ERG groups in your organization: how to harness the power of diversity
Diversity and inclusion are more important than ever, but how do you put them into practice? Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) offer a powerful solution.
ERG groups in your organization: how to harness the power of diversity
In 1964, during the civil rights riots, the first group of Black employees at Xerox began discussing their experiences with one another and lobbied the organization for change. Today, employee groups such as Trainbow, Roze in Wit, GLOBE, and HOP participate in the Amsterdam Canal Parade. The first ERG and what it looks like in 2025. ERG? What is that? Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an effective tool for promoting inclusion in the workplace, and they’re growing in popularity. In this article, we’ll explain what they are, why you, too, should get started with them in your organization, and how you can take the first steps!
ERG Meaning
An Employee Resource Group is a diversity initiative consisting of employees who share a common characteristic, experience, or interest and who come together to promote inclusion in the workplace. Examples include a group of employees who are all LGBTIQA+ or a group of women working in a male-dominated environment. An ERG can also consist of employees who come together based on a shared faith or background, or a group of employees who are also family caregivers. A group of young employees can also fall under this category; they seek each other out to exchange experiences, share ambitions, support one another, gain more knowledge together, and—as digital natives—possibly propose ways to work more productively.
The value of an ERG
Make no mistake: these aren’t just groups that turn inward and find support in one another, but ones that can also support the organization with their expertise. We’ve often discussed the benefits of diversity and inclusion in the workplace—how they help your organization thrive in terms of innovation, profit, productivity, employee engagement, and attracting talent. ERG’s are a tool for getting even more out of that diversity by allowing employees with specific areas of expertise to join forces.
A network like this helps employees from marginalized groups feel more connected to the organization, find like-minded people, and improve the work environment for everyone. It’s also a great way to consolidate your internal knowledge. When you want to make new decisions as a board, you can always reach out to the various employee networks to ask whether this new plan works for them or if you have any blind spots.
Another nice bonus, according to Hastwell of Great Place to Work, is discovering new talented leaders. An ERG can be a place for employees to grow, as participating in and managing such a group involves a variety of soft skills. But hard skills can also be developed in this context, and you can offer additional training when it suits the group.
The effectiveness of these groups shows that having just one employee from each marginalized group isn’t enough. After all, advocating for an issue on your own is much harder than doing so as part of a group. You can test your ideas with each other, especially when it might feel daunting to share them within a particular corporate culture. Furthermore, as an employee, you’re not “the one who keeps bringing up the same topic over and over,” but rather, you share the burden of “needing something different from the norm.”
ERG implementation
Okay, that’s convincing, but what now? Do you remember the first ERG for Black employees at Xerox? Darren Cassidy, who works at that organization, shared with Raconteur (Cassidy, 2024) a number of steps for starting ERGs, to which we had a few tips and additions:
Passionate Employees
An ERG starts by bringing together employees who care so much about a particular issue that they’re willing to invest extra time in it alongside their regular work. Of course, it’s only fair to give your employees the opportunity to do this during their work hours—after all, they’re making your organization better, and that’s worth something. Especially when it comes to leadership within the group, it’s important to watch out for burnout, because it’s precisely the things you’re passionate about that can lead you to push yourself too hard.
Develop a plan
Work with your employees to come up with a plan: What will the goals be for this team? As a group, what do you want to invest in that you know will bring about significant changes for the organization? But be flexible and keep growing as a group. If something doesn’t work out, what will you focus on next? And once the first goal has been achieved, what’s the next area for improvement?
Support from the board
Also, bring in someone from the top leadership to join the group and support the group with a budget. This will help demonstrate the organization’s support for and commitment to this group. Tip: Have lunch with these groups from time to time. As a board, you can do this with each group individually to learn more from them, as well as with groups together to discover where their interests overlap.
Collaborating
Because there are benefits to be found at these intersections between groups; you’re more likely to discover when a solution for one group creates problems for another. For example, not all restrooms can be gender-neutral, because Muslim women need a space to properly adjust their hijab. But you also discover when you can effectively work together on a shared issue. For example, a prayer room for both Christians and Muslims in the company.
This immediately fosters greater engagement among employees, which is important in a climate where we’re quick to talk about each other rather than with each other. These groups offer the opportunity to maintain a dialogue with one another, learn from each other’s stories, and treat one another with empathy—but also to take action. You might also consider opening these groups to allies: people who may not be directly affected by certain issues but are committed to advocating for them.
Start your ERGs
You may have started reading this article without knowing what ERG stood for, but now you have all the tools you need to start your own Employee Resource Group. Make your organization more inclusive and successful with this versatile tool!
