All About Employee Resource Groups

All About Employee Resurce Groups The belastung thing you probably feel like doing at work is taking on more work like joining a group. You already spend the bulk of your time in the office and regularly meet with colleagues for projects (not to mention the mental load youve been juggling and the mother-manager syndrome thats already hurting your career), so why would you want to spend more time meeting with coworkers when youve got a life at home youd like to keep balanced?Well, perhaps youd want to join a work group because there are some tailored to people just like you a parent, a woman, a person of color. However you identify, there may be a place for you in an employee resource group, which meet to solve the aforementioned stressors, setbacks and discrimination you may face.What Is an Employee Resource Group (ERG)?Sometimes called affinity groups, employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organiza tional mission, values, goals, business practices and objectives, according to Catalyst. Other benefits include the development of future leaders, increased employee engagement and expanded marketplace reach.Companies first started forming ERGs in the 1960s as networking organizations for women and people of color, according to Working Mother. Typically, the company runs them with support from senior management, such as an executive sponsor, as well as the companys Diversity Inclusion Department. They each have budgets and goals for their members employees from across the organization who recommend organizational changes when necessary.What Are the Benefits of an ERG?According to The United States Census Bureau, minorities are expected to reach majority status by 2044 due, in part, to the projected growth of Asian, Hispanic and multiracial populations. Companies are therefore looking to increase diversity and promote more people in marginalized groups. And perhaps thats why, accor ding to a 2014 survey byThe New Talent Times, almost half (48 percent) of the 1,554 adults in the age range of 18 to 34 were very interested or at least somewhat interested in joining an ERG to push for ansicht types of changes.Here are some of the benefits of joining oneMembers of ERGs share knowledge.Peers in ERGs support one another in dealing with issues that come up in the organization.ERGs have power in numbers that can change the organization for the better.ERG members can develop leadership skills by taking initiative and working together.What Types of Companies Have Employee Resource Groups?As of 2016, 49 percent of companies in the Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index (a new meakoranversment of organizations diversity progress) had an ERG in place. And many more companies have been expressing interest in implementing a myriad of ERGs since and some companies are setting diversity targets.Companies with Employee Resource GroupsDiversity Inc. came up with a list of compa nies with the best ERGs based on several factorsWhether ERGs have formal chartersRacial/gender breakdowns of groupsPercentages of top executives who are the sponsors of behauptung groupsWhether ERGs are used for recruitment, onboarding of new employees, talent development, marketing, mentoring and diversity trainingIf the ERGs successes are measured through retention, engagement, talent development and other contributions to business, like focus groups, client interactions and marketing ideasHere are the top companies that Diversity Inc. recognized for their ERGsEYATTJohnson JohnsonEli Lilly and Co.KPMGSodexoHiltonMonsantoNew York LifeComcast NBCUniversalPwCAetnaMastercardAt Johnson Johnson, for example, communicating the importance of fighting for diversity and inclusion at work is critical.As we are going through our talent process throughout the year, whether goal setting or coaching conversations or a mid-year review, were always giving out training materials, and weve embedde d diversity and inclusion into those materials so that people are always thinking about how they can be more inclusive and making sure that there arent any hidden biases that may be impacting our thinking, Wanda Hope, chief diversity officer, told Forbes.Likewise, ATTs true culture of inclusion where every voice matters is one of the reasons the company is successful in its diversity and inclusion initiatives, Cynthia Marshall, senior vice president, human resources and chief diversity officer also told Forbes. Through their ERGs, employees can worker smarter, not harder, together.What Are the Types of Employee Resource Groups?Many ERGs formed organically out of the need for people of difference to feel a sense of belonging and create relationships with people of similar backgrounds, wrote Erika Irish Brown, global head of diversity and inclusion at Bloomberg LP for Bloomberg. These forums offered support, understanding, information and resource sharing that would hopefully ensure p articipants collective success. At their most basic, these organizations provided necessary safe spaces at a crucial time, when people of difference werent comfortable being seen together and supporting each other within office walls. Sanctioned or not, these safe spaces and support systems made all the difference in the world and since then, they have evolved into much, much more.So what are the different safe spaces? Here are eight common ones.1. WomenThese ERGs for women are inclusive, but tailored to women, specifically.2. VeteranThese ERGs are for military veterans.3. DisabledThese ERGs are for anyone who is differently abled, both physically and mentally.4. People of ColorThese ERGs are for people of color. There are similar groups for Latin Americans, Asians and other marginalized groups.5. Remote WorkersThese ERGs are for anyone who works out of the office.6. CaregiversThese ERGs are for both women and men who are the primary caregivers in their families, whether theyre car ing for children or parents or anyone else.7. LGBTQThese ERGs are for anyone who identifies with the LGBTQ community or are curious.8. Multi-FaithThese ERGs are for all different faith groups.How Can You Start an Employee Resource Group?If your company does not already have an ERG for you, you can likely start one. Here are some simple steps to getting one up and running1. Talk with the HR and Diversity Inclusion department to inquire about starting a group.Essentially, youll want to figure out your organizations policy toward such groups does it recognize or provide support to these groups? Or are you fighting a bigger battle? If they do recognize these groups, what are the required steps for establishing the group within your particular company? And if there is no process in place for forming such groups, let them know that youll be creating one.2. Write a mission statement and goals.Any ERG should have a simple mission statement (here are some examples of mission statements). Y ou will also want to come up with and prioritize the goals for the short and long-term. For example, if your group is for the LGBTQ community, your goals may be to implement or change specific policies.3. Cast a wide net for members.Youll want to start looking for people who are also interested in your group because there is power in numbers. Youll also be able to better understand the goals of the group as a whole by listening to everyones concerns, beyond just your own. Be sure to be inclusive. For example, if youre starting a caregiver ERG, be sure to be inclusive of adoptive, foster and same-gender parents and caregivers, as well as anyone who may fill these roles but are supportive of the need to help them.4. Come up with a tentative plan to accomplish your goals and draft a budget.Once you understand the goals of the group, figure out a general plan of how youre going to tackle each one. When you get a grip on your plans, youll be able to draft a budget to take back to HR.5. P romote your group.Once you have a group in place and youve been given your budget, it doesnt stop there. Keep promoting the group the attract and retain members.Remember that successful ERGs typically boast the following factorsBoth HR and management buy-in and approvalHigh numbers in terms of people (and leaders within the group)Clearly delineated organizational structureAn agreed-upon planRealistic expectationsWhat Are the Potential Pitfalls of Employee Resource Groups?Despite the many obvious benefits of ERGs, there are some potential pitfalls and signs that companies dont actually support diversity and inclusion, despite ERGs efforts.1. They may not be as effective as other diversity and inclusion efforts.Over the past several years, I have witnessed the advent, maturation and demise of numerous employee resource groups, wrote Isaac Dixon, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, associate vice president of HR at Lewis Clark College, for the Society for Human Resource Management. Many were founded wit h the admirable behuf of giving employees who represent a protected class under the law a safe place to air ideas, issues or concerns. Some had very prescriptive work baked into their charters, while others were less specific in their objectives.Soon enough, however, objections cropped up. Resource groups for women and minorities were challenged by white men who felt excluded, for example. This type of dissension led employers to try to sharpen their groups missions or purposes. The real problem, however, is that ERGs seem like relics of a bygone era. Organizations large and small, public and private, are reshaping these groups into diverse teams that are far more strategic and inclusive. One need only look at the proliferation of diversity, equity and inclusion committees to see how much of the work that ERGs used to do has broadened in both scope and depth.2. Participants arent all always active.Dixon said that many members of ERGs lack participation, and theyve cited the need for greater, effective leadership direction and commitment. He argued that employees of varying ethnicities and genders have different notions of success, which makes it difficult to achieve real benefits from ERGs diversity and inclusion efforts, despite their intentions.3. They give the false impression that the workplace is free of discrimination.The mere existence of ERGs can give the false impression that a companys diversity problems have been magically solved, Dixon added.For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychologyfound that white men perceived the mere presence of diversity councils, targeted mentoring and affinity groups as evidence that all employees were being treated fairly, he explained. This perception persisted even when the men were presented with anecdotal evidence of discrimination and information that challenged the effectiveness of diversity initiatives at their companies.4. Theyre sometimes considered a waste of time.Fairygodb oss has done research of its own, diving into how these groups work and how they can be better leveraged to advance diversity in the workforce. The team asked 400 women about the value of ERGs and found that while these groups get a lot of positive feedback, women sometimes deem the groups to be a waste of time if they can find the time to participate at all.Of the women surveyed (all of whom have access to a womens networking group), 65 percent of the respondents said they do participate, and 70 percent of those who are involved with their womens ERG believe it does indeed have the power to create changes in their companies policies. In fact, 55 percent of the respondents said that their womens ERG has helped to enhance parental leave benefits 53 percent said that the group helped to push for more flexibility or better vacation policies and 44 percent said that the ERG in their company helped to implement a mentorship or sponsorship program to make it easier to find mentors at wor k.Nonetheless, however, there were some women who didnt join and they didnt do so for a number of reasons. Of the respondents who didnt join their womens network, 33 percent said that they hadnt because they think its largely controlled by HR and wouldnt allow for honest dialogue 30 percent said that they think its a waste of time or that it doesnt accomplish anything meaningful within the company and 27 percent said that they hadnt joined the ERG at their companies because they dont believe it would add value to their careers.Heres a helpful breakdown of Fairygodboss survey resultsSo there are pros and cons to ERGs, and its critical that companies implement them and run them with the right intentions.Last WordERGs can be hugely beneficial if carried out correctly. If you think your own ERG or your companys ERGs begins operating in ineffective or potentially harmful ways, speak up these groups have been crafted with the intentions to help, and by being an advocate and a leader, yo u can create the change you wish to see.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solo travel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.