Attracting Talent to a Unique Culture Can Be Challenging - But Not Impossible.

Last week I had the privilege of co-hosting an amazing cross-section of leaders at the Utah Talent Forum. We learned from a panel of four excellent Utah CEOs ( Steve Vaughan – Cafe Rio, Vivien Bohme – Bohme Clothing, Jessica Klodnicki – KT Tape, and Sterling Nielsen – Mt. America Credit Union). We were also honored to have our governor, Spencer Cox join us to share the Keynote. Our purpose was to explore a phenomenon not unique to Utah but which seems more pronounced here: finding and attracting qualified senior-level talent to a state with a very unique culture.

Before the event, we surveyed our guests, comprised of senior-level leaders of Utah organizations. Through their feedback, we gained insights that reinforced what we've seen from our own experiences.

• First, although Utah has a great population of well-educated workers, it has a limited talent pool from which experienced senior-level roles can be sourced. That means that in many cases, leaders are forced to look outside the state for qualified talent.

60% of the leaders in our survey said they had to fill a senior-level role from outside Utah within the past 2 years. Mainly because the level, breadth, and type of experience needed were not available in the state.

• The second thing we learned is that attracting people to Utah is a bit of a two-edged sword.

On one hand, some people are highly motivated to move to Utah for several reasons:

• They grew up here, have family here, and/or are members of the LDS faith.
• They see Utah as a state with a relatively lower cost of living (especially compared to California) and a robust economy with lower taxes.
• They are outdoor enthusiasts who love the amazing outdoor lifestyle that Utah has to offer.

And, on the other hand, some qualified candidates would never consider Utah as a place to live for many of the same reasons, but in reverse:

• They have no ties to Utah and are not members of the LDS faith and are worried that they and their children would have a hard time integrating into a new community and making friends. They may also worry about the lack of diversity and the very strong conservative political environment.
• They see Utah's growth (fastest growing state in the nation) and inflated housing markets and worry that they won't be able to find affordable housing, or that they won't be able to maintain their current standard of living.
• They worry that Utah's growth is harming the natural environment including diminished air quality, the shrinking Great Salt Lake (and the environmental threat that poses), and overall concerns about overcrowding and poorly managed growth.

In his keynote, Governor Cox shared a bevy of initiatives he and his administration are implementing to address many of these concerns especially those related to growth. (see his recent State of the State address ) That includes significant investments into improving air quality, water conservation, infrastructure, and preserving the Great Salt Lake. It also includes an ambitious plan to stimulate the construction of 35,000 new starter homes in Utah in 5 years to help manage the skyrocketing costs of real estate.

He acknowledged the state still has work to do to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion but that he intends to keep engaging with these issues to advance them even in the face of cultural and political headwinds.

We learned from our panelists some of the strategies local organizations employ to mitigate the hesitancy people may feel in moving to Utah. One option that has become much more prevalent since COVID is remote/hybrid work and/or interstate commuting. The group engaged in a robust dialogue around the benefits and cautions associated with having senior leaders who are not physically present.

In the end, the dialogue highlighted how every state, city, or organization will have its share of unique detractors. But it’s up to leaders to clarify what makes their respective groups distinctive and appealing. They need to lean into those characteristics, evangelizing people inside and outside of the organization around the core values and purpose that make them unique. As they do this, the right talent will follow!

The group agreed that adaptations, like virtual/hybrid work and commuting, may be effective in some cases, but not in others. Rigid policies around these practices should be examined. Leaders need to learn when and how much to adapt to bring in great talent without sacrificing their core ideology!

All in all, it was a great day engaging in a very relevant topic with some exceptionally insightful people!

It was also great to work with my friend and colleague Ed Stanworth , and the team at Listo International, especially Landon Pitcher , and Freddie Ashby to make this event happen! And thanks to all of those who participated. We'll do this again in the future!