Nearly half of 1,000 HR professionals report that retaining workers is their biggest concern regarding "the bottom-line profitability" of their company, according to a new survey by Express Personnel Services.

A growing economy and the retirement of Baby Boomers, the staffing firm reports, mean that companies are facing stiffer competition for top talent, and many employers are finding that their workforce "is slipping away" as a result.

When asked to identify the top critical concerns facing their company, 47 percent of HR professionals identified retention/turnover as their top concern. An additional 20 percent chose recruiting/hiring. Training was cited as the top concern by 19 percent of respondents, followed by teamwork/teambuilding (9 percent) and morale (5 percent).

"There is more to retention than offering competitive salaries, paid time off and insurance benefits," Robert A. Funk, founder and chairman of Express Personnel Services, said in a press release. "By building trust, providing regular feedback, conducting effective annual performance reviews and giving appropriate rewards, supervisors and managers can lead their employees to a greater sense of commitment, increasing customer service, profitability and productivity."

"Nurturing a committed and satisfied workforce will pay for itself many times over in higher employee retention, increased productivity and more satisfied customers, which, in turn, will drive companies to reach the next level," Funk said.