Elephant is excited to introduce our Employee Resource Groups! Over the past several years, employees of the Herd have come together to create and cultivate different ERGs within the business. Each of our ERGs emerged out of the employees organizing to facilitate important conversations, to educate, and to provide resources, training, and support to all staff.
What are employee resource groups?
Employee resource groups (ERGs) are sometimes called affinity groups, business resource groups, or professional development groups. Simply put, they are voluntary employee-led groups consisting of individuals in the company who join together based on common interest, backgrounds, or demographic factors such as gender, race, or ethnicity.
What are the benefits of employee resource groups?
ERGs aren’t a new concept. In the 1980 hit 9 to 5, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s characters worked together to implement changes in the workplace such as flexible schedules and job sharing (their methods weren’t exactly legal, their hearts were in the right place).
So much has changed over the last few years, and work culture is no exception. Many of us went from in-office employees to working from home and being caretakers all in a matter of weeks. Once the dust finally settled, we learned that we have resources available to help support the various needs of the staff.
There have been several studies showing the various benefits of employee resource groups within a business. From gaining visibility by connecting employees with leaders, to promoting understanding of different cultures, employee resource groups can be used to communicate concerns and advocate for change to company leaders more effectively.
What do employee resource groups do?
At Elephant, any member of the Herd can participate in any of our ERGs or any of their sponsored events. ERGs are meant to be inclusive spaces open to all staff and their families. These groups encourage growth, understanding, compassion and empathy.
Our ERGs, individually and cooperatively encourage talent, engagement, development, and retention by offering resources and developmental opportunities. In our commitment to growth at all levels, our ERGs aim to help employees feel more engaged knowing that Elephant is invested in their future.
ERGs at Elephant provide resources to our leadership regarding diversity of staff and community issues by allowing a safe platform for staff to express their needs and experiences. ERG members are part of a diverse workforce who are committed to a safe and inclusive workplace.
ERG members often facilitate meetings with company leadership, human resources, and employees to provide support, build a strong community, increase cultural awareness, provide a safe space for all staff.
Studies show that key benefits of companies with active employee resource groups aimed to empower employees that have organizational support and executive sponsorship have higher employee satisfaction and increased employee engagement.
ERGs at Elephant
Elephant currently has 3 employee resource groups, Staff ID, ROSIE and Parents of the Herd.
Staff ID
Article last updated on March 2nd, 2023 at 10:20 am