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7 Essential Rules for Creating Strategic Employee Resource Groups

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Margaret Spence

"The Work Of Inclusion Cannot Exist In An Isolated Silo." Margaret is a champion for building inclusive and diverse workspaces, she is the founder of The Inclusion Learning Lab and The Employee to CEO Project. She also host The Inclusion Unscripted Podcast - Live Every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter

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7 Essential Rules for Creating Strategic Employee Resource Groups

Seven rules for creating strategic employee resource groups, so organizations will be able to ensure a solid and diverse employee base in 2023 and beyond
Photographer: Memento Media | Source: Unsplash

Strategic Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are powerful tools to help organizations build a solid and diverse employee base. Employee resource groups (ERGs) are employee-led, company-sponsored employee organizations that bring together individuals of common backgrounds, interests, and experiences. They are a powerful tool for companies to build bridges between employees with different backgrounds and experiences, increase inclusion in the workplace and create a sense of belonging.

In 2023, employee resource groups will become even more critical as they can offer unique support systems to employees from different backgrounds and experiences. To ensure that employee resource groups are effective in the long run, here are there are seven rules that are critical to building strategy vs tactics. Every employee resource group is built around tactics, we feel it is essential to move ERGs to become more strategic.

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Seven Rules for Creating Strategic Employee Resource Groups:

1. Have a clear purpose: The purpose of the employee resource group should be clearly articulated so that it is easy to understand and explain to potential members. This will ensure that everyone involved knows the group’s ultimate goal, which can help keep them motivated and focused on achieving it.

2. Set goals and benchmarks: Establish measurable goals for the employee resource group and use them as a benchmark for progress. This will give everyone involved a sense of accomplishment and can also help keep the group on track to achieving its purpose.

3. Ensure a collaborative atmosphere: Encourage an open dialogue between members of employee resource groups to foster collaboration and understanding. This will help ensure that everyone’s ideas are heard, which can lead to better collective decisions.

4. Encourage employee ownership: Ensure employee resource groups are truly employee-led so that all members feel invested in the group’s success. It’s easy for executive leaders to unintentionally take over the group’s vision and mission. This will help ensure that everyone is working together and taking ownership of the decisions made by the leaders that reflect what members want.

5. Connect employee resource groups to other departments: It is vital to connect employee resource groups with other areas of the organization to ensure broad organizational support and success. This can foster collaboration and provide additional resources to employee resource groups.

6. Celebrate successes: Make sure employee achievements are celebrated both within employee resource groups and across the organization. This will help to motivate and promote employee engagement.

7. Measure progress: Track employee resource group goals, objectives, and metrics over time to measure progress and adjust accordingly. This will help ensure that employee resource groups effectively achieve their purpose in 2023 and beyond.

By following these seven rules for creating strategic employee resource groups, organizations will be able to ensure a solid and diverse employee base in 2023. In addition, employee resource groups are powerful tools that can help foster collaboration and understanding between employees of different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. They can also provide members with unique support systems and open doors for career development opportunities. Employee resource groups are a valuable asset to any organization and should be leveraged correctly.

By implementing these seven rules for creating strategic employee resource groups, organizations can ensure that they are getting the most out of their employee resource group initiatives in 2023 and beyond. In addition to providing unique support systems for members, employee resource groups can create a more collaborative and diverse workplace where all employees are appreciated and respected.

Ultimately, employee resource groups can help organizations reach their diversity and inclusion talent goals in 2023 by providing employees with the resources and engagement necessary to succeed.


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