August 2024….reading my Wall Street Journal this AM I see this headline and discover that our state’s name is a code word for Gen Alpha kids (I lost track at Gen Z!) and it’s not meant to be flattering.
If you have a WSJ subscription you can read the full article here.
My favorite line that sums up the absurdity of it all: “Ohio is sort of weird, absurd” says Eden (Rodriquez, age 13 from Maryland) – who has never actually visited the state.
But even better is that the article quotes several Ohio natives who believe that Ohioans are not so uptight that we can’t laugh at ourselves. That my friends is the power of confidence. The knowledge that our town is amazing and we know it even if you don’t. And if you don’t get it, that’s ok. All the more for us.
One of the reasons this article struck me is that we often hear initial negative reactions to our town from the candidates and new hires we work with who are considering a corporate relocation. And when a newspaper with a national and international subscriber base as large as The Journal puts silly mems like this on its front page, it just perpetuates Cleveland’s image as an unsophisticated town with rust belt vibes. But that is why Executive Arrangements will probably be needed for another 45 years so thanks WSJ!
It’s amazing the outdated and incorrect images we combat. A recent candidate referenced the Drew Carey Show, which went off the air in 2004!
But after just one day exploring our town with EA Guides, newcomers are often smacking their foreheads and saying “WHAAAT? This town is amazing. So affordable. So easy to get around. Such pretty suburbs. A beautiful lake and park system. The amenities that many cities twice our size would kill for.”
Sometimes we want to yell it from the rooftops and the other times we think, hmmmm, let’s just keep it our little secret!
More than 100X a year, Executive Arrangements introduces an out-of-town candidate or new hire coming to explore a career opportunity that will take them to Cleveland or Akron. Almost 80% of them say yes to the job/relo after just one day seeing how liveable our region is. If your organization’s talent attraction and retention efforts could use a partner like us, call us at 216.231.9311