On November 5, 2025, the Age-Friendly Institute concluded its 2025 workshop series with an in-depth exploration of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) focused on age and multigenerational belonging. The session featured a keynote presentation and panel discussion with leaders from organizations successfully implementing age-focused ERG programs.
Workshop Highlights
Current State of Age-Focused ERGs
Opening poll results revealed that 50% of participating organizations already have active age-focused or multigenerational ERGs, demonstrating growing momentum in this often-overlooked dimension of diversity. Top priorities identified by members included:
- Reducing age-related bias and stereotypes
- Fostering mentorship across generations
- Supporting career development at all life stages
- Developing relevant programming that attracts participation across age groups
The Business Case for Age-Focused ERGs
Dennis Fitzgerald from the Age-Friendly Institute emphasized that organizations with strong intergenerational programs report:
- 25% higher innovation scores
- Reduced turnover across all age groups
- More robust succession planning and knowledge transfer
- 40% increase in employees feeling valued regarding their career stage
As Dennis noted: “An age-focused ERG is the only ERG where everyone is both a current stakeholder and a future beneficiary.”
Building a Successful Age-Focused ERG: A Roadmap
Step 1: Secure Executive Sponsorship with Teeth
- Find a C-suite champion who understands strategic value
- Connect ERG work to business priorities: talent retention, knowledge transfer, innovation, succession planning
- Ensure your sponsor has budget authority – ERGs running solely on volunteerism typically burn out within 18 months
Step 2: Conduct a Listening Tour
- Deploy anonymous surveys about age-related workplace experiences
- Hold listening sessions across all generations
- Uncover surprising insights (younger employees may feel excluded from leadership opportunities; experienced workers may feel invisible to innovation discussions)
Step 3: Define Your Charter
Your charter should answer three key questions:
- Mission: Emphasize intergenerational collaboration and career stage support
- Membership: Keep it open to anyone who cares about creating an age-friendly workplace
- Success metrics: Track engagement, participation, retention rates, and satisfaction scores from day one
Step 4: Build a Diverse Leadership Team
- Consider co-chairs from different career stages
- Establish working groups for different priorities
- Distribute leadership to prevent burnout
Five Best Practices for Success
1. Lead with Reverse Mentoring and Skills Exchange
- Create mutual mentoring programs where knowledge flows both directions
- Host “skill swap” sessions (e.g., Gen Z teaches social media while experienced colleagues lead workshops on executive presence)
2. Create Programming for Career Stages, Not Birth Years
- Avoid generation-specific events (no “Millennials lunch” or “Boomers happy hour”)
- Focus on career moments: first leadership role, career pivots, caregiving while working, phased retirement
3. Address Ageism Head-On
- Create brave spaces to discuss experiences
- Partner with HR to analyze data by age
- Balance hard conversations with positive storytelling
4. Integrate with Business Strategy Position your ERG as a strategic partner in succession planning, innovation, talent acquisition, product development, and change management
5. Build External Connections Network with other age-focused ERGs, attend conferences, and connect with organizations like the Age-Friendly Institute
Real-World Success Stories
Bristol-Myers Squibb: CLIMB (Cultivating Leadership and Innovation in Multigenerational Belonging)
Derek Kane shared how CLIMB evolved from a millennial-focused group to a multigenerational program serving over 5,000 members across 50 global chapters.
Most Successful Program: CLIMB Elevate – an annual volunteer-led learning series where employees of all ages share expertise on business topics, hobbies, and skills. Over 5,000 participants engaged this year, with even VPs volunteering to teach.
Key Innovation: Mutual mentoring program using AI (ChatGPT) to pair 200 participants based on interests, goals, and cross-generational/cross-location matching.
Highmark Health: Seasoned
Lisa Fennessy described Seasoned, a Business Resource Group for employees 55+ (and those with significant career experience) approaching its third anniversary with over 300 members.
Most Successful Program: Seasoned Employees Week – a week-long celebration in September featuring daily programming around four pillars: affinity, recruit/retain, community engagement, and wellness.
Standout Session: “Mentally Preparing for Retirement” in partnership with their mental wellness group, addressing not just financial readiness but life purpose and engagement.
Looking Ahead: Age-Friendly Institute Updates
Transition and 20th Anniversary
The Age-Friendly Institute is preparing to celebrate 20 years of impact in 2026 with an exciting transition to nonprofit status, ensuring the continuation of its mission to bring age-friendly practices to employers globally.
2025 Achievements
- Certified 63 new employers
- Expanded globally (Spain, Brazil, Colombia)
- Launched New Jersey partnership: $100,000 grant to certify employers and provide age bias training
2026 Virtual Workshop Topics
Based on member input, the 2026 workshop schedule will include highly requested topics around ERGs, multigenerational workplace strategies, and age-friendly employer practices. Registration information will be shared soon.
Key Takeaway
As we experience the most age-diverse workforce in human history with five generations working side-by-side, age-focused ERGs aren’t “nice-to-haves” – they’re essential tools for navigating complexity, harnessing the full potential of age diversity, and creating genuine intergenerational connections that drive business value.