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White Paper: How to Attract and Motivate a Creative Workforce
Today, as companies develop location and growth strategies, they find that many of the old rules governing business location and attraction are antiquated. Successful companies today consider moving to regions where they will find the kind of knowledge workforce they need to flourish, and not force employees to have to move to where the company is based. Many businesses need the fuel of creativity to thrive and are moving to areas that have a strong concentration of writers, artists, engineers and entertainers – a group that has been deemed the “creative class.”
Areas of the United States that are attractive to the creative class of well-educated professionals who work in a range of technology and media industries have benefited most from this new dynamic. As a result, communities and businesses are realizing that they need to attract and keep a strong creative workforce in order to grow and succeed.
The Washington, D.C., area serves as a prime example of an area that has witnessed an influx of the creative class thanks in part to its attractiveness to recent college graduates and young professionals who want to live and work in an area that offers a high quality of life, as well as high-paying job opportunities. According to the Greater Washington Initiative (GWI), the Washington region led the U.S. in job growth over the past five years, adding more than 270,000 jobs between 2000 and 2005. The GWI also notes that 47 percent of the region’s workforce is considered part of the creative class.
The creative workforce is one reason the Washington region has had the largest number of Inc. 500 companies for nine consecutive years, and also why Entrepreneur magazine placed Fairfax County, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, as the second-best county in the nation to start a business.
One company that serves as a success story for others that hope to lure the creative class is Freddie Mac, the mortgage company based in Fairfax County. Mike Beckmann, director of talent acquisition, cites a number of factors that go into attracting the creative class to Freddie Mac. The company feels it has the best location and infrastructure to attract knowledge workers to the organization.
“First and foremost, you need to have a quality brand,” Beckmann said. “Second, we recruit candidates on values and behaviors as much as their talent for the position. People stay longer with an organization that has a set of strong values. At Freddie Mac, we help sell the American Dream.”
One of Freddie Mac’s cornerstones of attracting the creative class is its strong referral program. The company also has developed numerous affinity groups among employees and strives to hire a diverse group of employees. It has a regimented orientation process that is designed to show new hires that the company and management care for them.
Further, Freddie Mac emphasizes a collaborative or networked approach to working, and offers continuous learning opportunities to reinforce the creative approach to the learning process. “Our employees are mission-focused and enjoy each other’s company, the community and the fellowship. We’ve had many former employees return to Freddie Mac because they specifically want to work in a creative community,” Beckmann said.
The company highlights employees’ success through a company-wide recognition program, with management going out of its way to highlight employees’ success; and the reward comes from the very top. Whether it is a cash grant, stock options or Starbucks gift card, senior leadership shows employees that “they have added value” and “are part of the team.”
Freddie Mac also has received dozens of accolades for its programs to help employees balance work with life outside the office. The company has been recognized over the years as one of Working Mother magazine's “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers,” and has been on Money magazine’s “Corporate America's Best Benefits” list. Other awards include the National Healthy Babies, Healthy Mothers Coalition's Workplace Model of Excellence for Adoption Benefits, a U.S. Congress Angels in Adoption Award for Adoption Benefits and Philanthropy, Northern Virginia Family Service’s Care Award for a Family Friendly Work Environment, mention as one of Training magazine's “Training Top 100,” and designation by LatinaStyle magazine as one of the best places to work for Latinas .
Workforce diversity in the Washington area is one of the prime reasons Freddie Mac decided to locate in Fairfax County. The company regularly sponsors green cards and work visas, and acts on referrals to promote a diverse employee base. Fairfax County has the infrastructure to keep employees engaged in a lifestyle they like. “People like stability, and Fairfax is a stable enterprise,” Beckmann said.
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