Today's workforce spans four generations, each with its own characteristics, work styles, and motivators. So if you are treating a 50-year-old claim manager the same as his 23-year-old employees and everyone in between, then your work environment could be a loss waiting to happen.

It's true that the claim industry typically experiences more turnover than other disciplines, but that isn't an excuse to put retention strategies on the backburner. If your employees are leaving, then it's probably not because they “can't rough it in the world of claims.” Chances are, they are taking similar roles with similar companies. The only difference is that the new companies are able to understand and meet their needs. In today's difficult economy, retaining quality employees from all generations is more important than ever.

Each generation currently in the workforce — the Traditionalists, the Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials — has unique attributes that make it a vital component to your organization's make-up and future success. Neglecting to incorporate members of each generation into your human capital strategy will put you behind the competition. Even worse, you'll miss out on a variety of skills and talents. Creating an environment that speaks to all four generations is advantageous and not as difficult as you might think. The first step is about understanding what each generation has to offer and uncovering ways to pull the generations together.