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What Motivates International Relocation? A View From Europe

Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

Release Date: 10/29/2024

Bonus Episode: 4 Shifts Redefining Talent Strategies in 2026 show art Bonus Episode: 4 Shifts Redefining Talent Strategies in 2026

Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

Season 2 of Talent Wars: A Podcast by DCI took us from Maine to Michigan, Baton Rouge to Kansas City and beyond to Canada and Europe, uncovering how communities are tackling today’s complex talent challenges.  In this bonus episode, host Patience Fairbrother steps back to highlight the biggest insights from the season and what they mean for talent strategies in 2026. From the rising importance of retention and inclusion to rethinking who qualifies as “talent,” these conversations reveal the fundamental shifts that will shape how communities...

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Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

What happens when a viral pop-culture moment suddenly puts your region on the national stage? On this episode of Talent Wars, host  sits down with  managing director of , to unpack how her team moved at lightning speed to turn the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce love story into a full-fledged talent attraction strategy.  From recognizing the moment to aligning stakeholders and crafting messaging on the fly, TeamKC managed national media pressure and translated fandom-driven buzz into long-term market awareness, and Danielle is here to...

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Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

Canada has long been recognized as a global leader in attracting top talent and building economic strength through immigration. With its population on track to reach 100 million by 2100, the country is now tackling an important question: how do you ensure that growth is not just rapid, but smart and sustainable?   On this episode of Talent Wars, host sits down with , serial entrepreneur and board member of , which aims to grow Canada’s population responsibly to 100 million by the year 2100. Patience and Muraly explore how companies can leverage international perspectives to...

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From “Peak 18” to AI transforming work itself, communities are realizing they need to pivot and rethink how they attract and retain talent.  On this special episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother captures insights from some of the top workforce leaders and experts in the U.S. at the 2025 Young Smart & Local Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Through conversations with leaders on the frontlines of the talent wars, this episode uncovers how communities are pivoting to meet demographic challenges, embrace skills-based hiring, leverage real-time data and use AI as a strategic...

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Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

Attracting tech talent takes more than spreadsheets and strategy. What really makes a place “sticky” is its social fabric, which is made up of connections, conversations and stories that make people feel part of something bigger. On this episode of Talent Wars, host sits down with CEO and Co-founder of , , to discuss what nearly two decades of reporting on local tech ecosystems have revealed about what truly drives growth. From the role of “ecosystem storytelling” in shaping reputation to why community events matter more than most realize, they unpack how authentic local stories...

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Cross-Border Relocation: A View from Europe show art Cross-Border Relocation: A View from Europe

Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

What drives a professional to pack up their life and move to another country? On this episode, host sits down with , managing director of to discuss the latest “” study. Inspired by DCI’s “” research, the study explores what drives cross-border, international relocation in Europe. Patience and Steve discuss how career opportunities, lifestyle factors and family considerations shape talent decisions in Europe, why most professionals search for jobs by role and skill rather than industry and what cities can do to attract and retain internationally mobile talent. They also discuss...

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Live from DCI Marketing Summit 2025 show art Live from DCI Marketing Summit 2025

Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

Live from the 2025 DCI Marketing Summit in New York, Talent Wars is coming to you with a special episode! Host sits down with three leaders shaping talent initiatives in different regions: , vice president of marketing at , , strategic marketing manager at and , marketing director for .  The conversation explores the unique approaches behind each talent attraction and retention program. Haley discusses why Work in the Triangle, one of the longest-running talent attraction programs in the country, continues to invest in proactive strategies. Murphy shares the goals of Find Your JAX...

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Meet Rockford, IL's Talent Matchmaker show art Meet Rockford, IL's Talent Matchmaker

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What if talent attraction looked less like marketing and more like matchmaking? On this episode of Talent Wars, host sits down with , program director of campaign, a high-touch talent attraction program in Rockford, Illinois.  From guided tours for job candidates to custom welcome gifts and personalized text invites to community mixers, Made for Rockford takes a refreshingly human approach to helping newcomers feel at home. Operating under the tourism bureau, this program leans into Rockford’s “five-to-nine” lifestyle, as much as its “nine-to-five” opportunities, by...

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Louisville's Ambitious Talent Growth Plan show art Louisville's Ambitious Talent Growth Plan

Talent Wars: A Podcast By DCI

How is Louisville planning to add 41,000 working-age talent to its workforce pipeline in just five years? On this episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother sits down with Kelly Gold, vice president of marketing, talent attraction, and retention at Greater Louisville Inc., to delve into the inner workings of the ever-evolving talent campaign.   Launched in 2016, Live in Lou has evolved into a comprehensive strategy that blends AI-powered job matching, employer partnerships, community ambassadors and even K-12 workforce development to create a true talent ecosystem. In...

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Hello West Michigan: A Blueprint for Employer-Led Talent Attraction show art Hello West Michigan: A Blueprint for Employer-Led Talent Attraction

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What does it take to launch the first employer-led talent attraction organization in the country and keep it thriving for nearly two decades? On this episode of Talent Wars, host sits down with , executive director of , to explore how a group of forward-thinking CIOs turned a local hiring challenge into a national blueprint for attracting and retaining talent.  Founded in 2007 - the same year the first iPhone hit the market - Hello West Michigan was born in the midst of talent shortages and economic uncertainty. Rather than waiting for the market to recover, the organization doubled...

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More Episodes

On this episode of Talent Wars, host Patience Fairbrother is joined by Managing Director of C Studios, Steve Duncan, to discuss the "What Talent Wants" study, which provides insights on the motivations, behaviors and preferences of European talent during international relocations. As an international relocator himself, Steve shares the challenges and complexities involved in making such a life-changing move. He also highlights key findings from the study, pointing out the nuanced factors that influence relocation decisions. Although job offers and lifestyle enhancements are often leading reasons for relocation, aligning with the Talent Wars findings, the research shows that no single motivation dominates the decision-making process. Instead, it highlights the intricate balance between practical and emotional factors, emphasizing the need for organizations and locations to develop messages that connect with talent on various levels. Tune in to find out if European and U.S. talent share similar triggers, the challenges talent experiences during international relocation, the role of both practical needs and emotional connections in driving relocation decisions and strategies for regions and organizations to better position themselves as attractive destinations for global talent.