Contractors 2000's latest "Super Meeting" in San Antonio featured more than 10 hours of programming on "Recruiting, Hiring & Retention."

Contractors 2000's latest "Super Meeting" in San Antonio Feb. 11-13 featured more than 10 hours of programming on "Recruiting, Hiring & Retention," centered around a new C-2000 manual of the same title.

Finding good people is the number one challenge to the industry, made even tougher in a prosperous economy with the lowest unemployment levels in many years. Sandwiched in between nuts-and-bolts instruction from the new C-2000 manual were addresses by two business authors focusing their message on employment issues.

Keynote speaker Roger Herman kicked off Super Meeting XV with a presentation evaluating the demographics of the modern work force, and what might be deemed their "psychographics." His most important point was that many of today's young people are looking to work for companies that make them feel like part of a family.

Closing speaker Matt Weinstein, author of Managing to Have Fun, contended that injecting joy into the workplace is essential to motivate employees and increase productivity.

The overall message ringing through the conference is that "the rules have changed." Strategies that may have worked years ago to build and sustain a capable work force are often outmoded. Employers who fail to adapt will be at a severe competitor disadvantage in an era when good help is harder than ever to find.