How will students graduating at the start of the next century shape the American workplace? A survey of the first graduating class of the new millennium by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shows that tomorrow's employees will have drastically different characteristics from Generation Xers. This means that in just two years' time, employers will have to adopt very different management styles to welcome the new breed.

Clearly, Gen 2001 students see themselves as a privileged group. They cite technology as their biggest advantage, followed by better career opportunities and more educational resources. These future employees tend to hold traditional values dear because they have a perspective on three consecutive generations and have more trust in their grandparents and parents than do Generation Xers.

For example, they strongly believe in working hard to pay their dues. On the other hand, because family values are particularly important to them, they also want to have more flexible work schedules to spend time with their families.

Deanna Tillisch, director of the study, says the class of 2001 is a multifaceted group and employers should provide them with even more flexibility than Generation Xers. "Lifelong education is real important to them. As an employer, you want to provide challenging opportunities to them," she says.

Though employers can assume that the new entrants to the workforce will exhibit more loyalty than their predecessors, they also must bear in mind that career opportunities will be much greater for these young people. Recruitment will thus be a very tough job for employers, notes Tillisch.