I recently wrote an article for the Sunshine Coast Daily about possible worries employees may have about moving to a regional area.

It prompted comments from many people who said they had felt some of the concerns mentioned.

What is the lesson for business owner/managers? You should raise these points with potential employees from outside your area, and discuss why coming to a regional area will not hinder their professional career.

Here’s the article that appeared in the Daily:

After a period of living in Sydney and working in a large national firm, one Sunday morning I announced to friends that I was moving back to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Their initial response was: “Why would you want to do that?” I replied: “Why not?”

Then we started to talk about what this would mean for my professional career.

Here are some of the points we discussed:

Credibility: Some people have a perception that if you come to a regional area you will be performing at a lower level of skills or professionalism.

Now, 12 years later, I can report that the needs of my regional clients are no less challenging or demanding than those of my city clients. In fact, I believe we often have more challenges when dealing with the diverse range of needs and expectations that the “sea changers” brings with them.

We are also a global society, and the internationalisation of the population brings its own needs and expectations. The emerging business environment of the Sunshine Coast, for example, demands diverse experience and a level of sophisticated professionalism from all of us.

Cruisy, laidback attitude: Again, there is a perception that because you live and work in a regional area you are not expected to, or will not, perform within the same time frames as our city cousins.

I have found that while some people may give you the impression that they are “cruisy”, it is still very important to them that they get things done in a timely fashion.

They also have expectations of work being performed in a professional manner. Having said this, there are still some industries that need a little adjustment in this area!

Having a relaxed and slightly less formal approach to work does not necessarily equate to “slacking off”.

Easy to stand out: Demonstrating a high degree of professionalism in your work and provision of service in regional areas has the potential to ensure that you stand out, as you are competing with less people.

This is a definite plus for working in a regional area if you want to get ahead in your career.

As an owner/manager, if you address these points adequately you may find you have a larger pool of high-quality employees to select from.