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Talent Market is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector

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Talent Tip #115: Maps and Mobility: Revisiting the Yellow State/Blue State Phenomenon

May 21, 2019

 

People often ask me, “How did you land in Charleston?”

The answer mystifies some and intrigues others: I picked it on a map.

I’m not kidding. I sat down with a map and asked myself where I wanted to live. When I factored in lifestyle, cost of living, proximity to family (and the ocean), and weather, I ended up with Charleston. I didn’t know a soul here, but I figured, how bad can it be? 

My story  is not uncommon. People are more mobile now than ever. Opportunities for virtual work are becoming more plentiful, and people are increasingly making geographic moves for lifestyle and family reasons.

And that brings us to the United Van Lines map above. (If this looks familiar, it’s because I shared an earlier version with you a couple of years ago.) Our friends at United Van Lines released an updated study recently, and I thought this might be a good excuse to revisit the topic of virtual employees.

First, there is good news for those of you living in blue states: your state is experiencing medium/high inbound traffic. People want to live in your state, and that, of course, should make hiring a bit easier.  (It won’t surprise our free-market readers to know that four of the blue states are tax-friendly — Florida, Nevada, Tennessee, and South Dakota.)

Now for the bad news. If your state is yellow, you’re experiencing an outbound trend. That might mean hiring is a bit more challenging for your organization. Unfortunately, the Northeast and Midwest have been hit especially hard by this trend. (Incidentally, all three of us at Talent Market personify the map: we all moved from a yellow state in the Midwest to a blue state in the South.)

So, what should you do if your organization is in a yellow state and in need of talent?  Here are five things to consider.

  • Hire virtually within your state. If having a state presence is required, be willing to hire someone who lives there but cannot relocate to the city where your office is located.  Depending on the size of your state, the person may be able to make semi-regular visits to the office anyway.  If the best talent for the role is in the upstate instead of next door, maybe it makes sense to think creatively?
  • Hire virtually from anywhere. If you’re hiring for a position that doesn’t require an office presence, be open to someone who can’t relocate to your state. What if the best talent lives six states away? With videoconferencing and travel, might it be worth it to make that relationship work?
  • Prepare for your searches to take longer. Because your searches may take a bit longer than those of your blue state counterparts, you might want to bring on a consultant or firm to cover the bases while the search process plays out. Outside vendors can help cover many of the short-term critical functions of your organization, whether it’s fundraising, communications, operations, finance, etc. And there are plenty of scholars and researchers who can fill in the policy gaps.
  • Utilize your network. If there’s one thing the map indirectly illustrates, it’s how critical your state network is. You’ve spent years building a database of supporters, friends, donors, activists, and volunteers who care deeply about your state — make sure you tap into this network when you have an opening.
  • Retain the talent you have! Do everything you can to keep the rock star talent you have now. Compensate them well. Treat them well. Give them room to grow. If you can retain these top performers, you will have fewer openings to fill!

If you have other ideas about how to approach hiring in yellow states, please drop me a note. Don’t forget to reach out to Talent Market for assistance — no matter where your organization is located!

And if you’re wondering how Charleston turned out, it’s not bad at all. Come visit anytime…the Mint Julep is on me.

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About Us

Claire Kittle Dixon

Claire Kittle Dixon
Executive Director
Claire has more than a decade of experience in the talent development field. She…
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Katelynn Barbosa
Director of Talent Engagement
Katelynn started her career in the Koch Associate Program and then litigated at the Institute for Justice…
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Katy Gambella
Director of Network Engagement
Katy began her career at the Institute for Humane Studies and later joined the Cato Institute…
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Stephanie Keaveney
Network Engagement Manager
Stephanie’s career started at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal…
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Lydia Ocampo
Network Engagement Specialist
Lydia started her career with Young Americans for Liberty. During her time with YAL…
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Wait, You’re a Nonprofit?

Talent Market is a nonprofit. We’ll wait here while that sinks in. We know it’s a crazy concept, but it’s been working like a charm since 2009.

Talent Market’s mission is to promote liberty by providing talent for critical roles within the free-market nonprofit sector.

We provide free consulting and recruiting services to free-market think tanks, policy organizations, research centers, and capacity building institutions dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government and free enterprise. (We do not work in politics, nor do we work with organizations that address social issues.) Talent Market believes that the road to prosperity is paved with freedom and that the success of our movement hinges on the talent that will take us there.

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