It is an undisputed fact that the employee perception of what a job has to offer and what commitment to an organization has been evolving. The traditional offerings by organizations were — you will get compensated for the work you do, you get growth opportunities, and of course, some learning opportunities. However, today, people stay in organizations because they feel aligned with the values of the company culture. And, when they’re jumping ship, they look at their colleagues, and at the potential to build relations. And this was precisely the theme of this year’s ‘The Power of I’ (PoI) – Avtar’s annual DEI conference on #buildingconnectedness.
One of the fascinating sessions was a ‘Masterclass in ERGs’ by Sasi Ambatipudi, India DEIB Leader, Pegasystems. He began by establishing a connection between ERGs and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He said, “At the center of the hierarchy is belonging, which is expressed in terms of friendship, intimacy, long-term relations at workplace connections with external individuals. And ERGs cater precisely to this need by design.” And the benefits of ERGs are so many that 90% of fortune 500 companies have successful ERGs operating within them.
The first key concept covered in the masterclass was ‘The 5 P Framework’ based on the book ‘The Power of ERGs’ by Farzana Nayani. The five pillars which constitute the right action for any ERG are purpose, people, process, planning, and priorities.
He also described the maturity model for ERGs with clear measurables to track in what stage the ERG is operating and how it can progress to the next.
- Entry Stage:The ERG is an informal set-up; there is no formalization and no research-based decision.
- Formalized Stage:The practices are more intentional; the ERG has a defined vision and would like to create an impact.
- Operational Stage:There should be a certain level of commitment to the ERG and to what the ERG holds. So, the impact is more sustainable and measurable.
- Integrated Stage:In this stage, the ERG’s vision is aligned with the business initiatives.
- Dynamic Stage:The influence of the ERG is strong in this stage. They are the sounding boards to the internal leadership. They are consulted because of three things– the depth of subject matter expertise, the intent, and the extensive network.
Sasi was joined by Deepak Visweswaraiah, Vice President, Platform Engineering and Site Managing Director, Pegasystems India, to discuss the role ERGs play in building connectedness. He talked about how the employees, who have joined during the pandemic, don’t feel like they belong to the company because they haven’t experienced the company. To mitigate this issue, doing things within the intent has to be the only solution. To ensure that people experience a sense of belonging and understand the culture, the organization must take specific steps with the right intent. And some of these steps could be training the managers, revamping the buddy system, and establishing successful ERGs to build connectedness.
