perceived prestige or status. We can compete on impact, opportunity, and quality of life - but only if they experience it firsthand.

Hilary shared stunning data from Michigan’s talent attraction efforts: When the state began taking students on “field trips” from Ann Arbor to Detroit to immerse them in the City, 90% of students said they would take a job there.

How to make the sell: Stop relying on three rounds of Zoom interviews. Budget for the plane ticket. Bring the final candidates in. Don't just show them the conference room; show them the neighborhoods where their team lives, the brewery where they hang out after work, and the parks where they run. If they can envision the life, they’re more likely to take the job.

2. Sell Acceleration, Not Just Stability

Top-tier students worry that moving to the Midwest means stepping off the fast track. Your EVP needs to prove that the exact opposite is true.

In a massive coastal hub, an ambitious new grad is oftentimes a small fish in a big pond. They’ll be surrounded by peers who were also top of their class and head of the student body – making it all the more difficult to stand out and make the kind of impact they crave. In many of our Great Lakes cities, they have the opportunity for outsized professional and community impact.

How to make the sell: Talk about career paths early. Top talent goes where they think they can have the most prosperous career. If there are opportunities to lead initiatives, rotate into other functions, or get enhanced development opportunities; this is where to start your pitch. Additionally, partner with local community organizations and non-profits to get employees involved in the community, showcasing the localized impact they can make beyond the walls of the office.

3. Sell the Ecosystem, Not Just the Company

The number #1 concern of relocating young talent is isolation. They aren't just looking for a job; they’re looking for peers – coworkers and friends – who they can build a professional and social network with; growing in their careers and community together.

How to make the sell: It’s no longer enough to make your onboarding just about your company’s structure and processes. The firms seeing the greatest talent retention include "community onboarding." Plug new hires into local young professional and social groups, create networks of early-stage talent across local companies, and show them the vibrant social fabric of your city. The more connected they feel to the City, the less likely to they are to leave your company.

The beauty of our Great Lakes cities is our tight-knit communities – the other companies in town aren’t competitors, they’re neighbors. Let’s use that to our advantage by making our cities the best places in the country for young professionals, building professional and social networks where they can thrive. And buying a house is the cherry on top.