Transcript Document

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Strategies for Employee/Business
Resource Groups
Martha Artiles
Managing Partner
C5 Consulting, LLC
Agenda
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 ERG/BRG Defined
 Business Benefits
 Disability ERG/BRG – What is different
 How to Start/Refresh
 Resources
ERG/BRG Defined
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 Employee Resource Groups/Business Resource
Groups
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Originated as a social and networking venue for individuals
that share specific diversity dimensions and serves as safe
haven to share unique insights
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Most common focus on gender, race/ethnicity and LGBT
Also known as Affinity Groups and/or Network Groups
They have evolved to become more strategic and directly
linked to the business
Profitability
 Productivity
 People

Business Benefits
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 Cross functional by nature and they have intuitive
knowledge about emerging markets due to their
cultural awareness
 Profitability

Products/Services that are more attractive to the particular
affinity group
 Productivity
 Ideas of how to increase the productivity of its members
 People
 Recruitment, retention and engagement of its members
Business Benefits - Profitability
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 Products/Services that are more attractive to the
particular affinity group
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Provide cultural perspectives, insights and knowledge that
can help customize product/service and market accordingly
Serve as an instant focus group to provide feedback for
external products/services or for internal processes/practices
Business Benefits - Productivity
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 Leadership Development
 Develop management/leadership skills they may not in their
day-to-day jobs
 Venue to showcase skills to leadership
 Mentoring opportunities – formal and informal
 High potentials are common results
Business Benefits - People
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 Active in recruitment /talent attraction efforts
 Conferences and Colleges/Universities that are unique to their
diversity dimension
 Visible in community/volunteerism projects to improve the
company brand with the specific population
 Talent retention
 New Hire support
 Mentoring
 Sodexo’s “mini-chief diversity officers”
 Important lever for true “Inclusion”
Disability ERG/BRG – What is Different
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 Employees may not make their interest known
 Different disability focused groups may be needed
 Employees with disabilities
 Employees who serve as caregivers for adult members with
disabilities
 Parents with children with disabilities
 Advocates/Champions that ensure disability-awareness
messages are integrated within all communications. Meetings,
events and drive improvements that impact employees with
disabilities
How to Start an ERG/BRG
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 Develop a company policy/process for ERG/BRG’s
so there is consistency
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Formation Process (relation to volunteerism)
Application (Vision, Mission, Charter,…)
Business Connections – Profitability, Productivity, People
Goals/Objectives that are measurable
Executive Sponsor
Leadership structure
Minimum number of members
Reporting requirements/Annual reviews
 Engage employees that have expressed an interest
Resources
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 “Employee Resource Groups that Drive Business”, Study
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by Jennifer Brown Consulting
“ERG’s Come of Age: The Evolution of Employee
Resource Groups”, January 2011 by Mercer’s Global
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice
“Inclusion Means Equal Treatment for Employee
Groups”. SHRM Online Diversity Discipline, March 2009
“Measure Employee Resource Groups to Yield Business
Results”, SHRM Online Diversity Discipline, October
2007
“Do You Need an Employee Resource Group for People
with Disabilities?”, SHRM Online Diversity discipline,
January 2009
Resources
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 www.askearn.org/docs/ERG_toolkit.pdf
 JAN (Job Accommodation Network),
www.askjan.org
 US Business Leadership Network
http://www.usbln.org
WORKFORCE
MARKETPLA
CE
COLLABORATIO
N
FOR
DIVERSITY
& BUSINESS
SUCCESS
COMMUNITY
C5 Consulting, LLC
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Our Mission
C5 Consulting changes corporate culture to include people with disabilities in
the workforce through collaboration to ensure diversity and business success.
Our Services
Private and Public Sector, Community Rehabilitation Providers, Staffing
Firms, Universities, Business Leadership Network Affiliates
Contacts
Katherine McCary (East Coast)
[email protected]
Martha Artiles (West Coast)
[email protected]
www.consultc5.com