Companies are attracted to regions with an abundance of college-educated workers.

One such company is Revere Data, a San Francisco-based firm that relocated its research headquarters to Youngstown. Revere is a research firm focusing on the linkages and the financial impact between companies. They work to make these underlying connections accessible.

We asked John Slanina, Senior Research Analyst for Revere Data, a few questions about Revere, its workforce, and what it looks for in new hires.

Q: How important is a skilled, college-educated, motivated local workforce?

A: Revere’s success is based on the quality and reliability of data, so we are looking for people with unquestionable integrity, a strong work ethic, and a curiosity of global markets and supply chains.

Q: What are some of the qualities you look for in a new hire?

A: From a skill level, we love to hire people who can demonstrate their ability to be detail-oriented and thorough when describing their past projects. Speaking an additional language or two (or three) is a big plus as well. These qualities separate an individual from a pack of candidates.

Q: Where do you recruit from in the region primarily?

A: Being in Youngstown, we recruit primarily in the triangle of the Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Columbus metro areas. And we have strong relationships with multiple universities in the five-county Youngstown region. [Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana in Ohio, and Mercer and Lawrence in Pennsylvania.] We also have a very strong internship and mentoring program, and many of our full-time analysts have been hired from this program.