FourStepstoUnlockingthePotentialofERGs

ThenumberandinfluenceofEmployeeResourceGroups(ERGs)isgrowingexponentially.FornewandexperiencedERGsalike,howwillthesegroupsrealizetheirenormouspotential?

ByJenniferBrown

Employeeengagement,socialconnections,networkingandleadershipdevelopment…allofthesecriticalbenefitsareoccurringattheheartofmostlargecompanies,intheirEmployeeResourceGroups(ERGs).Howcanthesegroupsnotonlycontinuetoserveasall‐important“connectivetissue”,butstarttofindnew,evenmorebusiness‐alignedwaystoaddvalue?

Inthefuture,newmarkets,newproducts,collaborationandinnovationwillbethenameofthegame.JBCbelievesthefollowing4keystepsarecriticalinrealizingthisvision.

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FourStepstoUnlockingthePotentialofERGs*

DevelopERGsStrategically

• FormERGsaroundbothidentity(gender,race,sexualorientation,etc.)andnon‐identity(interests,experience,generational,etc.)affiliations

• ManageERGasastrategicbrand,withconsumerbenefits,recognition,realcommunicationstrategies,andaccountability

EngageInternalandExternalPartners

• UptheERG“allyquotient”:engagealliesasmembersandstrategicallyleveragetheirparticipation

• Collaborateviasocialnetworkingtoolsformultipletouchpointsandtosustaininvolvement

• Establishstrategicpartnershipswithcorporatefunctions(CSR,Learning&Development,etc.):lookforsynergiesbetweenfunctionalandERGgoals

• Engagediverseexternalsocialentrepreneurstoenablebothcommunityinvestmentandinnovationpartnerships

• ExpandERGsglobally:employeesinothercountriescravethesupport,thevisibility,andtheopportunity

• DriveBusinesswithERGBenefits

• ChargeERGswithinnovationinitiativestodrivebusiness• Establishmultiplewinsamongabroadergroupofstakeholders• Becomeatrustedpartnerinfosteringemergingtalent

MeasureERGImpact

• MeasureERGROI–withbasicandadvancedmetricstogaugebusinessimpact

• Setaccountabilitymechanisms–drivingERGstomeetgoals• Ensureexecutivecommitmentandaccountabilitythroughroleclarity

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ExecutiveSummary

*Amoredetaileddescriptionofactionsforeachstepcanbefoundonpages3‐5ofthisdocument.

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ADetailedLookatUnlockingthePotentialofERGs

DevelopERGsStrategically

• Formgroups(orallowthemtoform)aroundidentityandnon‐identityaffiliations:CreateERGsinbothtraditionalidentityareas(gender,race,sexualorientation,etc.)andalsoinnewareas,fornewpurposes:Generational,Multi‐Cultural(blendedgroupsresonatewithGenY),Veterans,Disabilities,Family/Parents,Religion,InterestGroups(i.e.specialneedsparents),regionalandglobal/country‐specificERGs.

• ManageERGsasastrategicbrand:Clearlyarticulatemember,leader,andexecutivesponsorbenefitsfromparticipation–thiswillhelp“sell”theERG;partnerandlearnfromcompany’sinternalmarketingdepartmentsinceanERGisabusinesslikeanyother;drivebrandrecognitionwithinandoutsidethecompany;marketwinsandprofilecareerbenefitsmoreoften/widelyandstrategically;facilitateandconvenebestpracticeinformation;maintainmetricsanddriveaccountability.

EngageInternalandExternalPartners

• UpERG“AllyQuotient”:AllERGs,notjustLGBTgroups,shouldengagealliesasmembersandstrategicallyleveragetheirparticipation.Todriveengagement:

o Settargetsforincreasedallynumber,participationandfunctionalrepresentation

o EmbedallytargetsandmetricsintoERGstrategicplanso Focuson“next‐level”ERGmetricsbeyondparticipation,suchasimpacton

businessdevelopment,newrevenuegeneration,newproductdevelopment,etc.

o Defineallyroles,andanticipatechallengesandopportunitieso Educatetheworkforceatlargeabouttheallyvalueproposition

• CollaborateviaSocialNetworkingTools:Useinternalandexternalprograms,likeblogs,wikis,microbloggingandpodcaststodevelopmultipleconversationswithemployees;connectwithemployeesbefore,duringandafterengagements;setmetricsforvirtualengagementinallprogrammaticinitiatives(thisisagreatwaytoengageglobal,remoteandvirtualemployees).Doyourhomework:lookatwhatbusinesseducation(MBA/eMBAs)aredoingwithvirtualandglobalteamingtodevelopcreativesolutionstocommonbusinesschallenges.

• Establishstrategicpartnershipswithcorporatefunctions:ERGscanimpactbusinessdevelopment,breakdownsilosandutilizethepowerofinternalpractices:

o ERGscanplayapartinfuelingcompany‐widetalentmanagementefforts;ERGmembersandleadershiparetheleadersofthewiderorganization.ScopeERGleadershipforhighpotentialsfromacrossthebusiness.

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o ExaminehowCorporateSocialResponsibility(CSR)isconceptualizingandstrategizingtheirbusinessapproach,engagingseniorleadersandfueling/fundingefforts.MeetwithCSRleaderstogetafirst‐handlookatstrategy,functionaloverlapwithdiversityandinclusion,andpossibilitiesforcollaboration.Forinstance,howcanERGshelpgettheCSRmessageoutwhiletyinginthediversityandinclusion/ERGvalueproposition?Cantherebecross‐teaming,cross‐sharing,jointeventpossibilities,andthelike?

Engagediverseexternalsocialentrepreneurstoenablebothcommunityinvestmentandinnovationpartnerships:EncourageERGmemberstoworkas“intrapreneurs”withinthecorporateenvironmentbydefiningcommunityengagementbeyondthelong‐standingnon‐profitrelationshipsandconnectingwithsocially‐oriented,high‐impactstartupsandNGOs.Partnerwithfoundationstodevelopstrategicgrantprogramsforthoseinventingnewbusinessmodelsthatmakemoneywhilegivingback.

• ExpandERGsGlobally:Withaglobalworkforce,expandERGstoglobalmembership–employeesinothercountriescravethesupport,thevisibility,andtheopportunity.Presentglobalteamswithbusinesschallenges;cross‐sharingideasandtacklingbusinesschallengesinnewwayscanhelpshed“culturalblinders”anddevelopinnovativewins.Facilitatethiscollaborationwithsocialmediasolutions.

DriveBusinesswithERGBenefits

• ChargeERGswithinnovationinitiativestodrivebusiness:LeveragediversityofthoughtinERGs,assesspainpointsintheorganizationandtaskERGswithcreatinginnovativesolutions.Leveragediversityofthought.UseERGsasamodelforthe“distributeddecision‐making”ofthefuture–bottom‐upcrowd‐sourcedinnovation.Overall,therearethreemainwaystoinnovate:

o ProductInnovation:Creatingnewproductsthatworkinthemarketo ProcessInnovation:Completingday‐to‐daypracticesinmoreefficient,cost‐

effectiveways.Forexample:caninternaltalentcompletetasksmoreefficientlythanexternal/outsourcedtalent?Cantheseprojectsprovideemployeeengagementanddevelopmentopportunities?

o StrategyInnovation:HowcanERGsinfluencethewaybusinessesmoveforward,suchasmovingintonewmarkets,developingnewproducts,etc.

• Establishmultiplewinsamongabroadergroupofstakeholders:HelpdeepenERGimpactonbusinessbydeeplyembeddingactivitiesacrossasmanystakeholdersaspossible.Developactivitiesthatare:cross‐ERG;betweenERGs+functionalareas;amongERGs+functionalareas+clients+community,etc.DevelopinternalcompetitionstoseethenumberofvaluepropositionsanddiversestakeholdersERGscaninfluencetomakeeffortsmostefficient,broad‐basedandbeneficialtothemaximumnumberofpeople.Thisnotonlymosteffectivelyharnessesdiversityofthoughtinanorganization,butgrowsemployee’spersonalnetworkswitheach

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other,andwithexternalstakeholders,increasingcompanybrandingopportunitiessimultaneously.

• Becomeatrustedpartnerinfosteringemergingtalent:HelpHRandTalent

ManagementcolleaguestobroadenanddeepentheirleaderpipelinethroughpromotingtheworkofERGleadersandmembers.

MeasureERGImpact

• ROIMetrics:Utilizebasicandmoreadvancedmetricstogaugebusinessimpact:o BasicMetrics:Eventattendance;numberofeventshostedannually;ERG

membershipnumbers;ERGawardsreceivedo AdvancedMetrics:Impactingbusinessrevenue;numbersofinnovation

initiativesimpacted;externaldemandasbestpracticeresource;internalleadershippipelineandpromotionstatisticsofERGmembers;representationpercountry,especiallyemergingmarkets;regularstrategicplanningprocessesandbusinessplanscompleted

• AccountabilityMechanisms:Measurementandaccountabilitygohand‐in‐hand.

HoldERGleadsaccountableformetricssetandtieperformanceintoperformanceevaluationsinordertodriveERGstomeetandexceedgoals.

• ExecutiveCommitment:Rememberthatmanyexecutivesponsorsareunclearwhattheirroleis,insupportingtheirassignedERG.Or,ERGsmaynotknowhowtoenlisttheirsponsoreffectively.Ensurethereisclaritybothdirections,communicationisflowing,andthatERGsareclear,empoweredandstrategicintheirapproach.

JenniferBrownConsulting

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WhoisJBC?

JBCisastrategicdiversityconsultingfirmthatworkswithlargeandsmallbusinessestobuildforward‐thinkingorganizationalpracticesthatfosterdiversity,leadershipandinnovation.Foundedin2004,JBCguidestheeffortsofHR,DiversityandInclusion(D+I)andEmployeeResourceGroupchampions

toaligndiversitywithbusinessimperatives.Withaworldwideclientbaseandanetworkofover1600HRandDiversityProfessionals,JBCisathoughtleaderinblendingproprietary,strategiccontentwithexternalbestpractices.Weprovideclientswithhigh‐touch,customizedexperiencesthataddresstheneedsofprogramleaders,nomatterwhattheirstageofdevelopment.Weareexpertsintranslatingtheimpactofdiversityandinclusiontoorganizationalleadershipandfacilitatingwiththelatestweb

2.0technologies.Weharnessthepoweroftomorrow’sworkforce…today.

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