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I've just (as in 20 minutes ago) accepted an offer with a supply chain data analytics company in northwestern Arkansas (right in the middle of the Ozarks). The

by JPKab 12y ago

I've just (as in 20 minutes ago) accepted an offer with a supply chain data analytics company in northwestern Arkansas (right in the middle of the Ozarks). They are paying WELL above cost of living for the position. I think the recruiting for these locations needs to be targeted based on a demographic profile. Fresh grads will take anything, unless they are highly recruited due to some stand-out factor like school, side-project. Experienced people are another story. Here's what sold me on the Ozarks vs. offers in Austin, San Fran, etc: QUALITY OF LIFE QUALITY OF LIFE QUALITY OF LIFE. I'm a married guy with two kids. I've done the densely populated urban area thing in DC. Walk to work, take the train anywhere, live in a high-rise. Guess what? There are a lot of folks my age doing the same thing in our industry, and they are probably getting sick of it like I am. But I don't want to live in a suburb and fight traffic to get to work. This is where you can come in. Big yard, house, short commute. These folks made a point of selling a country-living lifestyle with a 10 minute drive to the office (and very flexible telecommuting options). A lot of people want nothing to do with that lifestyle, but the people who do will gravitate towards it. Another issue you have is the dual-income family. My wife is a full-time mom, so for us this issue didn't exist. Perhaps the affordability of an area allows this for those who want this and don't currently have it. A lot of moms AND dads I know would love to be a stay at home parent if they could. Flyover country allows for this if you pay well above cost of living. Since I'll be getting a similar salary when I move, I'll be able to save way more for one day starting my own business..... These are all selling points, and you should highlight them in your ads. It's not about an ad where 99% of the people who see it think "ok, cool." It's about an ad where 3% of the people who see it go "Oh my fucking god I want to do that."

JunkDNA 12y ago
A million times this. I'm in a similar situation. My wife and I just aren't that interested in relocating to a higher cost of living area and trading our nice yard and larger house for something small and expensive. With two kids we have very different priorities than younger folks with fewer attachments. We currently live outside a major Northeast city, so we get some of the benefits of a metro area but not the full brunt of the high cost of living or super-dense housing. We pay for it with a long train ride (for me) and both of us working. We would relocate to a less densely populated area if it meant she could be a mostly stay at home mom while roughly maintaining our existing home size, yard size, type of neighborhood, etc... We have built-in childcare being close to family, but that would be made moot by a relocation that allowed her to be a stay at home mom. Alternatively, a total work from home position that eliminates my commute, allows us to stay put, and pays top dollar would be attractive as well. It would allow us to not have to worry about who will be home when the kids get home from school for example.
- Iftheshoefits 12y ago
  Living "just outside a major Northeast city" is not remotely the same thing as living in "flyover country". Chances are if you're in software that "major Northeast city" has plenty of offerings for you should your current job disappear, your particular town benefits immensely from the proximity of the (likely more cultured) metro area nearby, and so on. I'm going to guess your pay is also larger, even adjusted for cost of living, than many (most) in the "flyover country" mentioned.
  - JunkDNA 12y ago
    Wasn't comparing my situation to flyover country. I was arguing that for me, it's a turnoff to get any closer to a city than I already am, and we would actively be interested in an area much less populated if it offered quality of life benefits.

by JPKab 12y ago

JunkDNA 12y ago

A million times this. I'm in a similar situation. My wife and I just aren't that interested in relocating to a higher cost of living area and trading our nice yard and larger house for something small and expensive. With two kids we have very different priorities than younger folks with fewer attachments. We currently live outside a major Northeast city, so we get some of the benefits of a metro area but not the full brunt of the high cost of living or super-dense housing. We pay for it with a long train ride (for me) and both of us working. We would relocate to a less densely populated area if it meant she could be a mostly stay at home mom while roughly maintaining our existing home size, yard size, type of neighborhood, etc... We have built-in childcare being close to family, but that would be made moot by a relocation that allowed her to be a stay at home mom. Alternatively, a total work from home position that eliminates my commute, allows us to stay put, and pays top dollar would be attractive as well. It would allow us to not have to worry about who will be home when the kids get home from school for example.

Iftheshoefits 12y ago
Living "just outside a major Northeast city" is not remotely the same thing as living in "flyover country". Chances are if you're in software that "major Northeast city" has plenty of offerings for you should your current job disappear, your particular town benefits immensely from the proximity of the (likely more cultured) metro area nearby, and so on. I'm going to guess your pay is also larger, even adjusted for cost of living, than many (most) in the "flyover country" mentioned.
- JunkDNA 12y ago
  Wasn't comparing my situation to flyover country. I was arguing that for me, it's a turnoff to get any closer to a city than I already am, and we would actively be interested in an area much less populated if it offered quality of life benefits.