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<\/a>Blog author Stan Kimer enjoys facilitating the Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Councils best practices sessions at the National Diversity Council’s DiversityFIRST certification classes.<\/p><\/div>This past July, the large global public accounting firm Deloitte caused quite a stir in diversity circles when its chairman shared that it was going to disband its employee affinity groups (often call employee resource groups – ERGs or business resource groups) and replace them with inclusions councils. The logic is that the inclusion councils can still focus on underrepresented groups but also involve many more white men in the diversity and inclusion discussion. (Link to an article about this announcement<\/strong><\/a> from Diversity Inc.)<\/p>\n A few weeks after Deloitte\u2019s announcement, Erika Irish Brown, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg LP wrote a rebuttal titled \u201cWhy employee resource groups still matter\u201d (LINK).<\/strong><\/a> Ms. Brown shared that their ERGs add significant value to their business and focus on Bloomberg\u2019s five key pillars of commercial impact, recruiting, leadership development, marketing and communications, and community engagement.<\/p>\n I myself now serve on the faculty of the National Diversity Council\u2019s DiversityFIRST Certification Class<\/strong><\/a> and two of the modules I facilitate are Best Practices in Employee Resource Groups and Best Practices in Diversity Councils. I have now added a discussion about Deloitte\u2019s recent actions to the class.<\/p>\n I strongly believe that diversity councils and ERGs are complementary, and both structures can co-exist and work together. It does not have to be one or the other. Here are 5 reasons why both structures are needed and should co-exist.<\/p>\n 1)\tDiversity Councils are management sponsored and led with supporting the corporate business goals through diversity and inclusion as it main objective. ERGs are employee led, and though ERGs very often support the business, the primary impetus is addressing the workplace needs of the various diverse constituencies.<\/p>\n 2)\tThere are still many issues around underrepresented groups within American business, and so a focus and \u201csafe space\u201d for diverse communities to discuss their issues and collaborate to grow professionally are really needed. ERGs can very effectively represent companies at constituency events like “OutRaleigh!” where I celebrated my 60th birthday.<\/p><\/div>3)\tYou do not need to dissolve ERGs and form new inclusion councils if the goal is to increase involvement of white men. One best practice is to have a Men\u2019s ERG so everyone is included in the ERGs structure. And white male leaders can be advocates, advisors, mentors and executive sponsors of the ERGs. (See my past blog from 2016 “Diversity and Straight White Men – 4 Key Thoughts.”<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n 4)\tERGs are still a very effective way to connect a business with diverse community outreach and philanthropic activities and constituency markets.<\/p>\n 5)\tStructured properly, ERGs and Diversity Councils can cross-pollinate and work closely to assure their goals and activities are aligned.<\/p>\n Often leaders make errors in trying to replace one structure or solution with another when actually the two co-exist and support each other. And so it is with Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This past July, the large global public accounting firm Deloitte caused quite a stir in diversity circles when its chairman shared that it was going to disband its employee affinity groups (often call employee resource groups – ERGs or business … Continue reading
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