“There’s a war for talent out there, and it’s only going to get worse,” said Jim Bazner, vice president of human capital solutions at MSX International in Southfield, Michigan, which helps automakers find specialized employees. “There are hundreds of jobs, and all the automakers are hiring.”
 

Bazner is referring to the Detroit Three – General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler – and their efforts to expand their technological offerings. According to Bloomberg, recruiters are going cross-country, with special focus on Northern California’s Silicon Valley, known for decades as being the heart of today’s high-tech economy.

The automakers have their work cut out for them. Recruiters will have a hard time matching the near six-figure starting salaries some Silicon Valley jobs offer. However, the flipside is the much lower housing costs of Michigan compared to Silicon Valley, known for having some of the most expensive real estate in the nation.

Another issue is career potential in moving between companies, a measurement by which Detroit lags Silicon Valley by far, with roughly one-fifth the total number of openings of its high-tech West Coast counterpart.

Source: Bloomberg courtesy of Motor Trend Staff