Relocating is one of the most stressful things people will face in their lifetime. In fact, according to the Thrive Global, it ranks in the top 10 of most stressful life events, along with death and divorce. Great bedfellows, huh?

At Hello West Michigan, we’re proud to take on the challenge of helping people relocate. We’re a non-profit whose mission is to promote West Michigan as a place where business thrives and people want to live and work. The idea for our organization came about in 2007 (before the Great Recession), when our local employers couldn’t find the talent they needed locally to fill their job openings. So their HR teams were having to recruit people from outside of West Michigan—something which gets complicated and expensive very quickly.

In 2007, people weren’t interested in moving to West Michigan. Companies would call out-of-area candidates with great job opportunities and the candidates would say no. Job seekers didn’t think there was any opportunity here in West Michigan and didn’t understand what kind of lifestyle was on offer—so many said no to the job offers. To fix the problem, 12 companies banded together and they created Hello West Michigan. That makes us the first organization of our kind in the country: an organization solely dedicated to talent attraction and retention and driven by member employers.

What does that mean for someone interested in relocating to West Michigan? It means all of our services are free for candidates because we’re funded by member employers.

Here’s how Hello West Michigan can help you if you’re considering relocation to West Michigan:

• Candidate Concierge and Weekly Resume Pack – if you’re ready to start exploring career opportunities in West Michigan, our Candidate Concierges will have a 1-on-1 conversation with you about what types of positions you’re pursuing. Then we send your resume in our Weekly Resume Pack to over 500 HR professionals. It’s a great way to jump-start your job search in the region—in fact, we’ve helped over 1,600 people find jobs this way.
• Significant Others – if one partner is being actively recruited, we know it can be extra hard on the significant other who isn’t being actively recruited. All of our services are open to significant others.
• Website Resources – our website has information on all 13 counties in West Michigan and has over 1,000 linked resources. Some highlights include a featured job list, a list of networking groups, a Career Coach page with tips, and a list of relocation resources for when you’re ready to get down to brass tacks.
• eNewsletter – if you’re not quite ready to make the move yet, you can stay in touch and learn more about the area through our e-newsletter, which delivers our best content to your inbox twice a month. You can subscribe here. Or follow us on social media, @hellowestmich, and a little bit about the region every day.
• Events – ReThink West Michigan, our annual networking event on Thanksgiving eve, has gone virtual. Stay tuned to our website for information (pssst, you don’t want to miss this award winning event).

Hello West Michigan has been serving the region for over 10 years. We know that each relocation is unique. With our all-encompassing resources, we strive to make the process a little less stressful so you can get down to enjoying your new life in West Michigan.