Staffing Retention Woes

CEOs may be reading about staff retention and related issues quite a bit these days. California CEO has two current stories on it: Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em, a Q&A with a coauthor of the book by the same name, and Retaining an Aging Workforce, about just that. The author interview stresses management tactics to hang on to your valuable employees—namely, don’t be a jerk if you can help it. The other story ends up focusing on retirement benefit considerations that may keep experienced workers from splitting.

Not long ago, we ran a column on the dangers of the Baby Boom retirement wave that lies ahead, in Don’t Put Your Company in a Purple Haze. An apparently hot topic, judging by the 38 reader responses—to which you are welcome to add your own.

And it seems Americans aren’t the only ones with staffing woes. The Economist reports this week that China—yes, the same country whose population makes up about a quarter of the world’s humanity—is facing a talent shortage. The International Herald Tribune backs this up with its own story, saying, “Skilled workers and technicians are taking advantage of acute shortages to demand double-digit salary increases.” Might be a good career move to brush up on your Chinese, if you aren’t already among that quarter.