This paper aims to gain a better understanding of the motives and criteria by which excellent researchers choose a host institution. Semi-structured interviews of recently appointed excellent young researchers based in the UK, USA and Germany were carried out and motivations for choosing an institution explored. The findings show that a variety of professional and personal factors are involved in the decision-making process. Excellence of research was clearly important, but also fit and potential for collaborations was cited. Personal issues included family issues regarding stability of children’s schooling, employment for partners and ease of adapting to the local language. Length of tenure was also stated as being important for personal reasons and also to allow time to build up a research group. This understanding of young researchers’ key motives for choosing an institution will inform institutions to allow them to attract and retain excellent researchers which will be of benefit not only to the institution itself, but also to the regional and national economy.

Highly skilled individuals are key actors in regional development and innovation who act as carriers of knowledge and have the potential to be important knowledge spillover agents. Several studies have shown a strong correlation between the presence of highly skilled individuals and prosperous industries, especially in the high technology sector (Mulkay, 1976; Audretsch, 2001; Zellner, 2003; Zucker and Darby, 2006 and 2007; Ackers and Gill, 2008; and Oettl, 2008). Some universities appear more able than others to attract and retain excellent young scientists. This is of high importance considering that universities are now “competing against other universities for prestige and for reputation … institutional funding and grants, for researchers and for students” (Edler et al., 2011). Through globalization, the competition for excellent academic staff has become more and more fierce.

Horowitz (1966) stated that regions possessing a talented science base can enjoy resulting economic benefits over other regions which are lacking scientific talent. Audretsch (2001) stated that the presence of qualified workers in a certain region can influence the decision where to locate a firm or even where firms of a certain sector will cluster and through that, positively influence regional income. Furthermore, cooperation with the leading scientists in the field can provide firms with a competitive advantage and can determine which firms will become leaders in their industry (Maier et al., 2007; and Zucker and Darby, 2006 and 2007).

Organizational Behavior Journal, Recruiting and Retaining, Best Scientists, A Researcher’s Perspective.