Five Ways DEI Leaders Can Support Employee Resource Groups
If you are a DEI leader, you will likely be the first port of call when an employee starts an Employee Resource Group at work.
At first, you may not be familiar with how to create an ERG, but you understand the importance of inclusion in the workplace.
Therefore, you’re the best person to give advice and support.
Employee Resource Groups are employee-led communities that come together around shared needs and experiences.
They often desire to make changes and improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
They are also a safe space where employees from historically excluded communities can share their struggles and support each other.
ERGs can be a positive force for change in the workplace while also driving business goals, and it’s an exciting opportunity to help them get started.
But once the initial rush of being asked to support the ERG wears off, do you have the skills and resources to support the group? We’re here to help you.
Read ahead to learn more about how DEI leaders can support Employee Resource Groups at every stage of their development.
How can DEI leaders support ERGs in the workplace?
Here are some essential things DEI leaders can do to help ERGs:
Ensure they have a budget.
Act as a bridge between the ERG and leadership.
Ensure managers in your organization understand the importance of the ERG’s work.
Help them align with your DEI strategy.
Provide them with a formal onboarding program.
1. Ensure they have a budget
While your guidance, support, and connections will all be welcome, let’s start with your most important role – the money!
It’s widespread to see companies that claim they are willing and open to supporting an ERG.
However, when group leaders ask for money, it’s suddenly crickets.
It's not ok for a company to promote the fact they have an ERG in the workplace but then leave them high and dry when it comes to a budget.
Liaise with upper management, HR, and finance teams to ensure that the ERG has healthy funding for their projects.
2. Act as a bridge between the ERG and leadership
ERGs are voluntary groups often headed by people at different levels of the company.
While this can be an exciting opportunity and chance for them to network, never forget that they usually are not senior individuals.
As a result, it can be very intimidating to reach out to upper management and ask for what they need.
Think back to when you were just starting, and remember how you would have felt when sending a request to a CEO!
Therefore, another meaningful way to support the ERG is to act as a bridge between the group and leadership.
You have the connections and rapport to make introductions, provide suggestions, and ask for the big asks.
3. Ensure managers in your organization understand the importance of the ERG’s work
You’ll likely encounter managers who just don’t get what you do as a DEI leader, let alone what the ERG does.
You might hear some misinformed and downright ignorant comments or hear from people who think the ERG is just a hobby.
This is frustrating, but you can make a difference if you have the tools and education to deal with it.
It’s your job to educate the managers and CEOs about the ERG – what it is, what they do, and why it is so important.
If you can’t get through to them, try explaining how the ERG’s goals connect to the company’s goals. Some people need to understand the financial benefit for it to ‘click.’
4. Help align them with your DEI strategy
That brings us to the next point – the ERG should align with the company’s goals and your DEI strategy.
This can seem overwhelming when you first encounter their initial bursts of brainstorming!
However, once you examine their ideas, you can find and pull threads that connect to the DEI strategy.
Next, work with them and teach them how the DEI strategy aligns with broader company goals. This should help them when planning and goal setting in the future.
5. Provide them with a formal onboarding program
We all know that thorough onboarding helps immensely with employee retention, but it also helps for committees and ERGs.
Many members join or start Employee Resource Groups at work without fully understanding what the group will entail.
Think about it – the members, often from a historically excluded group, are signing up to invest their time and labor educating allies.
This work is in addition to their paid work and can be emotionally draining. Over time, this can lead to mismatched expectations, disappointment, and burnout.
As a DEI leader, you can help them get off on the right foot by creating an ERG onboarding process.
This gets everyone on the same page and lets them know what they’re in for in the future, reducing stress and setting reasonable expectations.
Next steps – How can DEI leaders support ERGs?
As a final tip, remember to celebrate their success! Nothing feels better than being recognized for a job well done.
When the ERG thrives, you should be its biggest cheerleader. Find small victories to celebrate.
Are you struggling to support your company’s ERG? Maybe you’re having trouble seeing how their work connects to your own. We can help.
We help DEI Leaders provide training to their ERGs to ensure they are successful and are aligned with their organization’s DEI strategy through our 12-week program.
You can find out more by attending one of our upcoming events.
