Tourism marketing, cash rewards used to recruit workers to Indiana
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Indiana’s increased focus on economic development and upskilling its workforce for the microchip future is getting a boost from some non-traditional sources: the state’s tourism agency and two private organizations that are recruiting new Indiana residents.
“The ultimate goal is to increase our population … and reduce the jobless rate at the same time,” said Amy Howell, Indiana Destination Development Corp.’s vice president of tourism, marketing and communications. “It really is about people from out of state learning that Indiana has more to offer and changing that perception.”
The two organizations—INvets and MakeMyMove—believe in slotting newcomers into communities that best fit them. Both have recruited hundreds of new Hoosiers and their families into Indiana communities.
“We just want to match those people who’ve served the country with their next career position and make sure that the right person’s going to the right job in the right part of the state that suits their lifestyle,” said interim INvets CEO Sarah Harrison.
Not-for-profit INvets recruits veterans who are transitioning back to civilian life, from all branches of the military and from all over the country, to move to Indiana. The organization does so specifically through job-placement support and other resources that can guide veterans into communities and jobs that will support them and their families.
MakeMyMove works with Indiana cities, towns and counties to offer incentives, including cash, to move there—and 565 households have taken advantage of the program so far. Most of its programming requires applicants to be remote workers who earn above a certain threshold income, but future programs will likely target potential residents to fill local jobs.
“The reality is, workers of all types are more mobile than they’ve ever been. They’re more recruitable than they’ve ever been,” said Evan Hock, chief operating officer at MakeMyMove, said. “And it’s going to be states like Indiana that go on the offensive and start to say, ‘Hey, we want you to consider moving here.’”
Meanwhile, the state is attempting to both attract and retain more Hoosiers through tourism and quality-of-life improvements.
The state has already poured millions of dollars, specifically through the Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative, or READI, program, into quality-of-life projects such as recreational facilities, trails and amphitheaters across Indiana.
All of these efforts result in a better business environment, the Indiana Economic Development Corp. said in a statement.
“Without talent, the work that we do wouldn’t matter,” the statement said. “Therefore, it’s vital that we put time and effort into making our communities desirable, affordable, and vibrant places for people to live, work and play.”
Finding the right match
Fort Wayne native Zach Smith served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years, working in aviation administration. He was deployed coast-to-coast and around the world; while living in California, he decided it was time to come home to Indiana but had trouble nailing down a job.
He connected with INvets and its veteran engagement managers, who work one-on-one with veterans in their respective regions to help them find jobs.
Smith’s manager not only sent him job postings but also acted as a mentor and helped guide him through a tremendously stressful time.
“I was so concerned about landing a job so I could provide for my family,” Smith said. “He’s like, ‘You still have time, Zach. We’re still looking for jobs. Don’t stress out yet, because the job is going to come around.’ That was something that, if I would have gone to another agency, I don’t know if I would have got.”
Smith said his manager helped him stay positive and not worry so much about rejection emails. Eventually, Smith landed his current job as an executive assistant for human resources and IT at the Indianapolis Airport Authority. He’s been there two months, and it’s been a great transition, he said.
“I’m deeply grateful and thankful that I’ve been able to receive this opportunity,” he said. “There’s just so much growth that I can do within the airport.”
INvet’s primary goal is to find a fit for veterans somewhere in Indiana, and it does so through active recruiting. Staff members travel to military installations across the country to meet members fresh out of service and give them a three- to five-minute pitch on what their life could look like in Indiana.
More than 630 employers partner with the organization, and it keeps its eye on industries in need of workers. InVets has a platform where veterans can search for jobs, and employers can search for veterans in their sector.
INvets also helps veterans learn about and identify cities and towns they might find attractive. Engagement managers can connect them with disability services. The not-for-profit also contracts with a mental health service that sends routine notes to those registered in INvets’ system.
“Finding the next career is the tip of the spear,” Harrison said. “If we place somebody in a position that they just jump at because it’s the first one or we haven’t heard what they’re saying, then they’ll leave.”
Meeting local needs
While MakeMyMove has largely focused on recruiting remote workers, a pilot program in Evansville is showing promise to be replicated elsewhere—with other cities and towns already showing interest in it.
The new program seeks out-of-state residents who are interested in living and finding local work in the four-county region around Evansville. Remote and gig workers are not eligible (unlike other MakeMyMove programs), and the income of their new job must be higher than $50,000 a year.
In return, approved applicants could receive $6,000 in cash and a gift basket of free tickets, day passes, memberships and Evansville merchandise. The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, known as E-REP, is using part of the region’s READI dollars to fund the program.
The program has landed eight new households in the Evansville area, with five more in the process since the pilot launched in April. The average salary for new transplants is about $97,000 for jobs in engineering, health care, higher education and business administration.
Abby Elpers of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership said she hopes next year the program can attract more than 50 households. The next stage of growing this program will include partnerships with employers, she said.
“Communities are struggling to fill local jobs, and the Evansville region is no different,” she said. “We have a lot of openings in health care, health and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, so it’s really just important for us to help our local employers find those candidates and sell them on the community so that they’re more likely to stay here.”
The program builds on initial success in relocating remote workers to Evansville through MakeMyMove. The city has moved 25 households with an average salary of $127,000 and an average age of 35 this year.
Returns on tourism
While the Indiana Destination Development Corp. is known for its tourism marketing, it’s increasingly doubling as an agency seeking to convert visitors into Hoosiers.
“It all starts with a visit,” Howell said. “Our mission is, yes, [to] promote Indiana as a tourism destination, but also attract talent, to get people to move here.”
Marketing Indiana as a place to visit goes hand-in-hand with marketing the state as a place to live, Howell said.
People can come for a conference or to check out the state’s parks and cities, she said, but also learn about the school systems, business environment and quality of life.
The agency binds the traditional approach of marketing nature, amenities and attractions with information about cost of living and housing prices.
Howell said the IDDC is working hard to create a positive national perception of Indiana. The agency’s research shows that many people have no impression of the state at all, so a lot of its marketing efforts involve education.
Two recent marketing campaigns include “Hoosier by Choice” and “Home Again IN Indiana,” which chronicle stories of Hoosiers moving to or returning to the state. Testimonials from those campaigns boil down to people choosing a better way of life, Howell said.