Employee resource groups (ERGs) go by many different names and function in different ways at different organizations. For simplicity here, I’ll define them as employee-led working groups based on social identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, veteran status). ERGs are often based on social identities that protected classes, but…

Employee Resource Groups are both an expectation of new employees and groups that can truly support an organization in building a more inclusive workplace. ERGs do this through building community, creating a place for feedback and advocacy, and tending to the needs of employees. When I set out to create…

You might be wondering: who do I talk to and how do I see if and when the organization I work for is ready to take the leap into creating and supporting Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)? The question of “readiness is important” because there are plenty of organizations whose leadership…

Employee Resource Groups began in the 1960s as workplace affinity groups. These affinity groups worked to address common concerns from groups of employees belonging to (newly) legally protected identity groups. Today, the roles of ERGs have expanded but these groups remain intent on supporting “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in the…

You are starting an Employee Resource Group (ERG) and you may be starting this journey alone. You and I both know you’ll get a lot further with internal support, though. You’ll need to reach out to folks and find various types of support. You’re looking for people who will: Want…

Employee resource groups are integral to building a more inclusive workplace culture. If you’re looking to build employee resource groups from the ground up within your organization, the steps I outline here will help you do just that. You might be new to the organization and want to help create…

DEI is about constant reassessment and checking in to see how we are doing. Calendars, dates, and times of year are often a way to ensure that happens. I operate on several calendars: - the Jewish calendar (lunar), - the Gregorian calendar (civil and Christian ecclesiastical), - environmental or seasonal calendar (solstices and…

Finding, Being, and Doing Enough — I grew up with a very compartmentalized view of my identity learning about who I was in fractions and parts. …

committing to small daily practices and changes, even when you want to do more. You know that feeling when you make a to-do list and it’s so long that you don’t want to do any of it? Oftentimes, DEI work can feel this way. …