“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today”—this famous quote is one to consider for city leaders looking to attract young workers, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
“By 2030, Millennials and GenZ will comprise a majority of the workforce; by 2040, Millennials and GenZ will comprise more than 80 percent of the workforce,” said Newnan Assistant City Manager Hasco Craver. “Strategic public investments in infrastructure and personnel today will bear fruit in the coming years.” Craver is the lead instructor for the “How to Attract Young Professionals to Your Town” training class offered by the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, which is operated through a partnership between GMA and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
Craver taught the first offering of the class during the GMA 2021 Annual Convention and saw a sell-out class. Eatonton Councilmember Janie Reid was one of the inaugural class participants.
“We often talk about how to get our young people to come back to live in Eatonton when they finish college or the military,” said the four-year councilmember on why she decided to take the class. “The issue is also personal for me. I have a grown son who lives in Eatonton but works in Covington and he is talking about moving. I want him to stay.”
Reid said what stuck out to her the most during the class was the importance of city leaders including young professionals in planning and decision making.
“The class emphasized the importance of engaging young people,” she said. “I think that is the best tool we can use to help keep our young people here.”
During the class, participants learn about the numerous generations currently in the workforce, the events in their formative years and the resulting common characteristics and values each generation cherishes.
“The common values of each generation and how they are expressed can inform public officials as to why certain groups enjoy certain projects and programs,” Craver explained. “Attendees leave the first session of the class with a greater understanding of their neighbor. The next session includes a Case Study exercise that requires full attendance, a little humor and a lot of creativity. The last hour of the session is dedicated to learning about specific projects and programs that were designed to attract and retain younger professionals, concluding with a panel of public and private sector officials.”
Rome Commissioner Wendy Davis said the class was eye-opening and taught her a lot about the differences between generations.
“The group exercise we had to do was light bulb moment after light bulb moment after light bulb moment,” she said. “I realized that some of the disconnects I have with some of my colleagues are because of the generational differences.” For example, during an exercise about planning a public meeting, Davis said the Boomers in the group wanted a traditional daytime public meeting, while the millennials favored an evening meeting with pizza and beer.
“I want there to be a 102 class,” Davis added. “I want us to find further ways to appeal to people and learn how we can better engage young constituents.”
She plans to share what she learned with her colleagues. “Young people see things very differently than the way we do in terms of what we are looking for,” Davis continued. “These young professionals are looking for interesting experiences. They don’t want more things; they want to gather, be around people and have fun things to do.”
Craver said local governments that sincerely want to attract and retain younger professionals must consider the common characteristics and values that Millennials and GenZ persons hold and be intentional about investments that may attract them.
“There isn’t a magic formula for attracting young professionals to your community,” he said. “The current environment is ripe for appealing to younger professionals, as the modern economy allows for unique work schedules and living arrangements. More specifically, younger professionals working in the modern economy may not need to live in the community they work in, nor are they always required to sit at a desk for 40 hours per week. Understanding the modern economy and those individuals participating in it creates a great opportunity for small cities to capitalize on specific lifestyles that appeal to younger professionals: less burdensome cost of living, tightknit community, safe neighborhoods, opportunities to build businesses, less traffic/noise, interest in wellness (hiking, bicycling, etc.).”
Whether big or small, each Georgia community can be a target for young professionals. Craver explained, “It is the responsibility of the local officials (elected, appointed and otherwise interested) to invest in themselves: drawing on their unique offerings collectively.”
The city of Newnan employs several young professionals. Craver said he was attracted to come work for the city because he has always had had a powerful desire to work for a public organization that invested in its community, people and places, as Newnan does.
This article was originally featured in the September/October 2021 edition of Georgia’s Cities Magazine.