The Lehigh Valley is thriving. With an all-time high of 340,087 jobs, low unemployment, and job growth projected to continue, talent is the competitive edge in 2026. Leaders who fail to prioritize talent risk falling behind in a region where opportunity outpaces availability.
At LINC, we’ve championed a 4-Part Talent Attraction Strategy: Inspire, Inform, Guide, and Advise. This framework helps organizations attract and win talent. Yet, strategy is only as good as its execution.
As we begin a new year, I’m reminded of the timeless truths shared by James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits. His insights are simple, yet transformative. By making habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying, leaders can ensure their hiring teams have a winning formula for attracting talent from anywhere to our community.
By nurturing consistent, repeatable behaviors (habits) alongside effective business systems and processes, we can generate the talent results we seek.
Applying Atomic Habits to Talent Attraction
One tip from LINC’s 4-Part Strategy is to Inspire candidates to want to work and live in a thriving community. If your goal for 2026 is to cultivate the habit of showcasing the Lehigh Valley’s vibrancy in every candidate interaction, begin by applying the four principles from Atomic Habits.
1. Make It Obvious
Visibility drives consistency. Add a mandatory checklist item for recruiters: “Include Lehigh Valley lifestyle highlights in every job post and candidate conversation.” Post this checklist where it can’t be missed, such as on your Teams board, in your ATS dashboard, or even as a pop-up reminder during job posting creation. You can also create a visual banner in your recruiting software or a weekly email prompt to remind teams to showcase the region’s strengths.
2. Make It Attractive
Turn the habit into something people want to do. Build a culture of sharing by encouraging recruiters to post fun facts or photos about the Lehigh Valley in internal channels. Celebrate creativity. For example, you can run a monthly “Best Lehigh Valley Highlight” contest with small prizes. Use social reinforcement: a simple thumbs-up or “wow” emoji in chat creates positive feedback loops. You can even gamify the process by tracking who shares the most engaging regional content. Building habits while fostering a positive workplace culture is a win-win.
3. Make It Easy
Reduce friction so the habit feels effortless. Create ready-to-use templates for job descriptions, interview scripts, and candidate follow-up emails that already include regional highlights. Automate the inclusion of Lehigh Valley lifestyle language in your ATS so recruiters don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Make content easy to find by subscribing to newsletters like Lehigh Valley Economic Development or Discover Lehigh Valley and storing updates in a shared folder. The easier it is to access and apply, the more likely the habit will stick.
4. Make It Satisfying
Reward drives repetition. Recognize recruiters who consistently showcase the region—mention them in team meetings, give shout-outs on internal channels, or tie this behavior to performance reviews. Celebrate wins when candidates cite community appeal as a deciding factor. You could even create a leaderboard or offer small incentives for those who make the biggest impact. As James Clear says, “What is rewarded is repeated.” Make the payoff visible and meaningful.
Make Your New Habits Last
Embedding these habits will not just improve candidate experience; it can accelerate time-to-hire, strengthen your employer brand, and reduce offer declines. What is one habit you will champion in your organization to make talent attraction a competitive advantage in 2026?
LINC is a Lehigh Valley-based nonprofit that envisions communities and workplaces where everyone feels welcome, gets rooted, and thrives. LINC partners with employers to attract and retain talent from diverse backgrounds from all over the world. To learn more, visit www.linc-lv.org.
