In today’s rapidly evolving DEI landscape, creating inclusive workplaces has become a top priority for organizations. Employee resource groups (ERGs) are one of the strongest tools an organization can implement to foster an inclusive workplace for all.
This new resource offers a comprehensive and practical resource to help companies establish and expand their ERGs. The Guidebook is full of case studies about supporting organizations with hourly, frontline, and warehouse employees dispersed across a variety of global regions.
This blog will highlight five reasons why the Guidebook will help any organization, especially those with frontline workers, foster DEI initiatives and demonstrate the importance of valuing every ERG within an organization.
The Guidebook offers best practices and tools for:
1. Addressing Unique Challenges:
The Guidebook recognizes that ERGs play a crucial role in addressing unique challenges faced by individual employee groups. Whether it’s hourly workers, distribution center employees, or other types of frontline workers, the Guidebook provides insights on adapting ERG activities to address their specific needs.
2. Building Strong Organizational Structures:
A key aspect emphasized in the Guidebook is building strong organizational structures to support ERGs. By establishing executive leadership teams and defining clear roles and responsibilities, companies can ensure that ERGs have the necessary support to thrive and to mitigate ERG leader burnout, which is crucial, as these leaders often volunteer time for these roles.
3. Developing Accountability Metrics:
Measuring success is essential when it comes to DEI initiatives, especially ERGs. The Guidebook outlines key performance indicators and metrics that organizations can use to effectively track progress toward their diversity goals. By aligning ERG outcomes with business objectives, companies can demonstrate tangible results to stakeholders and other leaders.
4. Engaging Executive Sponsors:
An engaged Executive Sponsor is critical for successful ERG implementation. The Guidebook offers strategies on incorporating business objectives into ERG activities, thus encouraging participation at ERG meetings and events while gaining support to identify how ERGs align with the overall mission of the organization and its broader DEI strategy. This resource also highlights how sponsors can significantly contribute to fostering an inclusive culture.
5. Planning Successful Events and Programming:
Events are at the heart of active ERGs as they provide opportunities for connection, raising awareness, and engagement among employees from diverse backgrounds. The Guidebook includes event formats, guideline templates, budgeting tips, promotion strategies, and case studies showcasing successful events organized by a wide range of ERGs.
The ERG Guidebook serves as an invaluable blueprint for organizations striving to create inclusive workplaces through effective ERG programs. By providing actionable, step-by-step approaches along with tools such as templates, case studies, and best practices from industry leaders like Capri Holdings, the Guidebook empowers companies across various industries to more deeply integrate ERGs into the business case, support their ERG leaders and Executive Sponsors, and offer opportunities to every employee to get involved.
This resource is designed not only to benefit individual employees but also to contribute toward creating cultures of belonging where everyone can thrive. If you would like to learn more about the first iteration of the ERG Guidebook, how Seramount can help support your organization’s ERG efforts, or becoming an Open to All member, you can watch the on-demand webinar ERGs: A Retailer’s Strategic Advantage or contact us.
Katie Oertil Mooney is Managing Director of Diversity Best Practices at Seramount. She is an accomplished DEI leader and thought partner with expertise in driving strategy and growth of diversity and inclusion change management, planning and programs.
Katie Oertli Mooney is a Managing Director at Seramount. She is an accomplished DEI leader and thought partner with expertise in driving strategy and growth of diversity and inclusion change management, planning and programs. Prior to joining Seramount, she was responsible for overseeing the client delivery, staffing, operations and growth as Vice President of Jennifer Brown Consulting. She was accountable for the firm’s successful consulting project delivery to clients from the Fortune 1000, government agencies, startups, to nonprofits.
Prior to that, she managed the DEI enterprise learning and development strategy at Capital One specializing in differential investment programming to support historically underrepresented talent and communities of color. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the GSBA; the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in North America and is supporting the organization in 2020, by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion for the Board of Directors, for the benefit of GSBA staff, members, partners and the LGBTQ+ and allied community of Washington State. Katie has a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management with a concentration on Diversity and Inclusion Management from Georgetown University. She is based in Seattle, WA.
Stefani Murray is a Marketing Specialist with the Product Marketing team at Seramount. In this role, she is responsible for creating DEI-focused blog posts, developing partner case studies and collateral, and supporting the product marketing team with various projects. She started at EAB in May of 2021 as a Partner Development Associate.
Stefani Murray is a Marketing Manager with the Product Marketing team at Seramount. In this role, she is responsible for creating DEI-focused blog posts, developing partner case studies and collateral, and supporting the product marketing team with various projects. She started at EAB in May of 2021 as a Partner Development Associate.
Stefani graduated from St. John’s University in May 2020 with a BS in Communication Arts. She is based in the DC area, where she likes to sightsee, cook, and spend time with family.
