Employers and workforce professionals often focus on the labor market’s “weather” rather than its underlying “climate,” and risk falling behind. While hiring demand shifts with economic cycles, long-term demographic trends and labor force participation point to a sustained, “forever tight” labor market. Help Wanted argues that to stay competitive, employers must adopt an employee-centered strategy, elevate it alongside finance or marketing, and shift from viewing workers as a cost to investing in them as assets. This session offers practical tools, resources, and case studies to help employers rethink hiring, redesign jobs to attract and retain talent, navigate necessary change, and build effective partnerships. Workforce providers and funders will gain actionable insights to strengthen employer partnerships, support adoption of employee-centered strategies, and advance more effective hiring and retention practices.