What determines the success of an ERG? The vision, mission, and practice.
ERGs or employee resource groups play a significant role in calibrating the DEI efforts of an organization. Of course, many DEI initiatives are nice-to-haves but implementing an effective model requires good action plans and strategic roadmaps.
A whopping 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs strengthening their DEI initiatives, reports Forbes. ERGs have been around for decades— the first one being in the 1960s. But like all DEI initiatives, there are no hard and fast rules or an exact route map of ERG implementation. Individual ERGs can be shaped and shared as per the requirement, demography, or motive of the respective participants. For example, networking and building connections are a part of the professional routine. And though it is an individual exercise to get this done, organizations understand the significance of relationship building for the healthy sustenance of the organization’s culture and the overarching goal of business success. The effort to put together such forums has increased manifold, with the pandemic creating vulnerable situations. Star and Disney India introduced Business Employee Resource Groups (BERGs), for women and LGBTQ+ employees in 2021.
Each BERG offers opportunities to network and connects with peers, participate in outreach and mentoring programs, acquire new skills, and enhance leadership capabilities. Today, organizations take this as a high-priority agenda, as ERGs create a safe space for employees to share, learn, and grow with peers of similar interests or identities.
Building impactful ERGs
Workplaces that foster high inclusivity and a diverse population are the desired workplace destinations of today’s millennials. And by 2025, Gen Z will occupy 27% of the workforce around the globe, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. This only implies that workplaces with high-density diversity of talents and more inclusive efforts from the organizations.
Since McKinsey released its 2015 ‘Why Diversity Matters?’ report, the world has celebrated and glorified the revolution that has brought about changes and elevated the lives of many people, especially of the underrepresented. The world is now an open space of opportunities and openings where people are embracing ‘the different’. As heartening as it is to see and experience, the effort put in by the implementors for this isn’t small.
Here is a list of best practices organizations could adopt for implementing a successful and impactful ERG.
Define mission statement and structure
The mission statement is a fundamental principle for the ERG. So, it must be a guide for any action or activity that may happen internally. Setting up an effective team with a proper advisory will help improve the lifespan and popularity of the ERG.
Recruit and retain members
Even when ERGs are ethnicity or identity-related, people move away from such forums due to the lack of knowledge of their benefits or because of their reserved nature. It is important to draw their attention by conducting different initiatives like skill-building programs. SME sessions, and entertainment sessions to capture employees’ interest in building an ERG with active members.
Translate to Business Resource Groups (BRGs)
There are formal and informal ERGs. But there should be a business case for the ERG setup considering the forum happening in a professional environment. The organization will need to know what is in it for them. Begin at the grassroots level with defined goals and targets and translate them to business-providing outcomes, integrating with organizational goals.
Create Impact
The fundamental purpose of ERG is to bring results that serve the positive career and personal development of people. Thus, delivering the desired outcome through culture and practice is important and must be measured and monitored for repeat success.
