49 - Dos and Dont's of Employee Resource Groups

Today, we’re doing a deep dive into a DEI initiative that has rapidly grown in popularity over the last few years – and that’s employee resource groups, otherwise known as ERGs. They’ll be talking about how ERGs work and the importance of purpose; the challenges and opportunities; and the different responsibilities of leadership and teams in establishing, executing, and supporting ERGs. 

 

 

IN THIS EPISODE:

 

[01.43] Introductions to our Blended panellists.  

·       Lola – Founder of EQImindset and Immigrants in Corporate (IIC)

·       Sherica – CEO at Polished Consulting

·       Bart – Strategic Advisor for Supply Chain

·       Jennifer – International Speaker, Journalist and Author

 

[10.12] The group explore the basics of ERGs: what they are, how they work, their purpose, and the benefits and opportunities to be found.   

·       Psychological safety

·       Authenticity

·       Evolution of ERGs

·       Community

·       Connection

·       Acceptance

·       Shared values

·       Judgment-free zones

·       Intent vs reality

·       Affinity

·       Goals and purpose

o   Employee insight

o   Employee experience

o   Hiring

o   Retention

o   Sustainability  

·       Intersectionality

·       Is there such thing as too many ERGs?

·       Benefits and opportunities

·       Post-pandemic mindset changes

·       Engagement/disengagement with work

·       The great resignation

·       Alignment

·       Burnout

·       Fostering meaning outside of work

·       Shared culture and passions

 

“It’s a group of people with a shared interest; like minded people who can come and have a sense of community, be seen and heard, and be their authentic selves.” Sherica

“The two words for me are: ‘organized’ and ‘goal’… Whatever organizations decide to call them, ERGs are organized groups with a goal, a purpose. And that might evolve over time.” Lola

“You almost have to have ERGs now in order to do business… And you’re not going to be able to attract the best talent without it.” Bart

“ERGs give people an idea of values and fit inside of an organization. And if you look at the root causes of burnout, values mismatch is one of them – that people don’t feel connected, and have a lack of meaning in their work.” Jennifer

 

[25.22] The panel discuss the roles and responsibilities of leaders and teams in establishing, running, and supporting ERGs, and where the balance lies.  

·       Creating the right culture

·       Embedding into mission, vision and values

·       Sponsors/champions:

o   Executive level visibility and influence

o   Securing budget

o   Holding organization to account

o   Support

o   Permission

·       Employees – execution 

·       Role of HR

·       Incorporating ERGs into personal/career development

·       Access for different types of workers

·       Enablement

·       Active listening

·       Sacrifice

·       Personal time versus work time

·       Honesty

·       Empathy

“Organizations have to create a culture where these types of groups can thrive and survive, and they do that by embedding it into their mission and vision, and making sure they have the right sponsor.” Sherica

“You can have access, but you also need to have enablement with that access. One of the things that goes wrong with ERGs is that they build them… But don’t necessarily enable people to leverage it, because you’re not giving them the time. Wellbeing becomes workload.” Jennifer  

 

[45.45] The group reflect on the biggest ERG obstacles and challenges, sharing their experiences of what a bad ERG looks like and some of the reasons ERGs go wrong.

·       Regional focus

·       How many/which groups?

·       Challenges vary by company size

·       Growing interest from smaller size companies in ERGs

·       Smaller businesses intimidated and limited by enterprise organizations

·       Exclusion/gate-keeping

·       Forced participation

·       Allyship

·       How to bring allies into a group for marginalized/under-represented people

·       Creation of brave spaces, as well as safe spaces

·       Education, training and development  

·       Using external co-ordinators

·       Conflict resolution

·       Emotional intelligence

·       Establish the rules of engagement

·       Bridging generational divides

·       Leadership

·       Mentorship

“I’ve had conversations with leaders and employees, and the gap was unbelievable. The distance between the experience for employees, and what leaders thought they were doing and offering, was so wide… The big word that kept coming out was tone deaf.” Jennifer

“You can have a big impact, especially if leadership is behind it… but if you don’t have that, ERGs can very quickly become a token.” Bart

 

[01.24.24] The panel sum-up their thoughts from today’s discussion. 

“ERGs are not a checkbox for diversity. They are the backstage pass for fostering a vibrant, inclusive workplace where every voice is not only heard but celebrated.” Sherica

 

RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:

You can connect with Lola, Sherica, Bart and Jennifer over on LinkedIn.