Mason City Businesses discuss ways to retain young professionals at Rural Economic Development Summit | News [Video]

MASON CITY, Iowa.- First Citizens Bank held its second annual Rural Economic Development Summit at North Iowa Area Community College on Thursday, Sept. 12. 

The subject of this year’s summit was rural brain drain in north Iowa and how businesses can recruit and retain young workers in small towns. 

A big focus of the conference from speakers and panelists was on increasing communications to bridge the generation divide between baby boomers and millennials and gen z professionsals.

Steve Bench, founder of Generational Consulting, said that for many professionals older generations don’t always understand the concerns of younger professionals entering the workforce, who may be looking for jobs in communities with child care and housing options they can afford. 

Bench said it was also important for companies to think about what opportunities for development they are offering these workers. 

“We’re going to need to do things that we’ve never done before …