Desirable tech talent
WHAT: Around the world, conditions have improved for tech talents who want to work remotely and settle where they want. As a result, cities, regions and countries are trying to attract tech talent to come and test the lifestyle. The “90 day Finn” campaign is an initiative by the Finnish government to attract talent from the American technology sector to experience Finland for three months. The program arranges housing, preschool and schooling for families and also provides access to relevant business networks and creates opportunities for candidates to continue working remotely from co-working hubs. The program also offers continued support for those who want to stay permanently after the 90 days, such as help with obtaining a permanent residence permit.
Teleworkers who are moving permanently to the American city of Tulsa are offered $ 10,000 in cash, a desk at a local co-working place and help finding housing. Tulsa also invests in technology, schools, and education so that the workforce of the future can be educated and live there. Similarly, Vermont is offering $ 10,000 in relocation costs for Silicon Valley workers in search of a mountainous and natural lifestyle. In recent years, there has been a widespread movement where tech workers on the US east and west coasts are moving from the expensive big cities to cheaper, smaller cities and the pandemic has further accelerated that trend. There are also Swedish examples, where for example Region Örebro offers co-working hubs to international or national teleworkers and markets Örebro as an affordable, cultural and sporty city with proximity to nature.
SO WHAT: These are clear examples of cities and countries seeing telework as an opportunity to attract people to settle or help develop the area. When people no longer need to live where the work is, new incentives are created to move for those who want to avoid cramped and expensive cities. The campaigns have been very successful, Finland received 5,000 applications for only 50 places and in the US even more extreme numbers have been seen where, for example, Bentonville in Arkansas received 25,000 applications for the 25 places they had in their campaign. The willingness to move is with the target group and smaller cities are now competing for who can deliver the most attractive lifestyle. Companies that can influence their hometown to work with attracting their ideal employees may find it easier to recruit talent in the future.
https://www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi/90-day-finn /