As the Wright City Fire District Office Manager, I have seen many members of our district come and go. Recruiting and retaining employees is a daunting task for a fire district or company and is a vital key to the operation of a district or company. As for firefighters, most smaller districts can't afford to have a full-time staff, so many rely on volunteers. The same time and effort goes into the recruitment and retention process of hiring a full-time employee or volunteer. An individual has the ability to run their own business, but when it comes to many businesses in the market or even a fire district, an individual cannot do it all alone. When a company wants to retain its employees, it wants those employees to grow with the company and be part of its vision and values. It is extremely important to have a plan in place once you hire these firefighters or employees on how to retain these individuals. If proper attention is paid and resources are used, I believe the issue of retaining firefighters or any employee in any field is something that can be eliminated. Many men and women today simply do not have the time to give something for free to someone else. and it is extremely difficult for a fire district or any company to try to ensure an equal work-life balance for many of its staff or volunteers. However, it is extremely important to maintain a work-life balance in the workplace and I think most companies are starting to realize this. With the Fire District I work for we make sure our mission, vision, motion and values ​​are spread throughout everything we do. Whether it's your letterhead, business card, website or even the door you walk through every morning. Most of the men and women who pass... middle of paper... that employee around. Employers want to have employees and they need to listen and guide employees so that retaining them is not a problem. In today's world jobs aren't perfect and not everyone loves their job, so the key for employers is to use the tools and resources available to retain the best employees possible. Works Cited Bateman, Thomas S. and Scott Snell. Leading management and collaboration in a competitive world. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011. Print."Motivate your employees by providing more interesting and challenging work experiences." Business first. Np, March 14, 2012. Web. August 15, 2012.html?page=all>.Retention and Recruitment for Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions. [Emmitsburg, Md.]: United States Fire Administration, 2007. Print.