Research

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Ask Catalyst Express

Oct 21, 2020

Many ERGs have evolved from purely social groups to entities that are closely aligned with business goals and career development. ERGs today typically work on recruitment, retention, career development, and skill-building. They address issues in the workplace, develop client and business opportunities, expand cross-cultural and global understanding and by reaching out to communities, build corporate responsibility. Unlike other types of groups, many ERGs align themselves with the business goals of the company.

To ensure their business focus, ERGs should do the following: create a strong, organization-specific business case; develop a mission statement, objectives, and guidelines; identify the group’s leadership and membership structure; determine specific areas for activity that are relevant to the group’s constituency; create metrics to track effectiveness; and report regularly to the executive sponsor, D&I Office, and/or HR.

Catalyst ERG Resources

Tools

Implement and Maintain ERGs

Case Studies
  • Medtronic: Igniting Women to Lead Through the Medtronic Women’s Network Supporter-Exclusive
    Excerpt: Rather than trying to mandate diversity from the top, he engaged the Medtronic Women’s Network (MWN), which currently has more than 15,000 employee members in 68 countries, to make Medtronic an inclusive workplace everywhere in the world. The MWN established a three-part strategy and worked on the ambitious company goal of 40-30-20: 40% or more women in global leadership at manager level and above, 30% or more women globally at manager-level and above in Research and Development (R&D), and 20% or more ethnically diverse managers in the United States by the end of 2020. Enlisting the women’s network was an important move—one that has helped Medtronic to accelerate internal change.
  • Bank of America – Investing in Women Supporter-Exclusive
    Excerpts: The company’s strong system of Global Employee Networks, which are sponsored by senior leaders, is one tremendous resource that was already benefitting many employees. These networks have more than 120,000 memberships, and members are enthusiastic about the valuable leadership, networking, and visibility opportunities they provide.

    Bank of America has multiple networks specifically designed to enable women to do their best work and develop the skills they need to grow into future roles. Collectively, these women’s networks have more than 35,000 global members. The LEAD for Women employee network offers learning, training, mentoring, and networking opportunities that help women do their best work and gain the experiences they need to assume more senior roles. But LEAD wanted to go above and beyond typical network activities. In 2016, the network began partnering with the Domestic Violence Task Force, which has hosted more than 100 training sessions to educate employees about how domestic violence impacts communities and employees, the resources and partnerships available to those affected, and national and local volunteer opportunities. The Life Event Services team, in partnership with the Task Force, has assisted nearly 1,500 employees since 2016—it has helped employees file restraining orders, provided emergency funds for transportation to shelters, offered guidance on how to talk to coworkers who appear to be in trouble, advised on how to make safety plans, connected to back-up childcare resources to be utilized during a lastminute move, and given suggestions on how to support a family member, among many other services.

  • Eli Lilly and Company – Employee Journeys and People Strategy Supporter-Exclusive
    Excerpts: Employees of different dimensions of diversity also support one another through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs),  which  are  open  to  anyone  from  any  background  who  wishes  to  join.  Roughly  14,600  employees  are  members of at least one of the 75 chapters of Lilly’s 11 global ERGs. This number has increased from 11,000 in 2015, and represents nearly 40% of all employees.

    Leaders  and  employees  across  the  ERGs  were  heavily  engaged  in  the  individual  Employee  Journeys— in analyzing data, communicating key messages, and helping plan Innovation Labs and events where the results of Journey  research  were  shared  and  discussed  with  the  rest  of  the  company.  In  particular,  the  Men  as  Allies  group,  a  grassroots  effort  driven  by  passionate  male  leaders  who  were  moved  by  the  Women’s  Employee  Journey to spread awareness among men, has been critical. Engaging men is an important part of any diversity initiative at companies where men are a significant majority.

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