But do they produce results?
Employee resource groups (ERGs) provide a place for women, veterans, LGBT employees, people of color, people with disabilities, working parents, and others to connect and help ensure the workplace welcomes and supports their productivity. Yet even though the number of ERGs has taken off, companies seldom assess these groups’ success.
We know that the activities associated with ERGs have general value. Networking, for example, is linked (pdf) to an increase in promotions and in compensation, to greater career satisfaction, and to salary growth. Mentoring also yields demonstrated benefits: People with mentors are more likely to receive promotions and salary increases (pdf). The question is whether a given organization’s specific ERGs are succeeding.
One biopharmaceutical company sought to go beyond anecdotal evidence to assess the successes — or failures — of its Women’s Success Network. This reveals how companies can review their ERGs to ensure that they are achieving their goals and reaching their target employees. The results can either justify continued investment or be used to address shortfalls in the ERG’s progress.
This article is especially relevant for those who:
- Lead or sponsor Employee Resource Groups
- Evaluate difficult-to-measure human variables within organizations
- Use network analysis to assess and track organization behavior over time
- Want to know whether their ERGs actually make a difference
You can access the strategy+business article here: .
