Equal Measure recently published Key Insights into Talent Attraction and Retention Efforts in Philadelphia. For that report, we interviewed a number of local and national leaders in the fields of education and the workforce, human resources, and economic development. William J.T. Strahan, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Comcast Cable, is one of those leaders, and he shares his thoughts in this Equal Measure Guest Blog post.
Whether coming here to seek capital or wages, or to expand a business, the attraction of great talent to Philadelphia gains momentum every day. The cranes that spike our skyline point upward to growth, courageous investment, and opportunity.
People who live and work here already know that this is a wonderful city and region. The breadth of attractions range from world class educational and healthcare institutions to a full offering of cultural opportunities, a vibrant and creative restaurant scene, professional sports, and close proximity to beaches, mountains, and hiking and bicycle trails. What’s more, major events, such as the recent Papal Visit and Army/Navy game, and the upcoming 2016 Democratic National Convention, all contribute to the energy and stature of the city. These types of “world stage events” make it easier for people of all ages and professions to see themselves living and working in the area – and the recent selection of Philadelphia as the first U.S. World Heritage City helps carry our positive message internationally.
But employers cannot take this environment for granted. We need to think of the labor market as more of a common good, than simply as a pool of individual hires. For instance, this summer, I had the joy of visiting the flower market in Amsterdam. The merchants and farmers there don’t suffer from the dozens of different competitors, they prosper from it. I think we will all do better as employers if we work collectively to market Philadelphia as a wonderful place to live, work, hire, and invest. When the ecosystem of employment is stronger in the region and the city, the risk for the individual of working at any one employer is reduced – there are alternative employers nearby. In contrast, when there are only a handful of great employment brands, then the likelihood of talent coming to or staying in the region is reduced. Think about how often we refer to working “in Silicon Valley” – it’s at least as often as we hear about working for any one company.
At Comcast, we are building our Innovation and Technology Center in Philadelphia, because we believe that the community is a brilliant partner in attracting and retaining talent in this region. We envision the Center as a place that will help attract more companies to the region, with employees who will take advantage of Philadelphia’s housing, retailers, restaurants, schools, and the community as a whole. In addition, the Center will help define Philadelphia a place to build technology careers well beyond media and telecommunications. We believe that this investment will of course make us a more competitive choice for top talent, but it will also positively affect the labor ecosystem generally – especially for technology driven work.
Cities with strong reputations for innovation are defined by this important characteristic: they support strong competition among companies to recruit and hire talent, and reap the benefits of having those employees make their homes in those cities. This is definitely a situation where 1 + 1 > 2. The more all employers think about their investments in labor and human resources as engagement points with the rest of the city, the healthier our “flower market” will become.
William J.T. Strahan is Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Comcast Cable