As we do each year, we asked our readers to cast votes for what Des Moines has to offer in a variety of business-related categories. These businesses, leaders and organizations make up an ecosystem in our region that supports a strong and vibrant community.

This year, we followed up with the winners and asked them to tell us their thoughts about the business ecosystem in Greater Des Moines. Many of their answers were featured online and in the Sept. 22 print issue. Here are a few extra answers that weren’t included in that coverage about some of the economic trends these leaders want others to know about. We hope you enjoy reading them.

– Emily Barske Wood, special projects editor

We asked: What strategies do you believe are most effective when it comes to recruiting top talent to the region?

The Greater Des Moines area has a lot of the same amenities as larger cities without the congestion and cost of living. Once people visit, they see the opportunity for better work/life balance, affordable housing options and area attractions. As far as strategies go, I think getting people to visit and spend time here makes a huge impact.
– Rosalind Fox, factory manager, John Deere Des Moines Works

Culture. Our team is the best recruiters for R&R Realty Group. They know our culture, how our values drive the organization and encourage high-quality people to join us. We invest in our culture with fun social events, opportunities to volunteer together, providing speakers and resources like our recent mental health awareness campaign, and having a shared mission. It’s events like the DSM Corporate Games where our culture grows. It’s a great opportunity to have fun, work together and get everyone engaged in a common purpose.
– Adam Kaduce, president, R&R Real Estate Advisors

Outside of family, we must paint the vision that Des Moines is the perfect backdrop to the life they want to live. Affordable housing, great education and quality jobs are essential to that vision. So is providing the color for those in-between moments. The great local restaurant, the arts, the outdoor recreation. It’s the entire package.
– Hannah Inman, CEO, Great Outdoors Foundation

This region offers a great combination of high quality of life with low cost of living. Our greatest strategy is continuing to tell that story far and wide.
– Renee Christoffer, president and CEO, Veridian Credit Union

In technology, you have to balance your local market with global competition. You’re not always going to be a fit for everyone when you want to focus on in-person or hybrid collaboration as much as possible, and that’s OK. Making sure you’re hiring the best fit for the role, investing in team members and creating a flexible work environment with clear expectations are all great ways to retain top talent, whatever that looks like for you. Staying in touch with past employees never hurts on the recruitment side; we have had a lot of great team members leave and come back over the years, as well as great referrals from those relationships.
– Lindsey LaMair, vice president of strategy, Webspec

Commitment to quality of life – in and out of the job description.
– Kyle Gamble, executive vice president, Hubbell Realty Co.

We believe by focusing on a healthy workplace environment, offering flexible scheduling and new career opportunities, we are able to recruit and retain top talent at UnityPoint Health. We place an emphasis on workplace culture as it is vital in health care as we are caring for patients and their families, often in their greatest time of need. Our teams truly live our mission and values every day. By working together with trust, respect and compassion for each other results in better care and outcomes for our patients.
– David Stark, president and CEO, UnityPoint Health

Top talent cares about a tailored approach to work and life, valuable total rewards and advancement. I like to call this approach “one company, boundless opportunities.” At Principal, employees set the tone for their careers. With opportunities across geographies, industries and functions throughout a global network, individuals can put curiosity to work in different ways throughout their career. Additionally, we know employees are increasingly gravitating toward work that is meaningful to them. As we reimagine a more purpose-led future for financial services, they see opportunity to apply unique perspectives, passions and expertise to help us broaden financial access and drive positive change in their communities.
– Dan Houston, chairman, president and CEO, Principal Financial Group

They say that no one moves anywhere without visiting first. That’s why our mission of increasing visitors to the metro is so important. Once we get people here, either through events or leisure travel, the charm of the metro sells itself. We’ve been told many times how surprisingly cool Des Moines is and how accommodating the region is. So, continuing to authentically market the region as a great place to both work and play. We talk the talk but also walk the walk, too.
– Greg Edwards, president and CEO, Catch Des Moines

Read more Best of Des Moines content.

Editor’s note: How does Best of Des Moines voting work? You voted. We checked the data, removed any suspicious or erroneous votes and then tallied the results for all 66 categories. All Greater Des Moines businesses, people and organizations are eligible to win categories. In other words, there was no cost to be listed as an option due to the survey being open-ended. You can’t pay to win a category.