Employee Loyalty
Consider also the influx of employees representing Generation X and the fact that these highly educated and
technically skilled workers are in demand. Unlike members of prior generations, however, many "Xers" in
their 20s command near executive-level salaries. What's more, they are well aware of their market value and
as reported recently in a Fast Company cover story, they have unique requirements and are not afraid to
make bold and frequent career moves to meet them. This trend, coupled with decreased employer loyalty,
has resulted in job-hopping rates unseen even a decade ago. Indeed, the days of waiting for the gold watch
and easing into retirement are long gone. The sooner companies can face the fact that they've got to do
more to earn employee loyalty, the better they will be at recruiting and retaining the best and the brightest. In
fact, studies show that corporate and shareholder return on investment is directly related to employee
retention rates. Happy employees equal happy returns. The corporations named on Fortune's "100 Best
Companies to Work For" are very often those which outperform other companies in the market.