A CEO on our board came to a company event last year and commented with amazement at the range of ages she saw on our team. Nothing negative, she said, but given the industry's reputation, she was shocked to see so many older people at a tech company. Her company was much younger, and she wondered if ours was age diversity may be a factor in our success.

While many companies have faced recessions and layoffs, our company has reported record high employee retention, satisfaction, and growth. We've had zero turnover company-wide since 2018. Our shared cultural bond around collaboration and teamwork makes working together fun, and age diversity is certainly a part of that equation.

An organization filled with 20-somethings runs the same risk as one with only men or all women—they all look at situations from the same perspective and are less likely to see opportunities to innovate. CEOs who are struggling with employee retention it might be good to think about how to better draw and manage age diversity.

Connected: Diversity is broader than race and gender. This is the part of the puzzle that is often overlooked.

Hire for balance

Part of the reason I conduct the first round of interviews is to pre-filter candidates for someone qualified to do the job and whose unique perspective would be best. complete the team and overall company dynamics. Instead of imposing a bunch of uncomfortable rules on my leadership teams, I'm intentional about every hire and think about how to bring as many people as possible across age, gender, and every other diverse trait into the workforce. and between teams as much as I can. As a result, our team represents almost every type of diversity.

The secret sauce, however, is not diversity for diversity's sake—but hiring for it find a culture fit. I would never bring in an old person who thought the young were incompetent, nor a young person who thought the old were out of touch – both would be fighting on a different age team. Even when I try to hire age-diverse candidates, they also need to show a willingness to collaborate and be a team player. As long as we share a common goal, purpose and interest, that diversity benefits everyone. Use different recruitment channels to draw a wide age range of candidates and ensure that hiring managers consider the existing composition of the team and what level of experience would make them the best.

Hire for relationships

Twenty years ago, I hired fewer 50-year-olds to join me at my first startup than I have at my company today. At the time, my existing relationships were mostly with other 20- and 30-somethings, and I tended to hire people I already knew. Even then, I understood the power of strong relationships in business. Researchers have found that high-quality workplace relationships between leaders and their staff improved engagementand that leaders who prioritize employee relations are more successful.

Once we grew to a team of seven, all in their 40s and 50s, I became more intentional about getting small workers to apply to ensure a healthy balance. I tend to hire people who value culture over money, and they also end up being older with more experience. Younger workers may bring high energy and fill crucial entry-level roles, but they may have goals to earn higher compensation and advance their careers that may outweigh building strong ties in the country of work. People with more experience working in many different places tend to know what they like and don't like in a work environment. When we hire people who value culture and relationships, we often find people with more years of experience.

Hire for experience

When circumstances call for experience, hiring for experience matters. Early in my career, I hired two new developers, each at less than half the cost of a senior developer, and I learned that lesson quickly. While a new developer can be very complementary to a senior developer, two new developers are often not more effective than one experienced developer. Now, I know better and hire people based on the value they can create, not to save money. Add in the impact on culture and relationships and, when necessary, the experience is usually worth it.

Older and more experienced employees help mentor younger ones and help develop a sustainable talent pipeline. mentoring it's the biggest advantage age has on a team. Not many 20-year-olds have enough experience to be mentors, and a company full of young people has no one to learn from. When we hired my right-hand woman, Megan, we connected her with a wide range of mentors to support and develop her talent and raw energy. Now, 10 years later, she mentors new hires in their 20s, taking on her original role. Age diversity creates a team dynamic where older people help younger people, who then grow in their careers.

Connected: How to lead a multigenerational workforce into the new normal

Adjust along the way

To draw and hold a multi-generational workforce, we must be willing to customize activities, recognition and benefits to cater for it. Experienced workers may care more about health insurance, while new workers may prefer telecommuting options or flexibility. People with families may prefer more time off. My first company was mostly 20- and 30-somethings, and few of them were parents, so they liked high-energy events as a reward. Later, I learned that older workers wanted to see more family-friendly activities.

However, individual participation in rewards and recognition does not always depend on age. Some people enjoy giving and receiving public reviews through our Hey Taco peer rewards program, but others shy away from them. Engaging with our social events – trip to Las Vegas, a Mardi Gras mask making contest, turkeys; and newlywed-style peer game shows — perhaps driven more by their personalities than their age. As leaders, our best approach to engaging people of all ages is always to understand what they like and aim to cater to that unique set of needs.