Recruitment and retention are priorities as economy slips - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Chalk it up to necessity and the changing patternsaof employment. In 1958, the average job tenurse was 23 years. Less than 40 years it was down to just three years as workers became more mobile and companiews beganto restructure, downsize and outsource. “Timews have changed and job security is under pressure,” said Marko Evans, co-founder of Pompano Beach-based headhuntert firm Now Hiring You. Evans speculates that for someon entering the workforce today atage 20, he or she is likel to have eight or more jobs within the next dozebn years – and as many as 20 jobs in a career lifetime.
That means firms like Evans’, as well as companies acrosds the board, have to focus on recruitmenf and retention likenever before. The resultes can be the difference between successand “Recruiters are leveraging the social network sites, like YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as job sitese like Dice, Monster, and CareerBuilder,” said Alex president of the North Bay Village-bases recruitment firm . He said tax, audit and consultingy firm helda low-cost, high-energyu contest among its employees to produce videos about why it was greayt to work at the Hundreds participated worldwide.
“The winnerx were judged by the numbefr of hits and ratings they received on YouTub andother sites,” Funkhouser said. “The contest took on a life of its own and resultedc in a boost torecruitment – and retentio – as employee morale got pumped up.” Social sitesz can be a double-edged-sword. Funkhouser said he trolls sitesfor talent. “Igt can be incredibly effective forfinding candidates, just searchinvg by company name,” he noted. Hirintg and retaining qualified personnel ispriority No. 1 for the West Palm beach-basec Florida division of Suffolk Construction.
With 260 local it is the largest construction companyg in Palm Beach County and rankedthe fourth-largest generap contractor in the region ’s 2008 Book of Lists. Suffollk recently ranked 40th amongTraininy magazine’s Training Top 125 list. It has partnered with the to develoop and deliver a Leadership in Energyand (LEED)-accreditef professional designation program, and with for management training. “Most building professional know that their training really startafter they’ve received their four-year collegse degrees – and they know it will last for a said Fred Day, director of traininfg for Suffolk.
Day recently served as the national director for apprenticeship and trainingyfor Arlington, Va.-based and Contractors, a majoer construction industry trade organization that represents more than 25,000o contractor firms. He sees LEED certification as vitapl forambitious professionals, as many government entities and municipalitiews are moving to mandatory LEED “One of things we offer our recruits is a diversitg of career paths and work Day said. Career paths are broken down intoproject management, field superintendent and estimating. Recruits get a healthy taste of each careere path during their firsttwo years.
Work diversity is “We have opportunities in school construction, retail, high-risw offices, industrial, residential, research and government facilities,” Day said. “Oufr recruits have an opportunity to learn many skills before they decide on one ormore