What is an ERG or BRG?
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Business Resource Groups (BRGs) go by many different names but for simplicity, we will define them as employee led working groups. In the case of diversity, equity and inclusion, I am specifically referring to social identity-based groups (race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability,veteran i.e. protected classes). ERGs were developed in the 1960s in the workplace primarily around race due to the pervasive racial inequities. When “diversity in the workplace” was also popularized due to significant political and racial tensions as the civil rights movement had gained momentum and rights but organizations and larger institutions were slow to change cultures (sound familiar?). Employee-led spaces formed to address overt discrimination, you can see why they have returned now in the 2020s where we continue to see and experience overt and covert discrimination in the workplace is still very much a lived reality.
What began as a volunteer group of employees, today, many DEI professionals suggest these positions be compensated as they are tasked with employee engagement on multiple levels; managing professional development, leadership development, mentoring, hosting speakers, and community building within an organization.
Today ERGs and BRGs have expanded to include special interests, hobbies, expertise/seniority, and a host of more social identities in the workplace. They can help fuel a company culture. Jennifer Brown’s research shows us how companies with more effective ERGs can have truly sustained business impacts that include revenue building and retention of employees. But that’s not why I advocate for them.
As a DEI consultant stepping into organizations to support cultural shifts and changes linked to system wide changes, I’m advocating for ERGs to exist because they build communities, help shift the culture of an organization towards inclusion, support leadership development in your employees, build trust in your lines of communication, and address issues that may be unseen or unheard by upper level management that can change the operations of your organization for the better.
In the next few posts I’ll share ideas for people who are in employee resource groups who might want to learn more about the following topics;
how to start an employee-led affinity space
if you’re a part of an employee-led space but you’re out of balance, all advocacy no human engagement or all human engagement/social time and little advocacy
Identifying what advocacy efforts will support holistic change
I hope you’ll check back to learn more or set up a phone call with me so I can learn more about the needs of you and your organization.
ERG Resources:
Jennifer Brown Employee Resource Groups Drive Business https://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/thought-leadership-papers
Welbourne, Theresa & Schlachter, Steven & Rolf, Skylar. (2015). Employee Resource Groups: An Introduction, Review and Research Agenda. Academy of Management Proceedings. 2015. 10.5465/AMBPP.2015.15661abstract.
