Employee availability won't improve in forseeable future

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The labor pool will continued to shrink as baby boomers retire from the working world|ret||ret||tab|

The shortage of quality applicants that plagued all businesses in 1999 is continuing in the new millennium. The major concern of companies will not be sales, but as hiring good people and decreasing turnover to retain quality staff. |ret||ret||tab|

The bottom line is, without people, industries will not have products or services to offer. |ret||ret||tab|

Even now, organizations are scaling back sales and marketing efforts, because they barely have the workers to fulfill current customer expectations, let alone new clients' desires.|ret||ret||tab|

The historically low unemployment rate is predicted to continue for eight to 20 more years, barring a major recession or depression. Five principal factors contribute to this forecast.|ret||ret||tab|

First, the United States is experiencing the lowest birth rate in the history of our country. Not enough people are being born nor will be born to fulfill the employment needs of industries.|ret||ret||tab|

Second, America has a record low high school graduation rate. At the same time, businesses are demanding more skills from entry-level employees than ever before.|ret||ret||tab|

Third, the baby boomers, the largest segment of the population, born between 1946 and 1964, are retiring. There are not enough Generation Xers, those born between 1965 and 1978, to replace the baby boomers.|ret||ret||tab|

Fourth, Generation Xers have a different work ethic than their predecessors. They watched their baby boomer parents work a huge number of hours each week and they became latchkey children. |ret||ret||tab|

They also noted how their parents received pink slips, even though their parents were extremely loyal and highly successful. |ret||ret||tab|

Generation Xers were raised with such terms as downsizing, right-sizing and re-engineering. Therefore, their loyalty on average lasts 1 1/2 years, and they treasure their personal time, choosing to work only 40 hours a week.|ret||ret||tab|

For companies, this may mean having to hire two short-term Generation X workers to replace one long-term baby boomer.|ret||ret||tab|

Fifth, the economy is booming. The question is not how to generate more sales. The question is how to fill job openings to retain current customers.|ret||ret||tab|

Facts are facts. However, through short- and long-term strategic planning, organizations can successfully ride out the storm of scarce human resources. Among the recommended strategies:|ret||ret||tab|

Develop a recruiting plan encompassing several techniques. Stop placing emphasis and spending dollars on the old, traditional methods. They simply do not work in today's job market. |ret||ret||tab|

Think out of the box and utilize creative, aggressive practices. Track results and be ready to change at the drop of a hat.|ret||ret||tab|

Hire only quality people. Stop filling jobs with warm bodies. Be sure whoever makes hiring decisions in your company is successful at people reading. What is critical is ascertaining personality. |ret||ret||tab|

If your hiring person is having a hard time, either secure training for him or seek professional help to fill your job openings.|ret||ret||tab|

Offer extensive training to hourly and salaried staff. Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" all believe in investing in their work forces through employee education. |ret||ret||tab|

All receive twice as many applications and experience half the turnover of similar businesses. |ret||ret||tab|

Options consist of in-house or public instruction. In-house seminars are significantly more meaningful and cost-effective for larger organizations. |ret||ret||tab|

Public seminars have value to small businesses. |ret||ret||tab|

However, because only general information is provided, consider hiring the instructor to provide customized, one-on-one training if he or she is an expert on the content of the seminar.|ret||ret||tab|

Create a retention program. The average cost of turnover according to the U.S. Department of Labor is 35 percent of an employee's first-year salary. |ret||ret||tab|

After investing in selection and training, it makes no sense to lose good workers. |ret||ret||tab|

Become educated on sound retention practices and seek professional advice as needed.|ret||ret||tab|

Proactive businesses will not only survive but thrive during the long employment drought of the new millennium. Beef up your recruiting, selection, training and retention, and your company will be an oasis.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, an employment, management training, human resources consulting and outplacement firm.)|ret||ret||tab|

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