How to attract talent to small cities

When it comes to attracting and retaining top talents, it is not a secret that larger German cities like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg often steal the limelight. So what happens to those companies located in smaller cities and towns in Germany? 

As we believe smaller cities have untapped potential that can offer unique opportunities for both professionals and the communities they settle in, we’ll explore strategies to attract talents to smaller cities in Germany and how companies can ensure to grow their teams with amazing people no matter their location.

Let’s dive in.

1. Highlight Unique Advantages

Even if smaller cities won’t be the first thing many candidates think about, they possess distinct advantages that can be enticing to potential talents. Focus on showcasing these aspects:

• Work-Life Balance: Smaller cities and towns often offer a more relaxed pace of life, reduced commute times, and a quieter environment. Many of these places are surrounded by nature allowing for great weekend-trips. Emphasize the improved work-life balance, allowing people to dedicate more time to personal interests and family.
• Lower Cost of Living: One important topic in recent news in Germany is the difficulty of finding apartments in big cities and the high prices people need to pay for them. That is why one of the most significant attractions of smaller locations is the lower cost of living. Highlight how talents can enjoy a higher standard of living without the financial strains of big-city expenses. Make sure to emphasize the ease of finding great homes.
• Strong Sense of Community: Smaller cities foster tight-knit communities where individuals can easily connect and collaborate. 

2. Cultivate Professional Opportunities 

No matter where your company is located, it’s crucial to demonstrate the potential for career growth and development. And this is even more important within smaller cities:

1. Highlight Job Opportunities: Make sure to pitch that starting a job at your company, and potentially moving to a smaller city will pay off due to the long term career development opportunities within your company. Show employee success stories to motivate more talents to choose your company. 
2. Collaborative Ecosystems: Showcase the collaborative nature of smaller cities, emphasizing the ease of building professional relationships through networking events and team events. 
3. Remote Work Support: Leverage the rise of remote work trends. Highlight the city’s digital infrastructure, as well as initiatives that support remote work so that talents do not necessarily need to move to the smaller city while still starting to work for your company. 

3. Build Infrastructure and Amenities

Enhancing the overall quality of life is a crucial aspect of attracting talents to smaller cities:

1. Cultural and Recreational Offerings: Emphasize the city’s cultural attractions. These can be theaters, galleries, museums, and local festivals. Highlight outdoor activities, parks, and recreational facilities that are close by to increase the attractiveness of the location. You can also highlight amenities within your site such as cafeteria, fitness center etc. 
2. Education and Healthcare: Talk about the quality of education and healthcare facilities available in the city. Talents with families or talents who want to build a family soon will be particularly interested in the availability of good schools and medical services.
3. Accessibility: Ensure your company is well-connected by public transportation and has easy access to major highways. You can also mention the distance to the closest airport to the city to show travel options for work or leisure.
4. Commuting opportunities: In case you live close by bigger cities it can be a great idea to invest into commuting options. What about a bus for your employees that runs on a specific time-plan? Or maybe facilitating employees to create commuting groups via a platform. Help your employees get to your offices.
5. Look for co-working spaces in bigger cities: What about renting some office space in bigger cities close to your company for your employees? This will facilitate talents to not need to commute every day in case they do not want to move to a smaller town.

4. Invest into future talents

Collaboration between local businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions can significantly boost talent attraction efforts:

1. Internship and Apprenticeship Programs: Establish programs that allow students and young professionals to gain practical experience within your company. 
2. Networking Events: Organize regular networking events, seminars, and workshops that bring together professionals from various sectors. 
3. Talent Development Initiatives: Collaborate with local educational institutions to develop training programs that align with the needs of your company and your industry. This helps create a talent pool that is well-prepared to contribute to this sector in the future.

Conclusion

Smaller cities in Germany hold unique charms that can prove attractive to top talents seeking fulfilling personal and professional lives. It is however important, to highlight these advantages such as cultivating opportunities for career growth, investing in infrastructure and amenities, and fostering collaboration to create a strong talent pool for the future as well.

If you are looking for some more insights on how to get the best talents to choose your company located in smaller cities, make sure to also listen to our recent podcast episode where we share some important insights on the topic.