Celebrating global recognition for Challenge Factory’s leadership in building intergenerational, future-ready workplaces.

We’re proud to share that Challenge Factory’s CEO, Lisa Taylor, has contributed a chapter to The Oxford Handbook of Intergenerational Connections, published by Oxford University Press. This milestone underscores how our insights about workforce planning are shaping conversations at the highest levels of global research and practice.

Lisa’s chapter, Shaping the Future of Work—Intergenerational Growing Pains and Gains in Canada’s Workplaces, co-authored with Emily Schmidt, makes a compelling case: intergenerational strategies aren’t optional. They’re essential for organizational growth and agility.

Why this matters for today’s leaders

Most organizations design talent strategies around younger employees, investing heavily in early- and mid-career pipelines. But Challenge Factory’s Broken Talent Escalator® model shows the risk of this one-sided approach:

• When older employees are left out of career conversations, disengagement rises.
• Younger workers see how their older peers are treated, and plan their exit.
• Recruitment costs soar while culture and productivity decline.

The bottom line: Workforces operate as systems. Ignoring one generation weakens them all. Intergenerational fairness isn’t just a social good; it’s a business imperative.

Case studies from Canada’s workplaces

The chapter brings these insights to life through case studies from across sectors:

• Canada Free Agents Program: A federal initiative that re-engages late-career public servants through flexible, skill-based assignments.
• Centre for Social Innovation’s Community Animator Program: A social-purpose experiment that fosters collaboration between younger and older workers in transition.
• Vancity Credit Union’s Employee Resource Programs: Identity-based groups that, while not explicitly age-focused, strengthen intergenerational workplace culture.

Together, these examples prove that organizations can design programs that unlock the value of intergenerational teams, but only if they recognize ageism as a real barrier.

Meet the author

Lisa Taylor, Founder and CEO of Challenge Factory, is the author of five productivity-focused books, including The Talent Revolution: Longevity and the Future of Work. A global thought leader and keynote speaker, she bridges the gap between tech and talent revolutions in workplaces through innovative careers design and intergenerational workforce strategy. She’s a WXN 2022 Top 100 Most Powerful Woman and an Associate Fellow at Canada’s National Institute on Ageing.

Recognition on a global stage

When Oxford University Press set out to explore intergenerational connections in the workplace, they turned to us.

Lisa’s chapter highlights how Canadian lessons resonate internationally and demonstrates that our approaches our approaches move beyond theory, serving as practical tools that shape how researchers, policymakers, and organizations worldwide build future-ready workplaces.

We’re also proud to share this space with colleagues and friends whose work is featured in other chapters of the handbook. Together, these contributions underscore a powerful truth: intergenerational workplaces are essential for gaining a competitive advantage in the Future of Work.

Looking ahead

Lisa’s chapter closes with a call to action: Canada is at a threshold moment. Policymakers are beginning to embed intergenerational perspectives into national frameworks, but too many workplaces are still lagging behind. Now is the time for leaders to move past age-based assumptions and design strategies that truly engage employees at every career stage.

At Challenge Factory, we help organizations do just that, turning research into practice and insight into measurable workforce architectures that drive impact.

Read the chapter

You can read Lisa Taylor’s chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Intergenerational Connections here: Oxford University Press – Chapter Abstract and Access.

And if you’re ready to explore how intergenerational strategies can unlock hidden talent and strengthen your own workforce, let’s talk.