When it comes to communicating with your young employees, text messaging is likely to come up, if for no other reason than the fact that you’ve likely got two or three employees who can’t stop texting while they work. Just how widespread is this form of communication with teenagers? The New York Times recently reported that American teenagers sent and received an average of 2,272 text messages per month.

With that kind of engagement (addiction even?), it’s no surprise marketers and parents are looking closely at texting behaviors, and as someone who works with Generation Y, you should know how to leverage this technology.

Here are two ways I have seen managers effectively employ text messaging when working with Millennials:

First, text can be useful for quick, simple communication.

When you have a single question that requires a brief answer, sending a text is often easier than a phone call. I have my phone on me almost all the time, and most of my friends are the same way. Whatever we’re doing, we can almost always find a little bit of time to respond to a text message. I’ve sent and received texts on dates, at baseball games, while driving, and in a variety of other situations where I would never accept a call from my  boss. (Note, however, that text is not a great way to request something like coming in on a day off, as it’s much too easy to ignore.)

I’ve seen a lot of managers who text occasionally to pass on new details, ask quick questions, or request quick favors. Anything along the lines of:

"Come in at 9 instead of 8 this morning."

"Where are the cover sheets for the TPS reports?"

"Can you re-send the budget e-mail? I can't find it."

You should be careful, however, that you don’t make it a habit to text me when I’m not working, unless it’s to inform me of a schedule change or something that is extremely urgent. (A) If you aren’t paying my cell phone bill, I don’t want to spend my limited texts working for free. (B) When I’m not at work, I’m not working, and it’s quickly going to cause our relationship to deteriorate if you keep intruding into my personal time.

In addition to sending texts when you have a question, I suggest making yourself available for the same sorts of questions via text, so that your employees can ask you their questions in a way that suits them. Whether it’s a question about scheduling or the location of a particular document or tool, I find it incredibly helpful to have a manger or boss make him or herself accessible for those kinds of questions via text. Do yourself a favor though - establish some guidelines so you aren’t getting 3 a.m. texts asking what time your opener works the next day.

Second, texts can be a great tool for providing recognition to employees.

So, it was a long, hard day, and everyone just walked out the door a bit angry, despite your best efforts to make things go smoothly. Maybe you just want them to know that you appreciate all the time and effort they put into their work.

Or maybe it was the kind of night that makes you glad you work with an incredibly talented team of young employees, and you want to show them a little recognition.

In either case, by sending a text message to your team, you have the opportunity to quickly, immediately, and effectively communicate your appreciation to them. By sending a text message maybe 10-15 minutes after they’ve left, you’ll be reaching most on their way home, and you’ll be letting them know that their contributions are valued. Sometimes, this little knowledge can be the difference between wanting to quit and wanting to do a better job.

Examples include:

"It was rough tonight, team - thanks for pulling through."

"Great close tonight! I appreciate all your efforts!"

I wouldn’t suggest doing this so often that it becomes expected or meaningless, but every once in a while, it’ll be a great way to let your team know you appreciate them, which is a great way to build a positive relationship with them.