Introduction

Becoming an employer of choice is no longer only or predominantly a concern of the private sector. It has long been anticipated that demographic changes, resulting in a shrinking workforce, will lead most OECD countries to experience personnel gaps and staff shortages in the public sector (OECD, n.d.; Vandenabeele et al., 2004, p. 319). In light of a wave of baby boomers who are due to retire in the coming years, personnel issues are a ubiquitous challenge.