"Getting rid of  your  best people is a losing strategy," says George Whalin, the founder of Retail Management
Consultants in Carlsbad, Calif. "There's noth­ing worse than short-staffing dur­ing the holidays." Whalin points to electronics chain Circuit City
Stores, which laid off 3,400 work­ers before Christmas and paid the price. Holiday sales suffered, and Circuit City shares hit a 52-week low in the days after Christmas, falling from $22.00 at the begin­ning of the year to $4.15.
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 A shortage of skilled and talented workers has become the most pressing concern among employ­ers,   overtaking the   perennial leading problem - rising health care costs. This according to the 14th annual Top Five Total Rewards Priorities survey conducted
by Deloitte Consulting LLP (Deloitte) and the International Society of Certified Employee Ben­efit Specialists
(ISCEBS). Nearly
three-quarters  of the 413 U.S human resources   professionals
surveyed cited talent as their top
concern. A full copy of the report
is available at www.Deloitte.com