Activating the true potential of your workforce means understanding and championing the individual situations of every employee. More and more companies are looking to add neurodiversity inclusion to their DEI strategy to combat the talent shortage and create more equitable workplaces so women—and everyone—can thrive. 

Join this webinar to hear our panel of experts discuss: 

• How senior leaders can model empathetic leadership and authenticity to encourage, 

• The invaluable role of people managers in creating safe and supportive dialogues for neurodiverse employees, and 

• Why workplaces that actively support neurodiversity inclusion are more productive. 

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.

Speakers

Hilary McVey, Partner, Deloitte Canada

Samantha Schilling, Human Resources Director for the Engineering Function and Enterprise Centers of Excellence, Eaton

Moderator

Simona Fontanella, Senior Associate, Catalyst

The post Webinar Recording: Neurodiversity at Work: Recognizing and Welcoming This Aspect of Identity for Women and Everyone appeared first on Catalyst.

Welcome to season 1, episode 7 of Breaking with Tradition, Catalyst’s podcast that explores trends and ideas that will impact the future of the global workplace. This episode is called AI and the Future of Pink-Collar Jobs.

As AI technology rapidly evolves, a troubling new gender gap has emerged, especially among younger workers: 71% of men ages 18-24 say they use generative AI weekly, compared with 59% of women. This gap threatens to widen existing disparities, especially frontline women in “pink-collar” sectors such as customer service, healthcare, and education.

Join host Victoria Kuketz as she chats with Ana Kreacic, Partner and Chief Knowledge Officer of Oliver Wyman Group and COO of the Oliver Wyman Forum, and Terry Stone, Managing Partner Global Health and Life Sciences and Former Managing Director, Americas, Oliver Wyman to discuss the urgent and important need for inclusive upskilling initiatives, incorporating AI into companies’ future vision, and tapping the leadership of Gen Z.

Tune in as we unpack how generative AI could both displace and empower, and what steps companies can take to create a more equitable future of work for all.

Host and guest

Victoria Kuketz, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Ana Kreacic is a Partner and Chief Knowledge Officer of Oliver Wyman and COO of the Oliver Wyman Forum – the think tank and platform for engaging business, public policy, and societal leaders to act on shared challenges. With over 20 years of consulting and operating experience, Ana is known for her ability to blend customer insight with business strategy and leadership effectiveness. A frequent speaker and author, Ana’s work has been featured in the World Economic Forum, Wall Street Journal, and MIT Sloan, to name a few. Ana is passionate about empowering women and youth.

LinkedIn | Website

Terry Stone is Vice Chair and Interim Global Lead taking on two strategic priorities for Oliver Wyman. One is as interim Global Leader for Health and Life Sciences focused on accelerating the growth of our Life Sciences businesses in the US and Europe. A second critical firm priority which Terry leads is a project for our CEO to accelerate the transformation of OW’s own business and operating model in response to Artificial Intelligence. Our priority is to identify how consulting overall, and our OW’s business is likely to be impacted by the opportunity and threats that AI creates for strategic advisory businesses.

LinkedIn | Website

In this episode

• 1:41 | Tell us about yourselves! Ana and Terry fill us in on what excites them as AI practitioners.
• 4:29 | The AI gender gap. Our guests break down the emerging AI usage gap between men and woman.
• 8:22 | “Pink-collar” sectors and AI. Terry defines what a “pink-collar” job is and how they’re perceiving new AI technology.
• 14:49 | Performing at the top of your license. How can we convince reticent AI users of its huge potential for positive change?
• 20:11 | AI tips & tricks. Terry reflects on her experience and what works on implementing AI policies at work. Ana brings in the “pink-collar” specificity.

Favorite moments

• 2:17 | Ana: For me, [the exciting part about AI] is the opportunity for positive change… It’s a time that requires a lot of reflection if we’re going to get it right.
• 3:21 | Terry: AI is going to be the single biggest, disruptive force or catalyst for change in business in my entire career.
• 11:50 | Terry: When [AI use is] done well, you can easily see 15-20% productivity improvements in key areas.
• 12:19 | Terry: There’s still a lot of fixation on AI as “driving efficiency.” I think the best companies are thinking about “How does AI serve as a catalyst for me to reimagine everything we do?”
• 15:25 | Ana: When ChatGPT was launched, all of the assessments said it was a very smart eight-year-old… Now we’re getting in the realm of it being an average, maybe C-level PhD student.
• 16:22 | Ana: If you look by gender, women on average will say that they are less aware, in the same company, of AI initiatives. They are less aware of changes their company has made. They are less likely to participate in trainings.
• 18:44 | Terry: The truth of the matter is, AI is going to impact your job. So, you getting smarter about AI will enable you to use it to do your job better… The more you lean in, the more you’ll get out of it.
• 22:02 | Terry: [When it comes to AI implementation], you have to think about both breakthrough business impact and things that are broad-based and easy but that make everyday users’ lives’ easier.
• 25:46 | Ana: How is it that 40% of Gen Z prefer an AI manager? Part of the reason is because they have no fear of asking any question to AI. And the way they ask the question, they know they’re not going to be judged for how they’re asking the question or what they’re asking about. Also, it’s available any time.

Mentioned on the Pod

• World Economic Forum: How to stop women falling behind on generative AI in the workplace
• Oliver Wyman Forum: How generative AI is transforming business and society
• Forbes: 46% of Gen Z leans more on AI than their managers, says new study

Research you can use

• Blog: Global CEOs share insights on AI implementation
• Blog: What is ‘responsible AI’? Panelists weigh in
• Blog: Leverage AI while avoiding its risks and biases
• Webinar recording: How to use generative AI free of gender and racial bias (Supporter Only)
• Explainer: Responsible artificial intelligence for inclusive workplaces (Supporter Only)
• Tool: Use AI to attract a more diverse candidate pool (Supporter Only)

Get the Latest Episodes

Sign up to receive the C-Newsletter with more thought leadership, tools and events

The post Episode 107: AI and the Future of Pink-Collar Jobs appeared first on Catalyst.

Foster inclusion 

Vivian Yoanidis, Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Hydro One, highlighted a program on inclusion, respect, and psychological safety that more than 7,000 operations employees have experienced. “It’s all-day training and it really allows people to really have vulnerable conversations in brave spaces. …. And I’m very proud to say that we’re going to be working with our operations, our health and safety folks, and with HR to put a sustainable plan in place so that we can continue this work. So, it’s not just a one-and-done training session where we tick that box off, but we’re going to continue that journey and really integrate it into our day-to-day operations,” she explained. 

Invest in psychological safety  

Research demonstrates that DEI can lead to increased revenue, reduced costs, greater innovation, and increased employee engagement, productivity, and commitment. Debb Hurlock, Director, Inclusion, Culture & Leadership, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, discussed a powerful teambuilding event – a Women in the Field Summit – in the male-dominated power and gas industry.  

“And you know what I love about this experience is that we weren’t looking at business outcomes — it wasn’t framed in that way. We had the support of our business to do this, and what we focused on is let’s just create a space for women to connect to feel seen, to feel that they’re developing a sense of community, and let’s invest in them. That was it. So, we brought speakers. We held learning sessions. But the primary reason was for women to come together and feel connected and to really invest in their sense of safety: emotional, psychological, and physical safety.” 

Cultivate talent  

Simone Alleyne, Senior Director of Change & Strategic Alignment at McDonald’s Canada, began her career at McDonald’s on the front line in a restaurant 38 years ago. She said that their company phrase “from the crew room to the board room” summarizes not only her own experience but that of many others. “Our current president was a frontline worker. We have many people on our corporate staff who were frontline workers.” 

When pathways from the front line to other areas of the business are clear and encouraged through training and mentorship, workers are more likely to stay, according to the Catalyst research report 3 Ways Frontline Managers Can Improve Workplace Culture. “We have actually extended membership to our corporate WLN [Women’s Leadership Network] to our female restaurant managers. So, it now created this really tight bond between corporate women and restaurant women,” she said. In addition, “Our female owner-operators have also come together and created a women’s operator network. And this is their way of also creating a community mentoring new female operators as they’re coming into the system…Then the last thing I want to share is … 60% of our restaurants are actually run by women.”   

The audience broke into a round of applause at that statistic. They continued to robustly show appreciation for the three outstanding DEI professionals and their work sparking change and setting new standards for creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. 

Want to know about next year’s Catalyst Honours? Sign up now and we’ll email you when registration goes live.  

The post 3 strategies to improve frontline workplaces appeared first on Catalyst.

1. “We have an opportunity and I think we have a responsibility, quite frankly, to look to young people who are coming into our businesses now because they are the ones that are going to really drive the change next.” – Shaina Riley, Partner Growth Lead & Lead Black Googler Network, Google Canada
2. “We know when employees feel psychologically safe, not only do they thrive, but they actually increase their output, and there is also the added benefit to society as a whole.” – Karlyn Percil-Mercieca, Founder & CEO, KDPM Equity Institute
3. “Recognize that while reconciliation is important, it’s also integral because it’s going to help us solve the problems that we have today so that we can all have a tomorrow.” – Richel Davies, Director, Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, Scotiabank
4. “When you support and uplift one group, you just naturally support and uplift other groups and other individuals so as an organization, when we’re talking about diversity, equity and inclusion, all boats rise.” – Simone Alleyne, Senior Director of DEI, Culture & Change, McDonald’s Canada
5. “What became very, very clear is when you have women and people with diverse mindsets impacting your decision making, that elevated your performance.” – Teresa Resch, President, WNBA Toronto
6. “I know for myself for so long growing up, I didn’t feel welcome in a lot of sporting events and even talking about sports because I always got really talked down to, and I know what I’m talking about when I talk about hockey, but a lot of men don’t think so.” – Sarah Nurse, Professional Hockey Player, PWHL Toronto & Canadian National Team
7. “If it’s truly mission critical, if giving our employees the opportunity to express themselves, to be part of something, to make change, to lead the grassroots movement, then it has to be in the same category as everything else that we do that is mission critical – to delivering the best value for our customers, delivering the best value for our shareholders.” – Jodie Wallis, Global Chief Analytics Officer, Manulife
8. “Diversity in general breeds creativity, breeds innovation, breeds productivity.” – Valeriya Yesypenko, VP, Global Data Governance, Manulife
9. “We need to have our DE&I representation, those folks at the table at the beginning as we implement the AI projects.” – Pamela Pelletier, Country Leader & Managing Director, Canada, Dell Technologies
10. “When we get this right, when organizations support associates to navigate the complexities of caregiving in ways that are supportive and humane, it builds loyalty, it builds capability. It’s win-win.” – Moira Klein-Swormink, Principal, Branch Development, Edward Jones Canada

The post Top 10 Quotes from Catalyst Honours 2024 appeared first on Catalyst.

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.

Download the full checklist

The post ERG leader’s guide to gender partnership appeared first on Catalyst.

Breaking with Tradition is diving into a topic that’s been long overlooked but is now coming to the forefront of workplace conversations: menopause. Welcome to season 1, episode 6.

According to Catalyst’s recent report, nearly three-quarters (72%) of employees have hidden their menopause symptoms at work. Additionally, 36% perceive a stigma against talking about menopause in the workplace. With celebrities like Naomi Watts and Michelle Obama also speaking out, menopause is no longer overlooked in the culture at large—so why should it be in the workplace?

Join Catalyst’s Victoria Kuketz as she speaks with Janet Ko, President and Co-Founder, The Menopause Foundation of Canada to bust some myths about menopause and flip the workplace taboo on its head. Learn why it’s an essential issue for companies to address and how the stigma impacts women’s earning potential and career trajectories.

Take the first step to join the movement. Learn how your organization can get involved and create a more inclusive work environment for everyone.

Host and guest

Victoria Kuketz, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Janet Ko is President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and the stigma of menopause. Together with co-founder Trish Barbato and a medical advisory board of the country’s top menopause specialists, she launched the Menopause Foundation of Canada to lead a national conversation on menopause and to advocate for concrete action to improve women’s health.

Janet has held numerous leadership roles including Senior Vice President, Communications in the global life sciences and senior care sectors. She is dedicated to helping women thrive through their menopausal years and is a passionate speaker and menopause advocate. Janet is honoured to be one of the top 25 Women of Influence Award recipients for 2023.

LinkedIn

In this episode

• 1:35 | Tell us about yourself! Janet tells us about her health journey and what led her to co-founding the Menopause Foundation of Canada.
• 3:52 | Workplace taboos: from mental health to menopause. Why does something that impacts millions of employees remain so stigmatized?
• 6:34 | Let’s bust some myths! Menopause looks different for everyone—and a large knowledge gap exists.
• 10:12 | Women spend half their lives in menopause. How can women be more proactive about their health at this time?
• 14:59 | Menopause stigma costs the economy $3.5 billion. Janet breaks down the staggering economic and career impact for women.
• 17:43 | How to get started. Take the first step to supporting women impacted by menopause in your workplace.
• 20:59 | BONUS: Creating new traditions. Janet flips our last question on its head.

Favorite moments

• 4:21 | Janet: [Menopause] has been a taboo subject not just in workplaces, but everywhere. I think one of the significant reasons driving that is the reality of ageism that disproportionately has a negative impact on women. Women, as we get older, there’s this view that we’re in a stage of decline. That doesn’t happen to men necessarily.
• 5:15 | Janet: As organizations focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, looking at how they can retain top talent, supporting women to break through the glass ceiling… You cannot consider those factors without looking at supporting women at this stage of life in the prime of their career.
• 8:07 | Janet: A myth that I would love to break is that menopause is about period changes, hot flashes, and the end of your reproductive life. While that is true, focusing on just those things really does women this tremendous disservice. And it keeps us all in the dark about what menopause truly is, which is this profound hormonal shift that happens in midlife that can impact every organ in your body, because we have estrogen receptors all over the body.
• 9:28 | Janet: I’m hoping that we can change the narrative in our conversation, from menopause being something that you don’t look forward to, to shifting it to something that’s very positive, an important milestone where we recognize and honor women for stepping into the peak of their lives, where they have the most wisdom, experience, and contributions to make.
• 11:37 | Janet: It’s about time that we empower ourselves with knowledge, which I think is happening thanks to generation X. Gen X women will be the last women to be in the dark about menopause. And we know that the Millennials and the generations after us, their expectations of an experience at work, their openness and willingness to share is quite different from previous generations. So, we are going to definitely see a change, as we know it’s happening right now, because menopause is a hot topic and it’s turned into a movement.
• 14:18 | Janet: It is women who are demanding better care, women who are demanding a change in the conversation and the narrative. And because of our very large numbers, 10 million over the age of 40 in Canada, quarter of the workforce, we are seeing employers really step up to support women in the prime of their lives.
• 16:15 | Janet: You have to recognize that menopause intersects with that critical career stage between the ages of 45 and 55, where women are assuming greater leadership roles. And if you do not understand the changes that are happening to you, and you’re struggling with symptoms… You can have years of struggling and not being at your best… Employers cannot afford to lose their expertise, their wisdom, their leadership, their knowledge.
• 18:16 | Janet: One of the first things that employers can do, which isn’t a heavy lift, is to break the conversation, change your culture and your communications, really focusing on normalizing this topic.
• 20:13 | Janet: Reasonable accommodations, looking at your policies, all of those things can make a big, big difference… Women are really just looking for some openness in the workplace, some respect for what they’re experiencing, greater flexibility, and choice as they go through this.
• 22:18 | Janet: I truly believe that menopause is a disruptor in a woman’s life. You know, it’s a great moment for you to take a breath, to prioritize yourself, to reflect on who you are and who you want to be. Women end up doing amazing things in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond… We just have to make sure that our health is there to allow us to achieve that.

Mentioned on the Pod

• Menopause Foundation of Canada: Menopause – What Everyone Should Know
• Menopause Foundation of Canada: Menopause Inclusive Workplace Playbook
• Menopause Foundation of Canada: Menopause Works Here campaign

Research you can use

• Stop the stigma: Addressing menopause in the workplace
• Menopause support helps attract and retain top talent
• Why Pay Attention to Women’s Health – What ERGs Can Do
• Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace (Supporter Only)

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The post Episode 106: From Taboo to Topical: Menopause in the Workplace appeared first on Catalyst.

As HR and DEI leaders seek to meet these new expectations, one powerful tool emerges: Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). At Catalyst’s enERGize virtual event, thought leaders from various industries emphasized the importance of ERGs in tackling key issues on the front line.

1. Create a feedback loop between leadership and employees

   ERGs offer a structured way for companies to listen to employees, understand their needs, and address key challenges like retention and turnover. Omnia Helbah, Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Compass Group Canada, emphasized that “ERGs are the voice of the employee and the listening ear for the organization,” describing their vital role in providing insights into where organizations are succeeding and where gaps remain.

   Helbah underscored the power of the “Listen, Learn, Act” model: Listen to the concerns of frontline employees, learn through workshops and training, and finally, act on solutions that resonate with the workforce. ERGs allow companies to dig into frontline insights and offer learning opportunities to everyone, particularly managers and leaders.

   By offering employees a platform to share their experiences, ERGs also provide a feedback loop that senior leaders can use to improve workplace practices and create a more engaged workforce. Involving leaders in ERG activities—whether as sponsors or participants—gives them new ways to relate to employees on a more personal basis.

2. Meet frontline employees where they are

   One of the main challenges in leveraging ERGs for frontline employees is finding ways to engage them effectively. This is especially true in industries like manufacturing, construction, and retail, where shift work and limited access to email and other digital communications can make participation difficult. Michelle Berrett, Senior Automation Technician at Pfizer, discussed the need for flexible and creative solutions to engage these employees, such as scheduling events during lunch hours or shift changes and using various mediums like posters or verbal announcements during stand-ups.

   Maria Peri, DEI Leader at Cargill, highlighted the importance of tailoring solutions to the unique needs of frontline employees. “Frontline employees work in shifts—so who can cover when somebody attends an ERG event? How do we ensure that employees during all shifts receive the same participation opportunities?” Local onsite leadership support is crucial to help create space and time for these employees to participate.

   Additionally, companies can make ERG activities more exciting and appealing to employees by offering simple, tangible incentives. As Devendree Ankiah, ERG Team Leader and VP of Corporate Social Responsibility at Rockwell Automation, noted, “Something as easy as providing snacks at events can help create community and make employees look forward to them.”

3. Help all colleagues feel valued

   ERGs can be cultural catalysts. They help to foster an inclusive workplace where employees can share stories and build relationships. Helbah highlighted that for frontline workers, hearing the experiences of others who look like them or share similar backgrounds “helps them to see the art of the possible.”

   Berrett echoed this sentiment, sharing her experience creating an ERG to help her peers. “I felt so much joy living authentically that I wanted to create an environment where others could do the same, no matter what that means to them,” she said. Through ERGs, companies can make cultural shifts toward greater inclusion and a more human workplace, ultimately benefiting employees and the organization.

   Allyship and cross-functional relationships also flourish in ERGs. Peri shared that her company’s women’s ERG became a platform where frontline employees could connect over shared experiences, and men colleagues began to lean in as allies, learning how to better support their peers.

4. Build pathways for growth and development

   Employees engaged in ERGs have opportunities for personal and professional growth, often gaining access to senior leaders and visibility across the organization. Ankiah highlighted how her participation in ERGs allowed her to expand her skill set beyond her current role.

   “Being part of an ERG meant I was connected, not just in South Africa where I’m based, but the wider global organization,” she said. ERG involvement allowed her to develop leadership skills in a low-risk environment, explore new career opportunities, and gain exposure to senior leaders. This ability to “try out” different roles, whether in leadership, outreach, or other areas, gives employees a unique opportunity to develop new competencies in a safe space.

   For frontline workers, who may not always have access to leadership opportunities or professional development programs, ERGs can provide a critical pathway for growth. This not only benefits individual employees but also strengthens the organization by cultivating a more skilled and engaged workforce.

ERGs are important tools to engage employees, strengthen DEI initiatives, and help meet business goals. They can also help organizations address critical frontline workforce challenges like retention, engagement, and productivity. By serving as a feedback loop for leadership, fostering an inclusive workplace, offering growth opportunities, and providing new ways to engage frontline employees, ERGs can transform your workplace and create lasting cultural and business benefits.

As HR, DEI, and corporate leaders look for solutions to support their frontline employees, integrating ERGs into their organizational strategy not only benefits employees but also strengthens the company as a whole.

If you want more resources and insights on supporting frontline employees, check out Catalyst’s Moments That Matter training to support and upskill frontline managers.

The post How to use ERGs to empower and support frontline employees appeared first on Catalyst.