As office manager for the City of Wright Fire Protection District, I have seen many members of our district come and go. Recruiting and retaining employees is a difficult task for a fire district or business and is an essential key to the operation of a district or business. For fire departments, most small districts cannot afford to have full-time staff, so many rely on volunteers. The same time and effort is required in the recruitment and retention process to hire a full-time employee or volunteer. One person has the ability to run their own business, but when it comes to many businesses or even a fire district, one person can't do everything alone. When a company wants to retain its employees, it wants those employees to grow with the company and become part of its vision and values. It is extremely important to have a plan in place once these firefighters or employees are hired on how to retain these individuals. If proper attention is given and resources are utilized, I believe the problem of retention of firefighters or any other employees in any field can be eliminated. These days, many men and women simply don't have the time to give it away for free to someone else. and it is extremely difficult for a fire district or any business to try to ensure an equal work/life balance for many of their employees or volunteers. However, it is extremely important to have a work-life balance in the workplace and I think most companies are starting to realize this. With the Fire District that I work for, we make sure that our mission, our vision, our motto and our values ​​are dispersed throughout everything we do. Whether it's letterhead, a business card, a website, or even the door I walk through every morning. Most men and women who pass by... middle of paper ... this employee is there. Employers want to have employees and they need to listen and lead them so that retention is not an issue. In today's world, jobs are not perfect and not everyone loves their job. The key for employers, then, is to use the tools and resources available to retain the best employees possible. Works Cited Bateman, Thomas S. and Scott Snell. Management Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011. Print."Motivate your employees by providing them with more interesting and stimulating work experiences." Business first. Np, March 14, 2012. Web. August 15, 2012.html?page=all>.Retention and recruitment for voluntary emergency services: challenges and solutions. [Emmitsburg, Maryland]: United States Fire Administration, 2007. Print.