Small business owners need highly skilled employees but finding them isn’t always easy, according to a recent survey by Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI). Sixty percent of small business owners said the biggest challenge in hiring or managing staff is finding skilled professionals for the job, and 19 percent cited maintaining employee morale and productivity as their chief concern.

“Large corporations often have established brand recognition and larger human resources budgets, which can provide an advantage when attracting talent,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director with Robert Half. “But small businesses may appeal to professionals who want to acquire a variety of experiences and move up quickly. These companies can level the playing field in their recruiting efforts by highlighting what makes their cultures unique and emphasizing opportunities for skills development.”

Small business owners and managers were asked, “Which one of the following is your company's greatest challenge when it comes to hiring and managing staff? Their responses:

• Finding skilled workers: 60 percent
•  Maintaining employee morale and productivity: 19 percent
•  Managing difficult employees: 8 percent
•  Retaining staff: 7 percent
•  Something else: 6 percent

Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half, suggests small business owners enhance their recruiting efforts and position themselves as employers of choice by making the company stand out, having an accurate job description, networking and working with recruiters.

The survey is based on interviews with more than 300 small business owners and managers from companies with fewer than 100 employees in the United States.