Take Your Diversity Investment Up a Level Tips from Accenture, Merck & BNSF Logistics

Take Your Diversity Investment Up a Level Tips from Accenture, Merck & BNSF Logistics Gender diversity drives bottom line results and shareholder value, which is why companies are making real investments to expand their talent pools. Today, $8 billion is spent a year on diversity initiatives and 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs. Yet still centuries away from gender equality, this means we need to be smarter in how we invest in female talent.With diversity initiatives in the workplace at an all time peak, how can we create real change in 2020? For many organizations, it starts with building a strong womens ERG whose mission is tied directly to your companys overall geschftlicher umgang purpose. At Galvanize 2019, Fairygodboss two-day summit that brought together 300+ diversity leaders to discuss how to improve gender diversity in the workplace, thought leaders from Accenture, Merck, Continental Automotive, in addition to award-winning marketing executive Bozoma Saint Joh n, weighed in on how companies can build their Employee Resource Groups and increase gender diversity efforts today.Starting a womens ERG.Continental Automotives Carolyn Cerny and Janet Harden are part of a 250,000 person company, only 15% of which are women. Today, theyre working hard to increase that percentage and are turning to their womens Employee Resource Group to help attract and retain great female talent.Carolyn Cerny of Continental Automotive speaks at Galvanize 2019At Galvanize 2019, Cerny and Harden shared insights on how to launch a successful womens ERG in six stepsEnlist sponsors ERG sponsors should be leaders in the organization who are passionate about moving the diversity needle forward. Make a list of who these advocates are and reach out.Get organized Establish goals for your ERG and determine what committees are needed to help accomplish them.Build a team Consider having three sponsors oversee committees (for example, a communication committee, program committe e, outreach committee and ambassador committee). A great way to get people involved is to say, If youre not in a leadership position but want to be, this is a great way to start.Involve male leadershipMen still hold the top positions at fruchtwein companies, so their involvement is critical. Their participation in ERGs also communicates to employees that diversity programming is worth the time and attention.Get feedbackSurvey your colleagues and existing members to understand what they would like to get out of an ERG. What are the topics and issues that are most important to them?Get started Kick-off your first meeting and invite all targeted colleagues. Consider different formats for your meetings including speed meetings, fireside chats, hosting internal or external speakers, panel discussions, lunch and learns, development programs, outreach activities and networking events.Jimmy Etheredge, Accentures Group Chief Executive of North America at Galvanize 2019Jimmy Etheredge, Accent ures Group Chief Executive of North America also believes that there are three critical things you need to do to have a successful ERG engage senior leaders, clearly communicate what your goals are and how you will measure success, and embrace intersectionality to achieve your goals.Growing your womens ERG and embracing intersectionality.Once your ERG is established, there are a few tips on how to build a community of active and engaged members.If you want to grow your ERG membership, its critical that you tell people whats in it for them, said Celeste Warren, the Vice President of international Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence at Merck. Think of it as a marketing strategy.If you want your group to be successful, connect the ERG with your companys overall business purpose, said Nancy Lamons, the Chief People and Diversity Officer at BNSF Logistics. Thats going to get people to listen.A resounding takeaway from Galvanize 2019 was that to grow involvement, its important to define outcomes that your ERG is trying to achieve whether that be business engagement or leadership growth. As you plan your ERG roadmap, make sure to tie initiatives to strategic business pillars, agrees Adelmise Warner, the Vice President, Global DI Officer, Learning and Development at Pandora and SiriusXM.Also consider how your ERG could support intersectionality and work with other groups focused on supporting African American, veterans, the disabled community and more.Instacarts Colleen Finnegan at Galvanize 2019Its essential that ERG leaders learn to work together and find ways to lift each other up, says Colleen Finnegan, the Senior Manager of Employer Brand and Recruitment Marketing at Instacart. If you understand each others experiences, you can pick out key issues that are relevant across the board that the company can help with.Be in charge of diversity even if its not your job.Bozoma Saint John, CMO of William Morris Endeavor (right) sits with Rebecca Blumenstein of the New York Times (left)Award-winning marketing executive Bozoma Saint John believes that in buchung for progress to be made, we all must be in charge of diversity whether or not its your job. When Bozoma was the Chief Brand Officer at Uber, she was constantly asked if she was the chief diversity officer. She wasnt but as a six foot tall black woman, she knew that she represented diversity wherever she went, and embraced the responsibility.This mentality that ownership of diversity is up to all of us is ultimately the change in mindset that will accelerate the path to gender equity at work.Your 2020 Blueprint for Gender Diversity in the Workplace.To help your company accelerate the path towards gender equality and increase business results, were excited to release our latest resource, Inside, get tips from diversity leaders who share five steps to building more diverse workplaces, including how toTake your diversity investment up a levelBuild your pipeline of qualified female t alentEngage male alliesSeek buy-in from the topRethink the future of work