Remember when you were a kid and you dreamed about what you were going to be when you grew up? You couldn't wait to get just a little older so you could start your career as a movie star, an astronaut, or a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. You could spend hours fantasizing about how happy you'd be when going to work each day.

Fast forward to the present. As adults, many of us have bought into the notion that work is, well, work. Gone is the enthusiasm and excitement once associated with our work lives. But even though we don't don a baseball glove or space suit to go to work, our jobs should still be satisfying - and make us happy.

Employers bear much of the responsibility for keeping their workers happy, and many underestimate the importance of this simple rule. Dissatisfied employees are less productive than their happy counterparts and can poison the work environment. That is if they stick around: unhappy workers won't remain employees for long.

As human resources professionals, we haven't had to worry about employee retention for several years. Most people were grateful to have any job at all during this time. But don't be fooled: these same thankful employees have been keeping track of the issues that bug them - the piling on of additional work, false promises, invisible management, lack of recognition. And they will start looking for something better as soon as the economy improves. Once again, retention is surfacing as a hot issue.

Company leaders know that retention is important, but many implement strategies that don't work or that try to address the wrong problem, or they begin when it's too late. Gimmicks like foosball tables and complementary office chair massages don't easily sway employees. Although a nice back rub could make you forget about your tyrannical boss for a moment or two, it's just a distraction and, in the long run, isn't truly valuable.

Counteroffers are another old-school tactic for employers, but they are usually a complete waste of money. If you're countering an offer made by another company, most likely your employee has already mentally checked out of the job. Research shows that these people will eventually leave, most within a year. And if they do stay, they are generally faced with a hostile environment; their bosses think they're disloyal and co-workers resent them for making more money.

If money isn't the answer, then what is? Again and again, when employees are asked what would make them happy, they echo the same sentiments. They want recognition for a job well done. They want to feel like part of a team. They want to feel challenged and valued at work. And they would like their employer to acknowledge that there's more to life than work.

So how does this translate into making your workforce happy, and ultimately retaining your key talent? Many organizations find it difficult to believe that managers have the most direct influence on employee happiness, when in fact, they are the most important link in the workplace chain. This isn't about finding a scapegoat or assigning blame (firing the manager won't necessarily fix the problem). The organization needs to support managers in their efforts to keep the troops happy.

Take a look at how your company measures a manager's performance. Are managers evaluated as individual contributors, or as managers? Instead of just measuring the day-to-day tasks of the job, do you evaluate managerial skills as well? Do you look at the manager's turnover rate, or whether his or her team is productive? Is employee morale high? Or is this area a hot bed of employee relations issues? How many promotions has he or she given? How many people try to transfer out of this group? Does the manager have a succession plan for the team? If companies include these skills as part of a manager's performance review, with compensation dollars attached, it communicates to managers that using and developing these skills is important.

If managers are less than stellar in some of these areas, then the company must step in. Letting managers know that people skills are part of the job is only half the battle; the other half is supporting them in doing their jobs well. This isn't about sending managers off to a two-day seminar where they leave with a three-ring binder that sits on a shelf to collect dust. You can't expect organizational change to start from the middle down; it has to come from the top. No matter how senior the manager, he or she should be held to the same standard. Only then will a positive corporate culture emerge.

So, instead of hiring yet another employee relations person to act as a liaison between frustrated managers and disgruntled employees, invest that money wisely by developing your managers. This is the best way to ensure that your employees stay happy - and stay put. It is impossible for your organization to gain a foothold in this changing economy if too many of your resources - both financial and staff - are focused on hiring and training new workers. It's time to re-recruit the employees you have, if they are the ones you want to keep!

You might not be able to magically turn your employees into astronauts or baseball players, but you can foster an environment where they are excited about coming to work each day, and excited about the contribution they make.