Why People Leaving & Coming Back Is A Sound Move
Whilst there is always drive to retain talent within a town or city, sometimes exploring the world brings back a wider view.
I spent a lot of 2020 explaining how great Dorset is and an attractive place for people and businesses to embrace the work-life balance it delivers. In keeping tune with the topsy turvey world we are now part of, I am now saying please do leave Dorset, get out there into the bright lights of the big wide world.
It is OK to move away from localities. People should not be forced to stay. There is a world to discover and come back when the time is right.
The drive to retain talent within regions makes sense. People are educated, grow in confidence and business acumen and then create a desire to stay and form deeper roots.
I have been in many business meetings where the point has been laboured to retain the best talent from the universities. There was an aim to double the retention rate from 3% to 6% of those graduating.
The majority of the students will have entered University at 18 and graduate at 21 or 22 years of age. I see no reason for a large percentage to stay but it would be down to local employers to have compelling positions open and to be seen as an attractive career move and decision to make.
Take Flight
We should be encouraging people to step away from the area, take in the bright lights and hustle and bustle of others cities within the UK and overseas. We also have to be ready for their return!
We want people to develop, seize opportunities, take risks, take in new experiences, work in fast moving spaces all to develop their character. When people do return and come back to Dorset, we get to listen to their colourful stories, bring on board what they have learned, make use of their skills and create space for them to start new businesses.
They act like a sponge, soaking up the new and can act like a filter for us, discarding what is bad.
Talking too much about “top talent” is not helpful to anyone. We need good people working at every level, because we need businesses working at every level, to deliver products and services at every price point locally. There is a place for high-flyers as well as steady hands and those that may not have all the experience but will fulfil their potential given an opportunity. We need an ecosystem that creates the best in people and helps to nurture them.
On A Local Scale
Dorset can be promoted as an attractive place to return to.
In business we know it costs a lot more to gain a new client from scratch, than it does to get more work from an existing client. In the same way, it should be easier to encourage those that have been here, to return.
The reasons why people would return could be that they grew up here, holidayed here and now want to raise a family, lifestyle change from the hustle and bustle of big cities, finding a job that suits their point in time, or now want to continue “working from home” by moving their home here.
These returners are even more emotionally invested in the area and coming back can mean more than just another taxpayer to the area. They must have seen something in the area, about the area, to make that commitment to move.
Hopefully as a community we can tap into that as a two way opportunity. It can help us all make an impact on a localised level.
Leaving and then coming back is fine, we all need to explore. However, there’s no better feeling than knowing you’re actively making your town a better place for everyone.
