If executives, regardless of race or gender, are included, it increases the likelihood that their voices get heard. Affinity Groups, or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), are typically created and managed by employees who join together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographic factors such as gender, race or ethnicity. Many.

When employees thrive, the company thrives. We recently caught up with Lewis to ask him about his view of employee networks and ERGs in shaping Bank of America’s culture. Employee resource groups (also known as Affinity Groups) were initially started in the 1960s.

The Competitive Advantages of PEOs for Remote Teams, How Employers Can Help to Spread the Vote, Managing Remote Employees: 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid, L&D During COVID-19: How to Keep Your Team Engaged. For more information, click here. The first known ERG was started by black employees at the Xerox Corporation with the support of the CEO at that time. They began as groups of underrepresented minorities with the goal of addressing racial tensions and providing a support network. A: Acknowledging intersectionality continues to be an important aspect of an organization’s culture. Sometimes called affinity groups or business networks, employee resource groups (ERGs) aim to foster inclusivity in the workplace by creating a space for employees who share a common interest or affinity to support one another and raise awareness.

Traveling the path whereby Affinity Groups evolve into BRGs should be the aspiration of every well managed employee group, and the goal of every corporation's Talent Management professional or Mentor Program Administator.


By continuing to use this site, you agree to the placement of these cookies and similar technologies. They are a way for teammates to grow their careers, influence business strategy, and impact workplace culture. Disbanding Affinity Groups and ERGs: Good or Bad? John Hopkins encourages these connections by supporting such groups (Employee Resource/Affinity Groups).

Affinity Groups, or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), are typically created and managed by employees who join together based on common interests, backgrounds or demographic factors such as gender, race or ethnicity. What is a Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council and how is it an alternative to ERGs.

They could come up with solutions to those challenges or just simply have a space where they can talk to people that they relate to. However, when it comes to forming ERGs, it’s important to have top executives and/or leadership teams get involved on some level to show support for the groups. Thus, mentoring and tracking the advancement and retention of active members of these employee groups is a high priority in all well-run large organizations.

Diversity and inclusion also means that the organization needs to listen to those voices. For more information please refer to our Privacy Policy. Diverse groups might share some of the same concerns, but each group can also have unique concerns that are not identical to what another diverse group faces. Employee Resource Group With sponsorship from Human Resources and an executive, Affinity Groups mature into Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Network and affinity groups began as small, informal, self-started employee groups for people with common interests and issues. Employees can make a significant impact on the workplace and aid in promoting a culture of inclusion. Employee Resource Groups. According to the National Black Employees Association, the goal was to help ensure equal employment access and representation for black employees and other minorities by communicating opportunities for upward mobility and promoting the total development of its members. A strategy or campaign can be more refined, researched, and ready for a successful launch, which could bring great results for the business. Conversely, Johns Hopkins Employee Resource/Affinity Groups (ER/AG) are comprised of administrators, faculty or staff with varied status, who actively engage in communicating and/or gathering around a central unifying purpose, mission, background or activity. Kevin England, Ph.D, explains that inclusion councils just cannot “have the resources to accomplish everything that ERGs can accomplish.”. This site uses cookies and similar technologies to store information on your computer or device. Location: Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, CA At each level, all the benefits for the prior stages are encompassed, but the employee group becomes more valuable to the company as its goals and members evolve. Inclusion councils can be a great supplement to employee resource groups (ERGs), but should they become a replacement for them? They have played an important role in giving diverse and underrepresented groups both a voice and a safe space within their organizations.

Here at Justworks, we have an ERG for parents/caretakers called Family Matters that provides a community of new and experienced parents/caretakers who share their stories regarding parenthood and taking care of others. They have also been valuable in retaining and recruiting diverse top talent. Your keynote at the ERLI conference is billed as, “Will ERGs still be relevant in the future of work?” Can you share a bit about your perspective on this topic? Your keynote at the ERLI conference is billed as, “. At the conference, there were many outstanding presentations that highlighted the importance of corporate mentoring programs to employee retention, engagement and talent development. Executive engagement can ensure well-structured progress and help ERG leaders align their goals with the company’s mission. Many of the companies in attendance had over a dozen ERGs/BRGs. They are a way for teammates to grow their careers, influence business strategy, and impact workplace culture. Deloitte believes that the new approach will help white men within the company connect with their diverse employees. Camille Hamilton Pating, Chair of Meyers Nave’s Labor & Employment Practice and Workplace Investigations Practice, will present a session about ERGs on March 9 at the HR West 2020 Conference in Oakland. As the name suggests, these groups are employee-led and tend to meet on a frequent basis to create awareness, impact the business, and provide community. Encouraging any and all employees to attend different ERG activities is a great way to create a culture that embraces and celebrates people’s differences. But they are much more than social groups. Our mission is to help entrepreneurs and businesses grow with confidence. Why can’t ERGs and inclusion groups be used in tandem to promote diversity and inclusion within an organization? (These groups can be built around race, gender, LGBTAQ, disabilities, military experience, faith or other cultural issues.)

This blog has the subheading, Lessons Learned at the Out and Equal Conference, in Los Angeles.

According to Bloomberg, companies with dedicated ERGs have reduced turnover rates, increased performance on goals, and increased productivity. The first employee resource groups were actually “Workplace Affinity Groups,” created in response to racial strife of the 1960s. As an employer, ERGs can help further your business goals.

Learn about our expanded patient care options for your health care needs. The solution is not to end one approach in favor of the other but to continue in refining and improving both. Some organizations encourage these groups to help improve employee satisfaction, foster an atmosphere of inclusion, and assist with the professional development of employees. Joseph Wilson, the celebrated former Xerox CEO, developed the concept following race riots in Rochester, NY in 1964. But some organizations have decided to end their employee resource groups and try another approach. Whether called employee networks, business resource groups, or…, Catalyst has more than 20 years of experience working with employee resource groups (ERGs) across a variety of industries and…. Monthly tips on running a business in your inbox. There are many additional benefits to having ERGs at your company.

employee resource groups have helped the company in its recruitment and retention efforts, and some groups have also provided a strong community influence through the adopt-a- school, scholarship, and mentoring programs. Affinity Groups bring together employees with common backgrounds, interests or orientations. Q: How important are employee networks for Bank of America’s diversity and inclusion efforts? Employee Resource/Affinity Groups (ER/AG) are usually small groups of activists who unify around a central purpose, mission, background or activity. Learn about our expanded patient care options and visitor guidelines. Diversity issues have been a hot button topic in the news lately.

Since the groups are led by employees, many employees have the chance to take on a leadership role they don’t necessarily have in their day job. Employee resource groups have evolved from employee support networks created to achieve diversity and inclusion to a strategic resource that enhances business outcomes. future leaders, foster employee engagement, ild alliances across differences in the workplace, drive innovation, and, As workplaces are fast evolving, how can ERGs continue to support culture change and foster innovation? But they are much more than social groups. Being a leader of an ERG can be a big responsibility, and the employee would have to have the passion to do the extra work. In recent years, ERGs have evolved into groups of like-minded people and allies in search of a sense of community and inclusion in the workplace. For companies, affinity groups, also referred to as ERGs, have been a way to address inequalities that diverse and minority employees have faced throughout history. Many employers also use these groups to improve the leadership development process, drive results, forge relationships, and ensure alignment with business goals and diversity strategies. Join us for the Employee Resource Leadership Initiative (ERLI) conference, ERLI 2019: [email protected] on June 12 and 13. ERGs need a voice at the table. They began as groups of underrepresented minorities with the goal of addressing racial tensions and providing a support network.
ntersectionality continues to be an important aspect of an organization’s culture. Most large companies have employee resource groups (ERGs). They could also be beneficial when making certain business decisions as a way to offer a different perspective. Often times, ERG activities are great ways for everyone in the workplace to walk away learning something new. Employers who make payments on their employees’ student loans, will receive a tax break. Mentoring becomes more formal, in part because the ERG is used by Human Resources in seeking to meet talent acquisition and retention goals. Raytheon’s Director of Employee Inclusion and Cultural Solutions, F. Chase Hawkins, presented a framework for thinking about the evolution of all Business Resource Groups.

It can be rewarding for those who opt-in, and it often helps develop their management, problem-solving, and leadership skills. Diversity enriches our organizations. Here at Diversity Best Practices it is important to us to ensure that ERG leaders have the resources they need to support their ERG and to drive change at their organizations.