Attracting and Retaining a Remote Workforce
By Amanda Larch
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic pushed people toward remote work, which is a trend that will most likely continue even after it is safe to return to the office. Many employers and companies have found workers are just as or more productive from home, allowing them to cut costs by incurring fewer overhead expenses. Meanwhile, millennials and younger generations just entering the workforce enjoy—and may even prefer—working from home, creating a workforce that can work from anywhere out of a generation known for enjoying outdoor experiences and pride of place. In an effort to attract, engage and retain these remote workers to West Virginia, public and private entities across the state are pulling out the stops to put the Mountain State’s outdoor amenities on display.
Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative
West Virginia University’s (WVU) Economic Development Collaborative is working to enhance and develop the outdoor lifestyle economy that has been successful in states such as Colorado and Utah, according to Danny Twilley, assistant dean of the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative.
“In doing so, we will build on the state’s vibrant tourism economy by being able to retain and attract a talented workforce that in combination will continue to advance West Virginia forward,” he says.
Research has shown that, due to COVID-19, between 25-30% of any given company’s employees are able to work fully remote or in a hybrid model, and the goal is to bring those workers to West Virginia.
The collaborative will engage local youth in outdoor education, positive youth development and science programs and build an alliance between WVU, educators, state and local governments, the outdoor industry and outdoor enthusiasts in order to leverage West Virginia’s assets to keep natives from leaving the state while attracting new people to it.
“Coupled with the dramatic increase in outdoor recreation participation during the pandemic, the state’s tremendous outdoor recreation assets and its central location to some of the nation’s major metropolitan areas, West Virginia is perfectly positioned to take advantage of these trends in the coming years,” says Twilley.
City of Huntington’s Digital Media Action Plan
The City of Huntington’s Digital Media Action Plan, in partnership with StreamScape Media, uses digital ad placement to target specific messaging about relocating to Huntington to internet and social media users. It will use data and behavioral economics to provide the right ad placements at the right time to the right person, according to Bryan Chambers, communications director for the City of Huntington.
“The overall goal is to sell Huntington and all of the amenities it has to offer to individuals who can work anywhere in the country and are looking to relocate from large urban areas to smaller communities,” says Chambers.
In December, the Huntington City Council approved $250,000 from the city’s general fund to pay for the contract with StreamScape. The specific outline for expenditures is being developed by StreamScape in coordination with city officials.
“We know based on data analytics that after COVID-19 and other events, people started rethinking where they live and work and became much more open to relocating to smaller markets. We plan to find those people and show them all the unique amenities and benefits of living in Huntington,” says Chambers.
StreamScape uses highly targeted yet creative marketing to certain demographic and target audiences who have a higher probability to relocate, according to Chambers.
“We will then send tailored ads with a message that correlates to their own unique behavior and needs showing them the reasons they should consider Huntington,” he says.
Jobcase
The West Virginia Development Office (WVDO) recently partnered with Jobcase, an employment website with more than 120 million members, in order to connect West Virginians—and those outside the state—with career opportunities within the state in a variety of industries.
With Jobcase’s remote only option, participants can search through job listings in a variety of fields offering remote positions. Andy Malinoski, director of the WVDO’s Office of Marketing & Communications, hopes this will allow native West Virginians the chance to find careers in the field they enjoy and bring in people from out of state as well. Additionally, he says it will help to diversify West Virginia’s economy and create the stable tax base needed for continued growth and innovation.
“We want to connect people with jobs—West Virginians with the jobs that are available and anybody that’s looking to West Virginia for jobs,” says Malinoski. “We had the idea of how to take the wonderful things that are available such as apprenticeships, West Virginia First and the diversification of West Virginia’s economy and present that to people in state, in our border states and elsewhere to connect them with the great jobs and opportunities here across West Virginia through Jobcase.”
Marion Remote
The Marion Remote initiative aims to bring remote workers from all over the country to Marion County with its slogan, “Live here, work there.” Comprised of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, Marion County Convention & Visitors Bureau, High Technology Foundation, City of Fairmont, Marion County Commission and representatives from FirstEnergy, the Marion Remote project relies on fundraising for its marketing campaign and website to attract remote workers.
While inspired by the Remote Tulsa project, which offered monetary incentives to encourage applicants to move to Tulsa, OK, one major difference between the two programs is West Virginia’s access to recreational activities, according to Rocco Fucillo, state and local relations specialist for WVU.
“West Virginia has an abundance of outdoor recreation, whether it’s skiing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, mountain climbing or just walking trails—really not like anywhere in the country,” says Fucillo. “Remote Tulsa had to invest in and create outdoor activities.”
An abundant housing stock, low cost of living, low crime rate, diverse population, outdoor activities and natural, scenic beauty are what sets Marion County apart to attract and retain remote workers, according to Fucillo.
Jonathan Board, chair of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, says the goal of the program is not to meet a certain quota for number of people or families to move to Marion County; instead, leadership views the initiative as solving a problem, and anyone who moves to the area will be viewed as a success.
“Amazon, Google, Microsoft—they’ve all encouraged employees not to come into the office, and we stand in this area where we can solve that problem,” says Board. “There has been a lot of research done by us and other groups that shows these people want four seasons of outdoor activities, low crime and diverse housing stock, and they want to be in a place that gives them that very local feel. We realize we have all those things in mass, and we’re capitalizing and leveraging that to our advantage. This is really a problem-solving committee.”
Fucillo says the initiative will also aim to solve another problem West Virginia is facing: developing and retaining a younger population.
“West Virginia is one of the oldest states in the union per age, and a wonderful way to change the dynamic and have a younger, more diverse, energetic population would be to attract those types of people, which also may create the type of culture to keep our own younger folks in West Virginia,” says Fucillo.
Marion Remote and its partners will offer shared workspaces and have technology available in an office setting.
“A lot of friendly people here want to see others succeed. Although we’re not throwing any money at them, I think we’re doing something a bit more valuable to them and something that is more long lasting. This is not a one-off project; this is a generational thing,” says Board.
The Marion Remote website and marketing campaign launched in late January, and volunteers can address questions and offer guidance to those reaching out about potentially moving to Marion County in the hands-on recruitment process. Those interested can travel to Marion County to meet with representatives, tour the area and be introduced to realtors and developers.
