The day will soon be here when a job offer may hinge on a Tweet. As baby boomers retire, companies must hire and retain younger employees. People 28 and younger connect through social networks. Forward-thinking recruiters have begun to use Facebook, MySpace, You-Tube and Twitter to attract young workers.

Research by Ben Rosen, the Robert March and Mildred Borden Hanes Professor of organizational behavior at UNC Kenan-Flagler, may surprise those who do not yet use these new tools. Rosen analyzed results of a recent survey on what employees expect from a future employer and how they learn more about companies that appeal to them.

"If you have a generation that has cut their teeth on technology, and you don’t use that technology to reach out to them, you might be losing your competitive advantage," Rosen said.

Rosen’s online survey sent in spring 2009 to a random sample of 2,800 UNC Kenan-Flagler alumni from selected graduating classes from 1980 to 2009 followed a much bigger study that he did in 2008. That research into work styles, attitudes and priorities of the three generations revealed points of friction among baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y (also known as millenials) who must work together. For instance, Gen Y thought their bosses (often baby boomers) were too consumed with work and would skew Gen Y’s work-life balance. Gen X resented picking up the slack for Gen Y workers who feel entitled to set boundaries on work that preserve work-life balance. Baby boomers thought Gen Y hid behind text messages and instant messaging to avoid tough discussions face to face. Their differing attitudes and priorities caused tension among the generations and sometimes disrupted how smoothly the organization functioned.

The follow-up survey to alumni explored what the three generations value in an employer and how they find that information. Mounting evidence suggests that Gen Y will not stay in a job if it doesn’t meet their expectations. Rosen’s findings may help companies recruit and retain top young talent.

"When our economy was expanding, so many organizations just could not hire enough junior people or hold onto them long enough," Rosen said. "Many companies were really scrambling to fill their entry-level positions with those who had the right skills. As we come out of the recession, organizations will need to staff up again."

When baby boomers began their careers, the implied "contract" between employer and employee was that the company would bring new hires into entry-level positions, train them, rotate them through jobs, promote them and give them secure jobs. The company was loyal to an employee, and, in turn, the employee was loyal to the company and made a career there.

Now, with a changing economy, downsizing, mergers and buyouts, companies can no longer offer job security. Employees, facing the realities of today’s workplace, don’t feel bound to stay with an organization if something more to their liking comes along. In this "free agent" job market, companies have to work harder to attract and keep good people.

"Companies might wish for greater commitment and loyalty from their employees," Rosen said, "but companies are coming to grips with the fact that what they wish for isn’t going to happen."

Companies especially want to attract Gen Y and women of all ages suited for management positions. The number of women in the workplace has gone through peaks and valleys over the years. At first, positions as managers weren’t open to women. After the glass ceiling cracked, women got disillusioned with positions that didn’t allow them to balance work and family. Women concluded they’d be better off working for themselves. As some companies begin showing greater social responsibility, women are being drawn back into corporations.

Surprisingly, Rosen’s survey revealed that when asked "What do you want from a job?" all three generations listed the same five or six priorities. These include interesting and challenging work, a competitive salary and opportunities for advancement. Gen Y rated the importance of a good social environment and chances to travel and work outside the United States higher than boomers and Gen X did. Gen X cared most about interesting and challenging work and opportunities for advancement. Baby boomers wanted health and other benefits.

Understanding how Gen Y gathers and digests information may be key to attracting them. Companies that continue to communicate with potential job applicants through printed materials and formal interviews may not be getting through to Gen X and Gen Y.

Rosen found that Gen Y, in particular, used company Web sites, blogs and social networking sites to assess opportunities for advancement and to find a job with interesting and challenging work. Similarly, Gen Y was more likely to rely on blogs and social networking sites to learn about an organization’s social environment and co-workers. Gen Y was the most skeptical of formal interviews, leery that they were being fed the "party line" on issues of ethics, social responsibility and diversity. All three generations greatly valued the chance to exchange e-mail with current employees about the nature of the work.

In light of his findings, Rosen suggests that recruiters might highlight travel opportunities and a fun social environment through videos of current employee testimonials. These also could be posted on the company’s Web site. During formal interviews, prospective employees could be given e-mail addresses of current employees willing to talk about positive experiences of international job assignments and sociable co-workers. Organizations eager to get their message out to Gen Y may need to expand their recruiting strategies to increase their electronic presence, Rosen said, and make the most of Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter.

"Though Gen Y might make up 20 percent of the workforce today, in five years they might be 50 percent of the workforce," Rosen said. "Organizations willing to use the most effective outreach media should be well-positioned to win the war for talent in the years ahead."