How can you create and maintain employee resource groups that support diversity and inclusion?

Yes, each ERG needs to have specific objectives which need to be communicated with Leadership & larger employee base. Its also important to break larger goals into milestones through various methods. eg. Objective Key Results (OKR) Milestones form quarterly KRs which need to be reviewed for accomplishment or course correction

You need to start by recognising that this will be a valuable tool for your organisation, and not just another pointless piece of internal PR that you use to convince outsiders that you are a “caring and sharing” employer! Far too, often employers jump onto the next well-being and corporate responsibility trend without actually recognising the value of these initiatives!

1. Employee Resource Groups are part of the larger organisation and are ambassadors of the Organisation they belong to. 2. ERGs could play a key role in aligning themselves to organisational objectives and shaping up the “how” part to enable many others who identify themselves with the group. 3. In the process, their voice on what is hindering the ERG members in getting to the objective or if any modification is required to the objective itself can be brought it seamlessly. Example - All ERGs within our organisation in the UK was brought together as “Employee Network of Networks” which has enabled new policies” and have been extended are of HR during pandemic. Have driven Inclusive Learning as well.

It's important to reflect and jot down some key reasons behind the "why" of this ERG as this will be your north star when building out the strategic roadmap and ERG goals with the ERG members. By having a strong foundation behind the ERG, it will allow the overall community to work towards finding opportunities to improve overall organization.

ERGs needs strong Leader sponsers who will coach/ mentor from time to time, advocate & provide visibility, as well as budget related support

ERG goals cannot be attained without the support from senior leadership members, which is why it is important to be proactive in communication to ensure that financial and mentorship support is provided. I also find it very helpful to work collaboratively with mentors and peers outside of the organization to share what worked in their ERG to find ways to implement strategies that are tried and true!

Cuando quieres ejecutar un ERG dentro de la empresa, contar con un equipo de profesionales hará que todo sea más efectivo y dinámico. El personal de recursos humanos siempre tiene mucha experiencia con las personas del equipo pero contar con un apoyo extra nunca está de más. Determinar el tiempo, duración y seguimiento son los siguientes pasos para ver si se cumplen objetivos o como alcanzarlos.

Building genuine relationships with current and future members will ensure that inclusivity and belonging are embedded within the resource groups. Having frequent check-ins with the members can show that you care and recognize the value each member brings to the group. Folks are more motivated to contribute and work towards goals when they are aligned and see that they are valued!

While infusing new members is necessary, its equally important is to retain & engage with existing ERG members. It can be done by way of regular reward & recognition, promoting them as brand ambassadors at organization level campaigns, face time with Senior Leaders & feedback sharing with reporting manager to highlight their contributions to organizational goals

The priority is actually insuring that the output is recognised, communicated, and more importantly, used to add value - no amount of workshops, webinars, et cetera will add any value, unless you have a clear progression route for the evidence/input that they generate!

Imponer a los trabajadores medidas informativas o formativas nunca es una solución eficiente. Informar de los eventos a través de correos o boletines para que ellos mismos busquen formar parte de la iniciativa es lo que marcará la diferencia. Esto también ayudará a recibir feedback, comentarios de mejora y una mayor participación entre las personas involucradas.

Participation in industry wide studies, surveys, conferences are unique ways to give exposure to ERG members to industry wide best practices & an opportunity to upgrade one's understanding of the subject

Para que cualquier implementación dentro de una empresa funcione, tiene que haber uno o más supervisores. Dependiendo del tamaño de la empresa, suelo recomendar que como mínimo sean 2 o 3 personas. Estas deberán de estar bien formadas y tener un fuerte compromiso y deseo de que el proyecto salga adelante. De lo contrario, no podrá liderar al resto de los miembros.