One of the topics covered in this edition of Modern is near and dear to my heart: hiring the best talent to staff a distribution network. This has become a problem for managers in many industries, and is exacerbated by employers that don't take pains to vet their prospects.

For example, many retailers hire from a kiosk without relevant interpersonal interaction. This makes it harder and harder to recruit and retain workers in the distribution center. To deepen the talent pool, many companies are turning to state-funded training programs for help in training non-qualified workers.

Many states offer training grants to corporate employers in order to make chronically unemployed individuals viable candidates. Even at the federal level, through the U.S. Department of Labor you can take advantage of a “One-Stop Career Center,” which offers access to qualified workers as well as to federal, state and local resources. There are more than 3,200 centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico (visit www.servicelocator.org or call 877-US2-JOBS).

You may have been overlooking qualified workers who are readily available in your region. For instance, stay-at-home moms are a great untapped resource. Many employers are flexing their hours to allow mothers to come to work after dropping the kids off at school—and to leave in time to pick them up. These creative solutions open DCs up to a quality work force they never realized was available.

Another alternative is senior workers or retired personnel. Students also represent fresh talent, but require flexibility to work around school hours. If you are in or around educational facilities, participate in or create your own job fairs. Many companies have set up booths at malls to attract people they otherwise would not have reached.

Of course hiring is just the first hurdle. The next one is retaining that talent. Tom Andel's article on page 44 addresses that challenge. I know that because I know one of the people interviewed for it: Anthony Roden, vice president of distribution at Dollar General. He has developed employees all the way from order filling through general management. Anthony is convinced that work must be both fulfilling and fun if you want to keep workers working for you.

I first met Anthony 15 years ago. He was looking at an order picking solution for his distribution center. They bought a solution that didn't give them the productivity enhancements they wanted and it wasn't as intuitive for their associates. I sold them a pick-to-light system. This facility was in a rural area, so the local talent pool was stocked with housewives as well as people without college educations. Anthony wanted to make sure these new hires had the tools to start them on the road to success at Dollar General. It worked. He doubled their productivity with the help of automation and training.

Anthony believes technology vendors must also take responsibility for training their clients' employees on their systems. Training means these people can correctly execute the operation of the equipment and software. Working with clients like Anthony helped me develop that philosophy as I evolved my own career from technology implementation to consulting. I'm convinced technology plays an important role in attracting and retaining talent in a distribution center environment. Even when there is staff turnover, properly trained talent will aid in the transition by passing on their domain knowledge to the new hires.

Whatever talent you're seeking, don't take hiring shortcuts. Every phase of the selection process should have a plan. It begins with sourcing, diligent screening, testing, focused interviews and reference checks. Employers desperate to fill positions often cut these processes short and doom themselves with problem results.