I picked up a copy the other day of the book The Trophy Kids Grow Up, how the millennial generation is shaking up the workplace, by Ron Alsop, editor of Workforce Management.

Alsop has certainly done his homework and has written one of the best explanations I’ve read so far about what makes the remarkably talented millennials tick.

The first wave of the Millennial Generation—born between 1980 and 2001—is entering the work force, and employers are facing some of the biggest management challenges they’ve ever encountered. They are trying to integrate the most demanding and most coddled generation in history into a workplace shaped by the driven baby-boom generation.

His book provides a rich portrait of this generation, told through the eyes of millennials themselves and from the perspectives of their parents, educators, psychologists, recruiters, and corporate managers.

Helicopter parents are hovering nearby

As a mother of two millennial daughters just entering the workforce I was particularly interested to read the sections on “helicopter parents” – parents who’ve become highly involved career counselors for their lavishly praised, pride and joy trophy kids. (I hate to admit that I fit that description even though the helicopter moniker has taken on a negative connotation and many parents prefer to view themselves as simply concerned and supportive rather than meddling and over-involved.)

For employers, corporate recruiters and managers, and educators looking to understand this generation, The Trophy Kids Grow Up provides the definitive guide to attracting, recruiting and retaining talent. It also illustrates what companies can expect from their new hires and provides valuable lessons about how some employers are changing tactics to recruit and retain millennials in the Internet age.

What is your company doing to attract millennials … and once you’ve hired them, what are you doing to manage them effectively and keep them motivated?