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Polk County earns 'Gold' in Family Friendly Workplaces certification as official seeks strategies to address workforce shortfall
Summary
Polk County officials heard a demographic and workforce presentation from Family Friendly Workplaces showing an aging population and projected workforce decline; the county was recognized at Gold level in the employer certification program aimed at improving recruitment, retention and long-term early childhood supports.
Polk County HR director Kim Greger introduced Neil Klein of Family Friendly Workplaces, who presented demographic projections that the county and much of northern Wisconsin face an aging population and an expected decline in working-age residents.
Klein summarized state Department of Administration projections from the 2020 census showing Polk County's share of residents 65 and older is projected to rise and said the county could see workforce entrance numbers go negative in coming years. He told the board these trends, combined with low labor-force participation, contribute to an ongoing shortage of workers and place pressure on local employers and public services.
Klein described Family Friendly Workplaces' three-part approach: immediate actions to benchmark and strengthen employer benefits (recruit/retain), medium-term talent-attraction efforts, and long-term investments in early childhood development. He said Polk County achieved a Gold level in the program's benefits benchmarking, which the organization says positions the county competitively in recruitment and retention efforts.
"By certifying employers, we've benchmarked your benefits relative to the market and that tells us the strength of your benefits," Klein said. "You're gold level, which means you're leading the market in the benefits that you offer. That can help you recruit and retain talent right now."
Klein urged attention to related shortages in housing and child care and said the certification work is meant to be one part of a broader strategy to address workforce gaps.
The board asked several technical questions during the presentation. Officials were directed to keep the issue on the committee calendar for follow-up work with county departments and local employers.
