At our recent enERGize virtual event, nearly all of our speakers, regardless of the subject of their particular session, mentioned that securing the buy-in of senior leaders is crucial for employee resource groups (ERGs) to thrive. And since much of the corporate world’s leadership is still made up of White men, this group of potential allies, advocates, gender partners, champions, and sponsors, is crucial to connect with.

Read on to learn why White men and other dominant culture groups are falling through the cracks and how your ERG can send the right messages.

Affinity is important, but so are allies.

Catalyst works to create resources for the betterment of ERGs because they can be invaluable to their members. When done well, ERGs can provide community, a space for grassroots organizing, and a structure for sharing resources, knowledge, and advice. ERGs are places where members can be themselves, where they look out for one another, and where they work for the collective good of the group.

But they can always do bigger and better things with the help of others:

• With an executive sponsor, an ERG can secure funding that will help members create or sustain programming and events. Executives don’t always belong to affinity groups.
• With champions, the accomplishments of the group can be mentioned in the right places at the right times. Their voices can be amplified and their impact widened.
• Advocates can devote time to you and your members. They may help you set up programs, mentor one or more of your leaders, and use whatever influence they have to represent the interests of your ERG in their business area.
• Allies at all levels of the organization can actively recruit new members and help bring in new allies. They can also begin conversations in spaces where they otherwise might not take place.

Sponsors, champions, advocates, and allies can uplift your ERG. You can do without them, but you’ll do a whole lot more with them.

Empathize with the feeling of exclusion.

We shouldn’t be surprised at the current backlash against DEI. For so long, inclusion efforts have been focused on women, LGBTQ+ communities, and people from diverse racial and ethnic groups, leaving straight White men out entirely. While some understood that their presence as allies was needed and joined DEI spaces, others felt excluded, alienated, and even vilified.

It’s an unfortunate fallacy that if efforts are put into helping some groups of people, anyone else must therefore be at a disadvantage. If members of an ERG are special, what about everyone else? Are they now less than?

And since DEI teachings include terms like “privilege” and it is generally agreed that White men have most of it, they may feel specifically not welcome in spaces meant to create safety and community for groups that have suffered historical oppression and disadvantages. They may want to get involved but it might feel wrong. Just as many women have historically felt excluded from the “boys’ club” and “frat house” cultures of workplaces dominated by men, many White men feel unsure of themselves in ERGs whose members are exclusively women or exclusively Latine or exclusively Indigenous.

Everyone knows this feeling. Ever gone to meet your significant other’s whole family for a holiday dinner or reunion? Or been the plus one at a wedding?

On an individual basis, we can feel each other’s discomfort and our empathy kicks in. We take our partner’s hand and introduce them to everyone. We sit a single person at a table with people who we think they’ll get along with.

Even if a given coworker isn’t in the best possible mindset to be an ally yet, they certainly won’t get there if they continue to feel like they’re not allowed to be part of DEI efforts or that your ERG doesn’t want their help.

Let allies know they are welcome and needed.

Brian DeMartino wouldn’t have volunteered on his own to join a women’s ERG. He didn’t know that he could or should. But when he was invited, it changed his career for the better. At Catalyst’s enERGize session “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: ERGs as the Impetus for Gender Partnership,” DeMartino, now Global HR Operations Manager at Bechtel Corporation, told the story of how he became involved with a women’s ERG there early in his career. Though they are now known as business resource groups (BRGs) at Bechtel, at the time they were ERGs, and he was approached about becoming cochair of the newly forming Glendale, Arizona chapter of the “Women at Bechtel” ERG.

He now encourages others to explicitly invite people who don’t identify with their affinity group to join as allies. DeMartino said, “It wasn’t just a resource group focused for literally what the name implied, which is women at Bechtel, but really a group that was also meant to bring in our male allies as well, to help with some of this conversation around equity and inclusion and knowing that all of us play a role. I’m very aware sitting here today, looking at myself in the camera, that I’m not the face of diversity and inclusion from the standpoint of, I don’t meet the qualifiers of being a part of an underrepresented group. That said, everybody has a role in this conversation.”

Provide ample opportunities for allies to engage.

Speaking at enERGize, Justin Banninga, Planning Manager, Stations Work Program Management at Hydro One, gave his unique perspective as cochair of a men’s ERG called “Men as Allies.” Hydro One empowered the men in the organization to identify and act as allies to other groups. He confirms that a lot of men are still on the outside looking in at ERGs and other diversity and inclusion efforts. He gave an example: men working out in the field.

He said, “They don’t really get the messaging, right? Like, a lot of them don’t even have access to email all the time. And a lot of this stuff comes out through…email communications or big, corporate-wide telecast or online telecast.”

DeMartino offered a solution, saying, “Not everybody’s going to be able to attend every one of the lunch-and-learn programs that you have, but if you tailor them at times that are going to be accessible, again, not only from thinking about it from a geographic difference perspective but also just from being able to attend and access this material.”

Banninga added, “I think, you know, meet people where they are and try to connect them to the human stories. And I think it brings those folks, those men in the field especially, into those conversations in a way that they feel included as well. And I think you’ll find that they are doing a lot of these things anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.”

Once allies have come in, keep them steady on common ground.

Connecting people seems to be the simplest way to drive out fear of the unknown about each other. Once your ERGs have brought men into women’s groups, or White men into ERGs for different racial and ethnic groups, making them stay and engage comes down to what we all have in common. What do we all want? What can we all work toward together? What do we all struggle with? In what ways do we all need each other?

Often, that’s all any of us needs to thrive in unfamiliar territory. Banninga said, “What I encourage [men] to do is just listen to the stories of others, and listen to the stories of women that are attending these sessions with you and people from diverse backgrounds that are attending, and start to see that there are a lot of common threads outside of the more theoretical DEI language that connects you. […] We’re all human beings. We all want to be able to be ourselves in a safe place at work, a psychologically safe space.”

Moving the needle on your company’s culture takes the whole company, not just the underrepresented groups that usually make up ERG memberships. White men can be a great resource for allyship, advocacy, and gender partnership, so long as they are made to feel that they are welcome, too.

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But depending on a company’s size, structure, broader culture, and internal communications channels, all the great work ERGs do can get lost in the shuffle. As an HR or DEI leader, you want to be a strong advocate for these important groups and make sure that their efforts are recognized, particularly among senior leadership. Experts at Catalyst’s enERGize 2024 shared the following tips to help you elevate the ERGs in your organization:

1. Remind leaders to engage with ERGs every day, not just during special occasions

   Stay informed about the work of your organization’s ERGs so you can speak about their activities when their members are not in the room. Ask to be on their mailing lists and calendars and subscribe to their newsletters. This will ensure that you know what they are doing year-round.

   “Our diversity groups and our ERGs are present and alive and acting as our authentic selves 365 days a year,” said Nicole McCormick, Senior Manager – National Assignment & Indigenous News Team at CityNews in Toronto, part of Rogers Communications. “So please don’t treat us like the flavor of the month. […] As allies, […] I need you to recognize […] that we need your support and your love and your friendship and your everything all of the other months of the year as opposed to just say, Indigenous History Month. And I think most of the ERGs will feel that, too. […] We’re human and we’re doing the work all of the other months, too.”

2. Start small with senior leaders

   Both our expert speakers agreed that getting company leaders involved in ERG efforts is important, noting that anyone can help bring leaders into ERG conversations or events.

   McCormick emphasized that senior leaders’ involvement, even in little ways, can amount to a lot. She said, “Just ask them for their time. A lot of the leadership, they’re thinking big, which I think they should. But what can they achieve in their day? So, is it coming to an event for 15 minutes? Is it saying a land acknowledgment? Is it them reaching out to say, ‘How can I support you?’, (which I often encourage leadership to do)?”

3. Amplify ERGs’ wins
   Helping to promote heritage dates, educational opportunities, and ERG events before they occur demonstrates great allyship — but remember to celebrate their successes after the fact as well.

   Inform business leaders about how well those events were attended, what people had to say about them, and what the ERGs will do next. Encourage them to join events whenever possible because when leaders have firsthand experience with ERGs, their participation and passion will inspire others to join them or become active allies themselves.

   Jamie Bergeron, Associate Director, Americas Diversity, Equity, & Inclusiveness Center of Excellence at EY, advised leaders to show up as allies not only in times of distress and times of celebration but also in the moments in between. “Everyone can be an ally, and everyone can use an ally, including our leaders,” she said.

Modeling allyship and advocacy for ERGs is a great way to help them gain visibility with senior leaders and across an organization, and it can also create meaningful opportunities to connect. As an advocate, you can build valuable relationships across all levels of the organization. Through sharing ERGs’ accomplishments year-round with your organization’s leaders, you will elevate their important work and encourage allyship.

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1. ERGs should plan for how they will support each other.

   Jamie Bergeron, Associate Director, Americas Diversity, Equity, & Inclusiveness Center of Excellence at EY, spoke about ERGs at Catalyst’s 2024 enERGize conference. She advised, “I really think that building into your ERG annual plan the ways that you show up for other ERGs, or having a crisis response plan as a group, is a really important endeavor. When something happens in the news or globally that might impact a community that your ERG is not necessarily representing, […] what can your ERG do, and how can you activate quickly?

   “[…] Having some real planning around that and thinking through what kind of collaborative ally you want to be among the entire ERG community at your organization is an investment of time and strategy that I think makes it possible for us to show up authentically, connected with one another, so that in those moments of crisis we’re not doing the strategy and planning then.”

2. Empower employees to check in on each other individually.

   A one-on-one check-in can make a big difference for an ERG member dealing with a crisis, according to Nicole McCormick, Senior Manager – National Assignment & Indigenous News Team, CityNews, Rogers Communications. She said, “Often people think allyship and supporting ERGs has to be this big show. It doesn’t. […] It can be […] a Teams message. Say, ‘Hey, I’m aware of what’s happening in the world right now. How can I support you?’”

   Bergeron said that her Business Resource Group created a one-on-one check-in how-to guide. She said, “It seems like it should be a natural part of how we connect among colleagues. But what we see over and over is that people really freeze. They really hesitate to […] ping someone, send that email, walk over to their desk.” They reframed checking in to be “a really intentional and proactive action that we should incorporate not just in times of collective distress but all of the time so that we actually are more connected in real ways to what we each actually need.”

3. Offer to temporarily ease workloads.

   If employees notice that colleagues are struggling, Bergeron said that “those are great opportunities for an aspiring ally to get really tactical.” She advised that in addition to asking, “What can I do to support you?” you can also ask, “What can I take off your plate?” Bergeron gave specific examples like, “Can I call the caterer?’” “Can I book the room?” “Can I print the newsletter?” and “Can I send the calendar invite?” She said that this results in “taking some of that workload toward activation so that those in community can focus on one another, on caring for one another, and still get to the thing that needs to get done. “

   Bergeron noted that, “Clearing space and time for people in moments where they need to focus their attention on themselves, their families, or their communities, is one of the most important and impactful ways that we can show up for one another one-to-one or ERG-to-ERG.”

4. Create space for emotion.

   Perhaps the most important thing in a truly difficult time is giving people a safe space where they can be together. This is McCormick’s go-to strategy in times of crisis. She said, “For me it’s about creating that safe space for the emotion. So, what does that look like? Is it a smudging ceremony for 15 minutes? Is it just a big, honest Teams meeting where everybody joins and we allow and give space to the ERG that’s being affected at that time, time to emote. Right? Sometimes the chair, sometimes members of the ERG have so much to say, you know?”

Conclusion
A crisis is a high-pressure time so it’s essential to have a strategy in place to support colleagues before one occurs. Here are some key takeaways:

• Creating a plan before a crisis happens allows employees to be more proactive in the moment.
• Checking in with colleagues in crisis and offering to assist with their workload sets the stage to become an active ally instead of a well-wisher.
• Creating a space for colleagues to express their feelings will ensure that they have the psychological safety they need.

The allyship journey is ongoing. Catalyst can bring over 60 years of unparalleled expertise, thought leadership, and actionable solutions to your organization. Sign up for our newsletter to receive insights like these directly in your inbox.

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The post ERGs need allies in times of crisis. Here’s how you can help. appeared first on Catalyst.

Menopause is a significant life stage that affects a large portion of the workforce, yet it remains shrouded in stigma and misunderstanding. Many women experience symptoms that can impact their performance and well-being at work, but few workplaces have policies or support systems in place to address these challenges.

Addressing menopause in the workplace is not just about health. It’s also about creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and supported. By recognizing and accommodating the needs of women at every stage of their lives and careers, businesses can reduce turnover, enhance employee satisfaction, and demonstrate a commitment to gender equity.

Join our panel of experts to discuss:

• What menopause is (and isn’t) and how symptoms show up in the workplace
• How to go beyond empathic leadership to get to the root of bias and stigma around menopause
• Best practices for proactively building a workplace environment that supports women through every stage of their lives

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Navigating Menopause: Addressing the Latest Issues in Women’s Health and Workplace Inclusion appeared first on Catalyst.

With LGBTQ+ employees frequently reporting lower levels of psychological safety and belonging across a range of measures than their non-LGBTQ+ colleagues, business leaders have to commit to a multi-pronged approach to inclusion for the entire calendar — not just during Pride month. This means implementing genuine DEI policies, modeling inclusion at the highest levels of leadership, and utilizing every tool at their disposal to build out a holistic suite of inclusive programs and policies.

LGBTQ+-focused Employee Resource Groups are frequently among the oldest and most robust ERGs at any given organization. This uniquely positions them to take the work of employee engagement to the next level. Organizations can leverage advanced intersectional ERGs to catapult employee belonging and engagement into a new era.

Join our panel of experts for Pride Month to discuss:

• The complex history of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion in the workplace
• Strategies for moving ERGs from the intermediate stage to the advanced stage
• Best practices for leveraging the unique position of ERGs to advance business priorities that go hand-in-hand with employee belonging

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Unity in Diversity: Building Intersectional LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups for Women appeared first on Catalyst.

In the modern workplace, creating environments that are equipped to support neurodiverse women and employees with disabilities isn’t just a moral necessity — it’s a competitive advantage. The unemployment rate for women with disabilities consistently trends nearly twice as high as that of women without disabilities, and only about 25 percent of employees say their company prioritizes disability in its DEI efforts.

Building workplaces that are accessible for all not only opens your talent pool to a wider population of qualified candidates, but it also can lead to profound improvements in organizational efficiency. Preliminary data from Hewlett Packard Enterprise suggests that neurodiverse teams are 30% more productive than other teams.

Join our panel of experts to discuss:

• Misunderstood and overlooked challenges that women with disabilities face at work and in the hiring processes
• Why businesses that prioritize neurodiversity and accessibility as key pillars of their DEI strategy outperform their competitors
• Best practices from organizations leading the charge for employees with disabilities

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access registration. If you are NOT a Catalyst Supporter, please email us to proceed with payment and registration. For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Embracing Diversity: Creating Accessible Workplaces for All Women’s Minds and Bodies appeared first on Catalyst.

“The way we talk about innovation at Zoetis it that innovation can come from anywhere. Great ideas come from any colleague in the organization, right? We don’t think singularly about innovation.” – Elizabeth Creveling, Senior Director, Inclusion & Engagement, Zoetis

“We created a space and environment where people can feel that they’re heard and seen. This allowed our teams members to come ahead and share their stories.” – Nikolay Valchev, SVP, Finance Lead International Operations and Global Diagnostics, Zoetis

“Inclusion is, if I work for you, I feel valued, I feel seen, I feel recognized. My voice matters. My contributions matter.” – Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact, Carta

“I am tired as a chief diversity officer; I am tired as a woman of color. Of course, this is my job, I’ve signed up for it. But how wonderful is it when someone else stands up for me? It’s an amazing feeling that somebody else who has power and privilege at work can actually intervene in those moments that matter.” – Mita Mallick, Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact, Carta

“Leadership and development positions in ERGs are so important and a big opportunity to be a talent incubator for leadership positions in companies.” – Debora Gepp, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Thomson Reuters

“How can the ERG further the mission and vision of the organization? (…) I like to think about diversity as something that we need to move from being a cost to being a revenue.” – Greg Russo, Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group

“ERGs can be platforms that help to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups. We know they elevate perspectives that might otherwise go unheard. And of course, that is invaluable for leaders.” – Kyle Elliott, Counsel, Diversity & Inclusion, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Blakes

“Building community through ERGs allows for a pipeline of new leaders to emerge. ERGs empower employees to become leaders in their own right by providing safe spaces that promote connection.” – Kyle Elliott, Counsel, Diversity & Inclusion, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Blakes

“I truly believe we can create environments where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves. So let’s challenge ourselves to rethink the way we think about community and embrace the potential that ERGs offer for driving inclusion in our workplaces.” – Kyle Elliott, Counsel, Diversity & Inclusion, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Blakes

“I would want people to be kind, to be good and to be better, and to be inclusive in this work that we have in front of us. (…) This ERG practice is amazing. We’re unleashing an incredible amount of individuality and collectively we’re doing some amazing things.” – Jorge A. Quezada, Chief Inclusion Officer, Granite Construction

The post 10 Powerful Quotes from enERGize 2024 appeared first on Catalyst.

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During Pride month, many organizations are quick to voice their support for LGBTQ+ employees and customers. But funneling that support into a single month, without further culture and structure change, can leave employees feeling unsafe, unseen, and left behind. In 2022, the Center for American Progress found that half of LGBTQ+ adults reported discriminatory experiences due to their identity—consistent with a UCLA study finding that more than one-third (34.2%) of LGBTQ+ employees have left a job due to such treatment by their employer.  

This alarming data signals an opportunity for inclusive business leaders to elevate their policies around LGBTQ+ inclusion from performative to genuine. Doing so puts companies on the path to building workplaces that address discrimination head-on, both because it’s a smart business strategy and because it’s the right thing to do. 

Watch this webinar to hear our panel of experts discuss: 

• Why performative policies lead to a decrease in employee trust, team performance, employee productivity, and retention.
• How leaders can implement genuine policies that make real change and build trust for LGBTQ+ employees.
• The impact senior leaders modeling true allyship has toward advancing LGBTQ+ equity.

Speakers

Bobby Gale, Director, Analytical and Data Platforms, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (They/Them)

Moderator

Josh Smalley Baldasare, Director, Content Creation, Global Marketing and Communications, Catalyst (Hem/Him)

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access the recording.

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Read our recap of this dynamic webinar.

The post Webinar Recording: Active Allyship: Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Your Company appeared first on Catalyst.

In celebration of the 2024 International Women’s Day, watch an inspiring webinar highlighting women who are trailblazers in driving positive transformation in their workplaces and beyond. These barrier-breaking changemakers will share their personal stories of leaders who helped shape their career and values, and how they empower other women, promote inclusion, implement ethical business practices, and redefine leadership. 

During this session, our speakers: 

• Shared their personal leadership journeys and influences. 
• Outlined specific policies and programs they’ve created to foster positive, equitable work cultures. 
• Highlighted important lessons on empowering others and leading change as women. 

What you will learn: 

• Actionable solutions to cultivate equity and how you can employ them to stay committed to DEI initiatives in the face of heightened resistance. 
• Ways to become an ally and advocate to women facing systemic discrimination.  
• How to lead initiatives addressing implicit bias, discriminatory policies, and inequitable practices in your own workplace. 
• Best practices and actionable strategies centered on expanding opportunity for all women. 

At the end of this webinar recording, you will be galvanized to champion inclusion for women of all backgrounds. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or current manager, this webinar recording will equip you with new ideas to create an experience of belonging, advancement for women, and workplace cultures where every voice is valued.   

Speakers

Denine Das, Vice President, Global Inclusion, Scotiabank

Kalpana Arvind, CFO Audit, Managing Director and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion, KPMG

Paula Hornbaker, Product Executive, Catalyst and P&G Secondee

Zabeen Hirji, Executive Advisor, Future of Work, Deloitte, former Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC

Moderator

Julie Nugent, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Services & Community, Catalyst

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Read more insights:

• This International Women’s Day, Learn How to Bridge the Gender Equity Gap at Your Workplace
• Systemic Change Happens When People Committed to DEI Make Waves
• Celebrating Women in the Workplace Who Promote Systemic Change

The post Webinar Recording: Driving the Catalyst Effect: Women Leaders Cultivating Workplace Equity appeared first on Catalyst.