There s a lot of talk about a labor and skills shortage lately. If you talk to any human resources professional, they will tell you that it is not just talk, the skills shortage is a reality. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find good applicants. In many areas of the country the unemployment rate is lower than it was in the late 90 s when the competition for employees was fierce. Organizations are again pulling out all the stops in an effort to attract qualified candidates to fill their open positions. The Jacksonville Business Journal ran an article this week stating that staffing firms are becoming creative in their recruitment efforts to find qualified people.

Once hired, the next test of the company s success is holding on to the good employees. Here are a few things to think about in your recruitment and retention efforts:

1. Recruitment is a business issue, not an HR issue. It is no secret that organizations that have the ability to attract and retain good employees increase profits. Companies today must earn a reputation as a good place to work, a place that challenges their employees and treats them with fairness, respect and dignity. The organizations that are consistently recognized as the best places to work have little trouble attracting candidates. In addition, these organizations have the ability to keep their top performers in spite of the efforts of recruiters to lure them away to the competition.

2. The work environment attracts candidates. In most cases, the best places to work are not the highest paying in the industry, nor do they offer the best benefits. These are the organizations that have a strong and well-defined culture and hire people who have similar values. The attraction is the work and the company culture. The pay and the benefits must be competitive, but are not the driving factor.

3. Take the time to hire the best for the company. The best places to work typically have a very systematic recruitment process that includes an extensive screening process, behavioral interviews, behavioral assessments, reference checking and a criminal background check.

4. Set high expectations. Once hired, the best companies expect the best performance from their employees and most employees respond well to the high standards. The challenge for the business leaders is keeping their people challenged.

Success stories include Southwest Airlines, who has an applicant pool of about 40,000 candidates, yet their starting pay is less than other airlines. How about PPR in Jacksonville Beach who made the list of one of the 50 best small companies to work for? Since they made the list, Dwight Cooper, CEO, stated many people seeking employment have contacted them. These companies now have potential employees pursuing them. They are able to hire the best.

The others will get the leftovers.