To retain young talent, local nonprofit first welcomes them to Memphis

When thinking about the future of Memphis, city leaders are trying to think young. The quest to increase Memphis’ numbers of “young professionals”—a group that demographers generally define as individuals 25 to 34 years old who possess a college degree—has led local government, corporations and nonprofits – like the New Memphis Institute – to work on making Memphis a city of choice for the country’s most recent entrants into the workforce.

The nonprofit is focused on how to attract and retain talent for Memphis, as well as how to develop leaders and engage our city’s talent in civic life. Their work includes helping corporations use the city’s strengths to recruit and welcome employees, but their focus has increasingly moved to that integral millennial generation.

For New Memphis, a facet of this millennial talent attraction and retention strategy is giving a warm welcome to young professionals who have recently relocated to the city.

“We host a series of ‘newcomer’ events where young people can meet peers, learn about their new city and find ways to get plugged in. Our events help get people connected and build community attachment, which makes them much more likely to stay in Memphis,” said Frankie Dakin, Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the nonprofit.

Dakin says they host an event about once a month with each offered at no cost to participants. Their most recent event was held over the weekend at Overton Park. “Field Day for Grownups” attracted more than 150 young professionals to play in the park, many of whom were new to Memphis. Activities were set up across the greensward and attendees competed in games like tug-of-war, corn hole, giant pong and musical chairs. The event was sponsored by Methodist LeBonheur Health Care, a regular supporter of the work of New Memphis. Local architecture firm Looney Ricks Kiss was also an event partner.

So how does tug of war help Memphis retain millennial talent? Dakin says events like these make it easy for young people to meet one another and build personal networks, which is instrumental in keeping them rooted in Memphis.

“These events make people feel welcomed and appreciated in their city. Field Day is a demonstration of how fun and vibrant their new home is,” Dakin explained.  

The location was no accident, either. When organizing their welcome events, their team considers what makes Memphis unique and special. It’s these authentic assets, Dakin says, that make people choose Memphis as home. “Overton Park is an amazing outdoor asset in the heart of one our city’s most youthful and eclectic neighborhoods. We want to make sure newcomers are exposed to that quickly,” he said.