To all the people here who whine that there’s nothing to do in Birmingham, who think the grass is greener in Nashville, D.C., Austin, Atlanta, even Chattanooga, for heaven’s sake, workplace consultant Rebecca Ryan has news for you: Birmingham is already “cool.” It just needs to be a bit “cooler.”
While 90% of American cities experienced “brain drains” of the coveted pool of talented young professionals (YP’s) in the late ‘90s, the Birmingham area saw a net INCREASE of 1,839, Ryan says. That put Birmingham among an elite group of “cool” cities.
Did Birmingham recruit them on purpose, or was it a “happy accident?” she asked a crowd gathered for a special Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce mixer at Workplay in June. None among the more than 240 invited attendees raised their hands.
But Ryan of Next Generation Consulting (NGC) said Birmingham must build on that momentum, recruiting YP’s and knowledge workers much like economic development gurus working to attract big industries.
Why? Because the local economy’s future depends them. “Three out of four Generation X workers (1961-1981) rely on themselves for security. Their loyalty is to their community, not their jobs,” Ryan says. Their motto is “Live First, Work Second.”
As Baby Boomers (1943-1960) retire, America’s pool of talented employees will drastically shrink in the coming years because there are fewer Gen Xers to replace them, according to Ryan’s paper, “Talent Capitals: The Emerging Battleground in the War for Talent.” So, more jobs and fewer people will mean “mo’ money” for talented, tech-savvy YP’s and knowledge workers, it says.
In September, Ryan’s staff will hold a series of focus groups with YPs, the business community and the public to answer these and other questions, says Deborah Vance, the Chamber’s vice president of community development. Ryan’s study is slated to be completed later in the year. She will unveil the handprint at the Chamber’s 118th Annual Meeting on Dec. 15.
Three years ago, Ryan did a similar handprint for Nashville, which compared itself to Birmingham and other cities. So Nashville is that much further ahead in the game, Ryan says, but Birmingham has much going for it.
Birmingham must move beyond negative stereotypes and the shame of its past. Ryan says the city has one of the best film festivals in the country. Yet when Birminghamians attending other film festivals are asked where they live, “you all look down at your shoes. That has to stop,” she says.
For Birmingham to turn the corner, Ryan says its leaders must: think regionally to build a bigger asset base to compete with other cities; incorporate young professionals and their ideas into the Establishment; and find the unmet or undiscovered need or void that no other city is meeting, and fill it.
Finally, she said, Birmingham must find its own identity, then package and sell its assets in ways that appeal to YPs. The handprint will help Birmingham do that.
“If young professionals can live anywhere in the world, why would they choose Birmingham? That is the question you must answer,” she says. 
The Chamber earlier this year established the “Cool Community Task Force” to help Birmingham become a talent magnet for these workers. It hired Ryan to analyze Birmingham’s “cool” factor in a report she calls a “handprint.”It measures seven key indicators that young professionals find important:
1. Earning – What is the money-making potential in this city?
2. Learning – Are there institutions where I can become smarter? Are there intellectual outlets such as book clubs where I can broaden my knowledge?
3. Vitality – Are there people out cycling, walking, eating, having fun when I go out on the town in the day and at night?
4. After Hours – What is there for me to do after work and on the weekends?
5. Around Town – Where can I go to have fun, shop, hang out or learn more about the area? Is there a nearby metropolis like Atlanta where I can also go?
6. Cost of Lifestyle – How far will the money I earn take me compared to other cool places?
7. Social Capital – How inclusive is this city? Are there opportunities for women, people of color and young professionals like me to be successful and sit in seats of power and influence?
