The key to recruiting and retaining employees is knowing what they want--and giving it to them. The idea sounds simple, but the task is not easy considering that the four generations represented in today's work force each have different wants and needs in their jobs and work environments, according to Linda Duxbury, who conducted a survey of 34,000 Canadian workers--the most extensive work force survey done in North America.

Employers "need to understand key generational differences to both attract and keep good employees," says Duxbury, a professor at Carelton University's School of Business in Ottawa. Duxbury presented her findings to the FPE/AFT Recruitment and Retention Task Force in March.

The task force was meeting to finalize recommendations on what public sector employers need to do to attract and retain a qualified work force in the shrinking labor market. The task force's recommendations will be presented to AFT convention delegates in July.

Specifically, Duxbury says, private and public sector employers need to understand what employees want from a job, what employees want from their boss and what they will do if their organization or their boss "does not deliver."

She says the work values of the GI Generation, people born during World War II, include loyalty, dependability, persistence, and wisdom and experience over technical knowledge.

The Baby Boom Generation, on the other hand, which is made up of people born from 1947 to 1972, are often workaholics who accept stress as part of the job. They value titles and status symbols--and demand respect and sacrifice from subordinates. But they also value on-the-job training with shadowing.

Then there is the Baby Bust Generation, or Generation X, which includes people who were born from 1968 to 1980. Gen-Xers place more importance on career advancement than personal life, and they are dedicated to goal achievement. They are looking for sincerity and truth from their bosses. Duxbury says this group also is characterized by feelings that unions protect nonperformers.

Lastly, the Echo Boomers, or Generation Y, which consists of people who were born from 1980 to 1995, want a balance between work and personal life--meaning they also want flexible work environments and benefits. They value independence and autonomy and are distrustful of hierarchy and authority.

Duxbury also says it is hard to address retention in a workplace that has been downsized, rightsized or restructured because such events create a climate of distrust among employees whose sense of job security lowers as they are spending more time doing their jobs. All of which leads to decreased productivity and morale, she says.

The task force's preliminary report, The Quiet Crisis: Recruitment and Retention in the Public Sector, released last summer, is available online at: .