Patricia is out sick, possibly all week, so she called in a friend to guest blog. Today's post is from Poornima Apte, Editor of GIFT SHOP magazine.

I tuned in to NPR recently to listen to a fascinating discussion about life in the workplace with Gen Y—20 somethings—the babies of the baby boomers.

The article (it ran in Fortune magazine) that inspired the program states,

"They're ambitious, they're demanding and they question everything, so if there isn't a good reason for that long commute or late night, don't expect them to do it. When it comes to loyalty, the companies they work for are last on their list - behind their families, their friends, their communities, their co-workers and, of course, themselves.

But there are a whole lot of them. And as the baby-boomers begin to retire, triggering a ballyhooed worker shortage, businesses are realizing that they may have no choice but to accommodate these curious Gen Y creatures."

Are you a boomer yourself? Or even a Gen Xer? Do you know what it takes to keep your talented Gen Y employees loyal? What happens when the rules of the workplace get rewritten with every generation?

As a retailer, you know the key to thrive in the business is to change with the changing demands of your staff. What are you doing in your store to keep your multi-tasking, furiously ambitious Gen Yer engaged and happy?

—Poornima Apte
GIFT SHOP Magazine