This may come as a shock to those of you that worked your way up the old-fashioned way, but the one size-fits-all career ladder has run its course. Today’s knowledgeable worker is looking to begin a dialogue from Day One/Interview One about the options, avenues, and possibilities he can explore and experience during his tenure at your organization. In fact, the capacity of your leaders, human resource professionals, and recruiters to engage effectively in these conversations directly affects the length of time a top talent will spend with your company.

Organizations that want to attract and retain Xers and Millennials must be willing continuously to match their needs and evolving life circumstances. Many times it will include creating the flexibility for Xers and Millennials to move in and out of organizations or up and down hierarchies as life’s priorities and demands shift.

Gen Xer Andrea, a wealth adviser  expressed it this way, “I’m only loyal to this organization for the benefits. I have a young family and the benefits cover them. I could easily go anywhere that offered a competitive package. My husband is an entrepreneur so we are just waiting for his firm to take off and then I will too.”

Millenials enter into an organization willing and ready to leave at any time when they don’t feel like their employer is providing the appropriate career opportunities needed for them to stay engaged and excited, not bored but always stimulated. For Millennials, providing value is a two-way commitment. Millennials are not just signing on to a company saying, “The only value I expect is my paycheck.” They are telling their bosses, “I expect an experience that I am proud to be part of, and satisfied in having given my time and talent to.” If Millenials are not feeling opportunities are being presented, they are very likely to jump ship with no sense of guilt, shame, or having left their boss in the lurch.