7 Reasons Worth Joining an Employee Resource Group
What are Employee Resource Groups? Wikipedia defines ERGs as “Employee resource groups (also known as ERGs, affinity groups, or business network groups) are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences. ERG’s are generally based on providing support, enhancing career development, and contributing to personal development in the work environment…” I have learned despite the non-approval look from middle management that being part of an ERG has not only help me develop personally and professionally but it has also help me jump start my career.
1. Rubbing elbows with senior leaders
You have to realize that when you become an ERG leader you directly or indirectly report to the ERG sponsor(s) who are higher up — director or above, typically a vice president. This gives you a window of opportunity to build a relationship with your sponsor. Your sponsor either knows you or knows of you, regardless they know your work.
2. Networking, networking, networking
Let’s say you’re in engineering and you only know other engineers. How do you meet people in other business units, organizations or departments within your company or even other companies? The answer: join an ERG. An ERG is the perfect opportunity and the best excuse to meet other folks that can or cannot be in your same line of work. There’s no limit on the connections you need. You’ll never know who you need to know until you meet them.
3. Becoming a leader
Speaker events, workshops, diversity activities, cultural summits, board meetings, etc. these are all examples where there’s a group of people and there’s a perfect opportunity to become a leader. You could be appointed to lead an event or you could take the initiative and lead the activity. Just remember the outcome it’s what matters — you’ll gain confidence, you’ll gain responsibility, you’ll develop your communication skills and you’ll be recognized.
4. Managing a budget
Yes, we know you’re a grown up and pay your bills. Think again. Managing money that isn’t yours could be frightening. Now try managing millions of dollars for your team. Managing a budget within your ERG it’s like a stepping stone to the big leagues. You’ll learn key items such as evaluating the budget in real-time, return on investment, cash allocation, key performance indicators, forecasting and more yet at a smaller, less frightening scale.
5. Performance review
It’s the end-of-the-year and we begin to write everything we have done this year to meet our objectives. Guess what? Your company has an overarching objective to meet with their ERG programs and you have helped your company achieve their objective by your hard work throughout the year. Don’t be humble and add that in your performance review. Brag about how much you have done and the impact you personally have had to your company’s Diversity and Inclusion objective.
6. Selling yourself
You’re rubbing elbows with senior leaders, you’re leading a team, you’re managing a budget — don’t sell yourself short now! Talk about your experiences and your impact in your ERG to your manager, your manager’s manager, the other executive leaders that attend the events, co-workers, other ERG members. Don’t be shy, brag and network. People remember those who have a story.
7. Having a good time
Simply enjoy the good times. The volunteers in the ERG are awesome people that are passionate, driven and loving. Enjoy the work you do, enjoy the work they do and don’t forget to take a step back, stop and look at what you and your team have accomplished.
Original article was posted on my LinkedIn page.
