Recruiters currently face some unprecedented demographics asthey search for the right candidates in today’s workforce. Three generations of Americans—millennials, Gen Xers and babyboomers—are now at near-parity when it comes to their share of thetalent pool.

In terms of total numbers, millennials (53.5 million workers)just pulled ahead of the pack in the first quarter of thisyear.

This came only four years after Gen Xers (52.7 million workers)rose to the top after decades of dominance by baby boomers (44.6million workers) (see the Pew Research Center report, “Millennials surpass Gen Xers as the largestgeneration in U.S. labor force, 2015”).

For recruiters, this means taking a more tailored approach asthey seek to attract and engage the best candidates from amultigenerational workforce.

Companies of all sizes must refine their recruiting strategies to ensure theyremain sensitive to the distinct priorities, needs, and desires ofeach demographic.

But what are the key differences between each generation?

#1: Find what motivates millennials, Gen Xers, and babyboomers

I’ve learned a lot during my time as head of ADP TotalSource,which co-employs with our client companies more than 380,000employees across all three generations.

For instance, millennials have social consciousness in theirsouls, making them more likely than members of other generations tocare about company ethics and opportunities to volunteer whenmaking career decisions.

Members of Gen X, meanwhile, focus more on developing a stablecareer with a well-defined path through an organization.

And baby boomers, who opt to delay retirement and remain in theworkforce, often have a desire to maintain organizational knowledgeand help mentor and transition younger workers. This mayinclude working part-time or consulting.

#2: Use job descriptions and social media posts witheach generation in mind

An organization’s recruiting strategies, social media presence, jobdescriptions, and branding should reflect and address thesedistinct multigenerational characteristics.

This approach will not only empower companies to demonstratetheir commitment to diverse hiring but also showcase their abilityto provide diverse opportunities for top talent while supportingtheir individual career goals and needs.

For example, baby boomers often focus on positions that offertraditional benefits, such as health care coverage and retirementplans. Companies seeking to hire candidates with decades ofexperience should ensure their job posts address the specificinterests of this generation of worker.

Millennials, however, may prefer niche job boards that focus ona specific field, position, or industry. They are also morelikely to engage with a company on social media by askingquestions, leaving comments, and liking posts.

This doesn’t mean boomers and Gen Xers aren’t readingprospective employers’ social media posts. It does, however,require companies to ensure their social content addresses allworkforce age groups while empowering HR staff to quickly respondto inquiries posted by job candidates via social channels.

#3: Optimize your site for mobile

Not surprisingly, millennials are also the most likely group tosearch for jobs on a mobile device.

This means that if an organization’s website isn’t optimized formobile, younger job candidates will likely abandon the site withouttaking action on current openings. Given the proliferation ofmobile devices, smart companies are taking a “mobile-first”approach to recruiting.

Organizations also should ensure their career sites and job appsoffer an intuitive user experience across all devices and operatingsystems to help them attract the most diverse talentpossible.

Recruiters also should consider implementing opt-in text messagejob alerts to help identify and engage increasingly mobilecandidates.

#4: Be aware of similarities

Despite these generational differences, recruiters would do wellto remember to address several similarities that remain across thegenerations. These similarities often center on interpersonalrelationships.

For example, mentoring relationships are important to bothmillennials and boomers. Baby boomers know they have a lot tocontribute, while 75 percent of millennials are interested inhaving a mentor, according to Urban Bound, "Understanding the Millennial Mindset,2015."

In addition, both millennials and Generation Xers wantrecognition for their passions and talents. However, a Gen Xermight prefer a raise as a reward for her performance while amillennial might seek a more nontraditional type ofrecognition.

Faced with the challenge of finding and engaging the bestcandidates within today’s multigenerational workforce, savvyrecruiters are highlighting these similarities to help them delivercompelling messaging across generational lines.

The best recruiting strategies strike a balance acrossgenerations to showcase a brand’s engaging work environment and thediverse career paths it offers to employees, all while building abetter workforce to drive business success.