Stock options and profit sharing also are popular. Many companies, says Kitty Egger, manager of Business Development for the Eastridge Group, now offer bonuses tied to the company's profitability. Such incentives make workers feel connected to the company. Incentives like profit-tied bonuses help workers, especially young ones, feel valued. And they also encourage that employee to stick with the job.
Egger also recommends that companies clearly describe promotion channels.
These workers need to be able to see the light at the end of their tunnel. Entry-level blues are nothing new, but Egger thinks Generation X suffers more than previous generations in dull jobs. First, she says, today's college career counselors present students with unrealistic expectations. Well, it doesn't work that way. Everyone starts at the bottom.