San Francisco is the ‘coolest’
With its beautiful bridges, winding streets, breathtaking bay vistas and active entertainment and cultural life, San Francisco rates high on everyoneÕs favorite city list. Now, the City by the Bay has a new title Ñ the countryÕs “coolest community.” That is the conclusion of a survey by Next Generation Consulting, a Jackson, Wis.-based firm specializing in strategies to help communities and companies attract and retain Gen X-ers. The survey, “Hot Jobs Ñ Cool Communities,” is the first to place equal value on both quality-of-life and quality-of-work experiences.
Determining a community’s “coolness” is simply a matter of “identifying what matters most to young talent,” says Rebecca Ryan, president of the consulting firm. The survey took into account 43 variables ranging from crime and commutes to farmer’s markets and musicians. It included measurements of air and water quality; recycling rates; public parks, trails and recreation areas; natural food stores; fitness centers; vegetarian restaurants; art galleries; museums; nightclubs; houses of worship; fruit and vegetable consumption; charitable donations; unemployment; and population diversity.
According to the survey, the 15 coolest communities are:
San Francisco
Minneapolis
Seattle
Boston
Denver
Portland, Ore.
Washington, D.C.
Austin, Texas
Chicago
Milwaukee, Wis.
New York
Nashville, Tenn.
Pittsburgh
Los Angeles
Atlanta
A “cool community,” by definition, harbors a large number of young professionals. Communities and companies interested in recruiting young talent should follow five tips, Ryan says.
1) Be flexible in scheduling (flex time, job sharing, telecommuting and compressed workweeks);
2) Offer career pathways and/or career enrichment programs;
3) Use technology for its intended purpose Ñ to share information;
4) Clearly explain how the employee’s work has meaning; and
5) Demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance by offering/participating in diverse community events like ethnic and pride festivals, providing community-wide Internet access and hosting/participating in extreme sporting events.
For more information, or to check out the survey, visit www.keepyoungtalent.com, or contact Next Generation Consulting at (888) 922-9596.