Recently, I was approached by a representative of a major American corporation who wondered if I would serve on an advisory board. It seems his employer is encountering a problem with its youngest employees. In fact, a slew of problems lackadaisical work ethic, limited teamwork and, worst of all, poor retention. The representative explained that the company is exploring a major revamp of its retirement benefits to address the retention problem, but it suspects there might be other, more immediate, steps to take. I think that is a well-founded suspicion.
    Beefed up retirement benefits as well as other along-the-way economic incentives can undoubtedly be an effective way to retain young workers or at least some of them. But economic issues don’t lie at the center of the problem with young workers, and , throwing more money at them is not likely to produce a dramatic turnaround. At least as much attention should be given to structural workplace issues which create a wrong-way rub between employers and young workers.
    For starters, employers ought to rethink their recruiting messages. Glossy brochures, fancy Websites and promotional pitches that glorify the company are the worst way to approach a generation that has experienced more hype and hard-sell tactics than any that has gone before it. Recognized as a "niche market" from early childhood on, they have taken a commercial shellacking throughout their young lives. The result: a cynical veneer. Instead of far-reaching hyperbole, it would be better to follow the immortal instructions of Sergeant Friday: "Just the facts." Good and bad. Tell it like it is. Straight talk is a more winning strategy with this generation.
    Another hallmark of Generation X has been their relationship with television. Their parents set them in front of the tube as a form of child care. It’s not at all uncommon for them to have spent more time with their television sets than with their parents. They were brought up with fast-moving images and, when the images didn’t move fast enough, control of the clicker. Not only did they have programs targeted just to them, they had whole networks aiming exclusively for their attention. The "product" that worked best, typified by MTV, is rapid-fire, ever-changing short segments. As a result, keeping boredom at bay has become a major aim of Generation X.
    Work necessarily involves repetition and routine. But savvy employers know that it is in their best interest to provide occasional diversions for their workers. Intermittent assigned duties that wander outside the normal boundaries of a job can regenerate energy and interest. That's a pretty good recipe for increased productivity.
    A systematic way of doing this is to assess and maintain an inventory of the skills that workers possess, even those that are of little or no use in daily job performance. Knowing who can do what is a good starting point for supervisors, enabling them to keep an eye out for uncommon and reinvigorating uses of their workers. A good amateur photographer who happens to be employed making widgets could be asked to take a few photos of the widget-making process for the company newsletter. Everyone prospers.
    Schemes that involve rotating assignments are yet another way to handle the propensity Xers have for change and variety. Some employers have understandable concerns about this, fearing employees wouldn't spend enough time at any particular assignment to make a worthy contribution. But it can be controlled Rotation doesn’t have to happen on a monthly basis, but perhaps it could be available as an annual option. It’s worth considering because it provides restless employees with an in-house way to experience change. Lacking that, they may choose to change employers.
    Generation Xers also crave personal attention, possibly because of lack of it in their younger years. This need can be addressed by adopting mentoring programs that assign veteran workers to novices as a means of showing them the ropes and giving them a non-supervisory person to turn to. Such steps would need to incorporate training for the mentors so that their role is clearly understood and not confused with supervision. An effective mentor would have an easy, informal relationship with a younger worker, simply being available as an off-the-record source of information about workplace practices.
    Reaching a bit further, companies might begin to consider advancement opportunities. Usually, these involve increased supervisory responsibilities. That's how you move up. Certainly, some Xers are just as well-suited to these duties as anyone, but many are not. Think about it. Xers are noted for their penchant for non-conformity, independence and cynicism. Does this sound like good supervisory material? No. But that does not mean that a company prospers by letting otherwise talented workers slip away. It’s wiser to find a way for them to advance that builds on their strengths and minimizes the importance of their weaknesses.
    None of these steps are sure-fire solutions to current difficulties, but each moves in the right direction, providing a logical response to well-documented reality. That's a start.

Neil Murray is director of career services at UCSD.