FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Judy Bishop, general manager of CTA Staffing, returned to Hawaii in 2001 to manage a small company. She recently was named president of the Hawaii Staffing Association.

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Hawaii. The desire to manage a small company again and be a part of the community. Because I had been in corporate roles, managing national divisions. I found it took away from my role with customers and employees. It was too global, in terms of the operation and the day-to-day contact. I like being involved in the community, being able to know my customers, being able to have a positive effect on their business.

What positions in Hawaii are in the most demand?

My company, and the staffing organizations in Hawaii, are probably focused more on administrative and call center jobs. The staffing association does not really represent a lot of companies that have any real strong niche specialties. They actually fill positions that are needed by the great majority of companies in Hawaii.

From my perspective, there's a need for people who have not so much the entry-level skills anymore that was needed and utilized by our hospitality industry, but more the next level -- people who can come up with a creative solution to a customer's problem, people who have accountability and can use good judgment without having to be told everything. It applies across all industries. Many entry-level jobs have been replaced by computerization.

With Hawaii's low unemployment, what has happened to demand for temps?

I've seen these types of fluctuations in the work force before. It's always a pattern when companies have more confidence ... they have much more confidence in making permanent hiring decisions. They're less apt to want a temp, but more apt to want a temp that they can hire permanent. So we have temp-to-hire program. If all goes well then a permanent hiring decision is made. Some companies are getting so confident that they get a person right off the bat. But it takes longer to find a candidate. It might take two to three times longer. It used to take a week or two weeks. When you see a good candidate, you need to make a good decision rapidly, because that may be made by someone else. You can't take your time. The candidate will be gone because they'll have another job.

In which fields is low unemployment starting to push up wages?

It's starting to move up wages everywhere. It's unfortunate because it means the cost of business is higher, but if the economy grows, businesses can raise their prices, which affects all of us. It's across the board. Not every company is raising their wages but they're starting to look at it. Companies are starting to have a second look at how they staff. And how they acquire talent. It's not just an administrative cost-center activity. It really needs to be a strategic role within a company. To go out and acquire and get some talent. And that's why more companies are turning to members of the association for business.

Leaders of human resources departments are being positioned as executive vice presidents. They are at the visioning table where strategic planning takes place, because companies are realizing they cannot move ahead without the talent on the team. Programs that keep people happy are becoming more important as well. People work for reasons other than money. Many people will came to Hawaii and stay in Hawaii because of quality of life. It's an opportunity to be part of the strategic mission, to effect change. It costs so much more money to replace someone than it does to keep them.

Talent retention should be at the forefront of any successful company's strategy next year or this year.

Last word?

I think that the staffing organizations are much more adaptable now to the needs of the employers who need assistance in requirement and staffing. I think they're much more negotiable in pricing and services involved in the price. There's a lot of value-added benefits that can come along. If an employer is working with a staffing company they can collaborate with them. They are much more consultative now. They can add a real dimension to a company's human resources department in terms of the expertise they can provide. For example, we offer free training, things like that. Free testing. If you are company and you need to hire 10 people ... and you test them for their skill sets, you can use a staffing company for skill assessments. Staffing is a relatively young industry. It's becoming a matured industry and competition has dictated that they provide unique service to make themselves stand out. Partially it's been the industry, partially demand from clientele.