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HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE www.hnmagazine.com
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
I
f youre seeking ways to build community in your business amongst your employees and offer opportunities for them to grow and develop, its time to consider creating employee resource groups (ERGs). ERGs are employee-led groups that foster inclusivity and belonging within an organization and promote personal and professional growth and advancement. While the premise is simple, the overall, measurable difference they can make in recruiting and retaining worthwhile talent is invaluable.
What Defines an ERG?
To be an ERG, the employees who are members share a common background. For
The Power of Employee Resource Groups
By Tawanah Reeves-Ligon
example, an ERG can be formed with members who share a race, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ orientation or identity, military or veteran status, socioeconomic background, home or regional background, religion or even those who live with a disability. The purpose is not to be exclusionary. On the contrary, the intent is to help members integrate into the larger organization through advocacy and mutual support and encouragement. Allyship is also a key component of ERGs, and, sometimes, those who dont share the same commonality of the ERG members are still offered an invitation to join as an ally within the company. Some companies will pay employees to lead ERGs; however, that is usually not the case. Leaders typically volunteer for the opportunity to make a difference in their workplace atmosphere and culture. Some excellent ERG examples are: Working Parents group Race/Ethnicity group: Black, African, Caribbean Latinx Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Native, Indigenous, First Nation Professional Womens group Interfaith group LGBTQIA+
Why Have an ERG?
It's simple. ERGs create pockets of safe space and understanding between those
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