Experts estimate that about 2 million workers have been downsized since 2001. Unemployment is running around 6 percent. Workers are hardly in short supply.

But the time to prepare for a coming labor shortage is now. If you wait until the job recovery is in full swing, you’ll already be behind the curve.

In a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in late 2003, executives reported that their attention will be more focused on employee retention and recruitment in 2004 than on pressures to reduce staff or increase productivity with fewer employees.

“Attention to human capital needs is crucial to an organization in both bad and good times,” says Susan R. Meisinger, president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management. “Clearly, executives think the economic recovery will become stronger in 2004. Organizations should prepare to shift their human capital strategy to jump back into the race for talent.”

As the labor market tightens, finding qualified employees will take more than placing a help-wanted ad in your local newspaper. Try these strategies for searching out the workers you want.

• Gen Xers
  Find tech-savvy young professionals by posting job listing online. Cast your net wide by using big job sites like www.monster.com, www.hotjobs.com and www.careerbuilder.com.
  
  If you have Gen Xers on the job already, ask if any of their peers are job seeking. Remember, in general Gen Xers are willing to change jobs in pursuit of better opportunities.
   
• Baby Boomers
  An AARP “Working In Retirement Survey” showed that 50 percent of working retirees say that their current work is entirely or fairly different from the job they had before they retired. So when you go searching for boomers, look outside as well as inside your industry.
  
  If you want to coax young retirees back into the workforce, place ads that offer part-time or short-term positions. AARP reports that 80 percent of baby boomers intend to work at least part-time during retirement.
   
• Seniors
  Offline, local newspaper advertising can draw job candidates. Also try posting job openings at senior centers.
  
  Online, turn to job boards that bring together older workers and employees. Check out these two: www.seniors4hire.org and www.experienceworks.org.
  
  Stay connected with any senior employees who retire. After a few months of full retirement, some may be willing to return to the job as temporary or part-time employees.