Recruitment and retention are the hallmarks in the War for Talent: these are the two strategies companies focus on to build solid businesses that generate both profit and good corporate reputations.

In 2005, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) offered an article that assessed another aspect of the War for Talent: the expected labor shortage that many experts have seen on the horizon as we approach 2012 (HR Magazine, March 2005). By 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, Americans could expect to see a situation in which jobs would outnumber applicants by more than three million.

Experts continue to debate the labor shortage projections and the impact of such a scenario, but in the meantime most companies don’t play games when it comes to recruitment and retention and the War for Talent.

In future blog postings, we’ll explore ways in which your relocation policy can be an effective tool in the War on Talent, as well as employee-specific needs that you might want to consider as your company develops its most effective strategy to attract, win, and retain the best possible employees for the twenty-first century. In the meantime, if you have questions or comments on this issue, feel free to comment below.