Dear Dr. Mimi:

I am shocked that my company has turnover, given this economy. We pay our younger employees well, and they still are leaving. Yes, we have high expectations, but not unreasonable ones. When we do exit interviews, we get standard answers like, “The new position is a better fit for me.” When I try to probe, I really don’t get anything tangible. I have even offered to match their new salaries, and that does not seem to matter. Where is the loyalty and commitment?

—Perplexed

Dear Perplexed:

You are dealing with a different generation of workers who have different expectations and career desires. Having done a tremendous amount of research and training with the various generations, we have learned that money isn’t as important as other elements in persuading this generation to remain part of your workforce and perform at a high level. Training, personal development, flexible hours, challenging work and feeling like part of a team are the keys to retention. When you hire and do performance reviews, consider asking your employees what is important for them on the job and what you can do to help them reach their goals. They are more likely to be candid at that stage than when they are leaving.

—Dr. Mimi