February 14th, 2008
This is a pretty good article regarding ERGs and the ways in which they can help drive business results. There are many, many ways that ERGs can be valuable and no diversity and inclusion effort should be without them. ERGs can be very valuable vehicles for tapping into valuable insights from employees regarding policies (think work-life flexibility, generational differences, retaining working parents / caretakers), product development and marketing, recruiting efforts, etc.
When Separate, But Equal Works
By Mary Johnson | Hartford Business Journal Staff Writer
Companies that establish employee networking groups as a benefit to employees are also reaping some rewards — an in-house focus group to help tackle new markets.
Photographer: Yuri Arcurs; Agency: Dreamstime.com
Employees and employers have found a common bond in employee networks.
Some Hartford-area companies, such as Aetna and ING, have established and developed employee networks that capitalize on the differences employees have historically tried to downplay.
Employee diversity has come a long way from the days when it was politically correct for employers to downplay ethnic and gender employee differences. Workers wanted to be equal, not separate.
The desire for equality has remained the same. But today’s work force — spanning the spectrum of race and gender, religion and sexual orientation — recognizes that separate and equal is a good thing, for both employees and employers.
There are Asian-American networks, African-American networks, Hispanic networks and gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender networks, to name a few, and each operates in a symbiotic relationship with its parent company. Member employees take advantage of networking and developmental opportunities, while companies tap into ready-made, in-house focus groups.
Although the inspiration for the groups’ mission and projects generally comes from the employees, the employee networks are financially supported by the company.