More than 40 million American workers are in their twenties or early thirties. To stereotype these workers is dangerous, but managers need to understand what motivates younger employees. Here are four ways managers can get through to "Gen X" employees, and motivate them to work hard:

Help them "train for another job." It sounds ridiculous, but younger employees realize that the old "employment contract" is no more. They know they won't stay with one company for their entire career. So, ironically, the way to keep them is to help them acquire skills that will make them more marketable later on. The more they can learn, the more they'll want to stick around.

Give them responsibility for projects. Younger workers have more of an independent spirit than Baby Boomers or older workers. Rather than mistake this quality for a liability-e.g., a refusal to stick to procedures-treat it as an asset. Give them clearly defined goals-and the freedom to achieve them in their own way.

Offer constant informal feedback rather than periodic performance reviews. Younger workers expect a lot of feedback from managers. Formal, sporadic performance reviews are not timely enough to keep up with the rapid pace younger employees work best at.

Offer them access to many different kinds of information. Younger workers grew up in the computer age, and are quite adept at using different data and technology to bring together seemingly unrelated elements and solve a problem.

-Adapted from HR Focus, American Management Association

Deserved or unfair, Generation X has a reputation for a lack of commitment to employers. But you can build a bond of trust and loyalty that will help them stay with your organization by offering your Gen X new hires this helpful career guidance:

Learn. Put as much energy as you can into gaining new skills before the ones you have become obsolete.

Be unselfish. Think in terms of what you have to offer people and organizations, not about what they can do for you.

Add value. Use your specialized knowledge and skills to help your coworkers and employers.

Embrace change. Be willing to reinvent yourself and your job in whatever organization you work for.

Take care of yourself. Make a priority of your physical and mental health no matter what you do or where you work.

-Adapted from "Share this advice with your new hires," on the Rainmaker Thinking Web site

Following are several insights for managing this new generation of workers:

Provide the larger context for work. When they're not worried about getting a job, workers in this generation would like to have a job that gives their life meaning. Explain the mission and purpose of your company, and how the employee's job fits into the overall goals of the organization. If not engaged on the job, they'll seek excitement when the workday is over and be eager to get out the door each day to that part of their life.

Gear work to action, not talk. This generation has a low tolerance for talking about work and would rather "just do it." They prefer action over talk, facts over meanings, results over process and accountability over excuses.

Focus on results, not rules. They know how to get the job done. This generation takes special pride in what they picked up on their own. Make it clear what results you are after and then leave them alone to do the job as they see fit, with the expectation of open communication in which any employee can ask, if he or she needs information, help, support or resources to get the job done.

Take time and listen; don't lecture. They may not want to be micro-managed, but the have a strong craving for their manager's approval. Take time to listen to them. The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen.

Recognize and appreciate whenever possible. Although all employees have a need to be appreciated, for this group the need is particularly acute. They are not driven from within and need reinforcement. Make sure you recognize and reward the results you get in a timely, specific way.

Encourage skill development, not loyalty. This generation constantly wants to learn new skills, both to keep the job exciting and challenging as well as to increase their marketability. Managers can motivate employees by pointing out how an assignment can make them more marketable and how it builds their resume.

Promote new responsibilities, not promotions. As job promotions are harder to come by during times of downsizing, new responsibilities or job rotations are the next best thing to providing the needed change of pace that keeps this generation engaged. They like job swapping; they think it's great fun.

Make work fun, not routine. This generation wants to have fun-at work, if at all possible, otherwise they'll focus on that activity when they're not on the job. So loosen up, and try some new activities to help keep things exciting. Try giving employees an occasional afternoon off for sporting activities, or arranging humorous office events and competitions. It will improve morale and increase productivity.

All in all, the challenge of managing Generation X is to challenge them - to engage them with new tasks, problems and skills - and recognize and reward them.

-Adapted from Human Resource Professional