four steps to unlocking the potential of ergs...ergs can impact business development, break down...
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FourStepstoUnlockingthePotentialofERGs
ThenumberandinfluenceofEmployeeResourceGroups(ERGs)isgrowingexponentially.FornewandexperiencedERGsalike,howwillthesegroupsrealizetheirenormouspotential?
ByJenniferBrown
Employeeengagement,socialconnections,networkingandleadershipdevelopment…allofthesecriticalbenefitsareoccurringattheheartofmostlargecompanies,intheirEmployeeResourceGroups(ERGs).Howcanthesegroupsnotonlycontinuetoserveasall‐important“connectivetissue”,butstarttofindnew,evenmorebusiness‐alignedwaystoaddvalue?
Inthefuture,newmarkets,newproducts,collaborationandinnovationwillbethenameofthegame.JBCbelievesthefollowing4keystepsarecriticalinrealizingthisvision.
Formoreinformation,[email protected] 2
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.
Formoreinformation,[email protected] 3
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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Formoreinformation,[email protected] 4
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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Formoreinformation,[email protected] 5
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
20E9thStreet,Suite4U|NewYork,NY10003
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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