How to attract, motivate and retain the best Gen X workers?

Direct access to decision makers is very important to the younger workforce. Take time to speak with an employee’s spouse or family when you meet them and let them know you appreciate the employee.

Remember, Generation X employees look for more than just fair pay: they need and want personal acknowledgment and job satisfaction.

Through Appreciative Inquiry, a positive large-scale change approach, employees at all levels share best practices, best stories, and speed up change throughout the company. The organization utilizes various communication tools to share the breakthrough ideas and best practices for all to use.

Have an open work environment; encourage initiative and welcome new ideas. This generation enjoys having fun at work. Don’t be afraid to try something new every now and then. For example hotel tradition calls for employees at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington, Kentucky to wrap a 12-pound frozen turkey with electrical tape.

Then they roll it 50 feet down the loading dock toward the human resource office and try to turn over as many wine bottle “bowling pins” as possible. Winners get a pumpkin pie.

Traditional organizations lose valuable younger employees because of their longevity based recognition and promotion systems. Recognize an employee who has done an outstanding job by giving an unexpected reward, such as a day off or a free dinner for the employee and his family at a nice restaurant.

Manage people individually and promote outstanding individuals even if it means ahead of older or more senior employees. The employee who deserves a promotion and does not get it will start looking elsewhere for a better opportunity to move upward.

Manager should engage employee and make sure that the employee's skills are effectively utilized. Give him an opportunity to learn new things and help him grow in his career path.

Renne

I believe employees donot leave organisation but their immediate bosses.But you need to adopt different strategies for different set op people.For freshers you need to show carrots i.e. reasonable pay (atleast what the peer group is getting)and a plan of growth....For people,post their marriage, look for stability in job and good working environment...

Gen X is too lazy to approach you. If you will wait for them to do it, some smart ass from competitive company will approach them first. 

If employees perceive the management approach of considering them as partners in progress, there are better chances that employees will stick around and work with zeal.

Form good teams that grow, and help them grow together. Ensure ongoing training that fits org. and personal and team needs. Follow the entrepreneur/agile pattern in encouraging generalizing-specialists who are extending their capability to better mesh into the team. Good team bond comes with good relationships, and welds the team.

Dear Renne,I really appreciate your views,it is very important to retain the new employee as it is asset to the firm.otherwise it the firm has to invest more for hiring new employee and training them.

Employee wants a secure job. Nobody wants to work under any threat or in any insecure place. Hence these factors are important to keep in mind for retaining the valuable employees.

Care employee genuinely as person. They should be treated fairly and friendly way. Provide them some work advantages (flexi work hours, work from home) etc. Extend a helping hand for employee’s personal problem or at least be sympathetic to their personal problem.

Promote a healthy environment. Make sure that the employee has friends at work place and not be aloof or alone. Carry out some team building activities to strengthen the team bonding.

attract them with good pay packets,work culture, respect individuals, engage them properly, value them time to time, so that they should feel that they really required. gen x is very critical you have to take care properly to motivate and retain them. there is plenty of opportunities for them and competitive market for employers.