Here are the essential messages that must be shared internally and externally as a tight labor market and COVID-19 uncertainty pose tremendous recruitment and retention challenges.

Mary Olson-Menzel & Deborah MarquardtIn addition to all of the COVID-19 uncertainty that companies are still grappling with, now there is the double-whammy of a tightening labor market plus an unprecedented rise in resignations.Across the country, employers are competing for talent at all levels. The freelance market is on fire. Service industry companies that have upped wages and offered new perks still cannot attract enough applicants. And when it comes to the knowledge workforce, competition for the ‘best and brightest’ is complicated by the fact that many do not want to return to the office—not full-time, not ever.To be sure, this is not solely a CEO or HR challenge, but one that impacts the entire C-suite. As leadership teams develop strategies to respond to constant change while working to assess evolving labor needs and source new talent, communications leaders play an increasingly crucial role on two fronts. Frequent, nuanced, dialogue-driven internal communication is required to retain talent. Creative, authentic and employee-focused external communication is required to attract new talent.Continue reading here...