Employee Resource Groups at Ulteig
Challenge
In 2021, Ulteig committed to authentic cultural and systemic change through significant strategic DEI investment and action. One of the five key strategies on Ulteig’s DEI Roadmap is to increase internal awareness and education around DEI, which leads to increased inclusion. One of the biggest challenges under this strategy has been the recruitment and retention of diverse talent. The engineering field has been predominantly white, heterosexual, cisgender men. This creates a challenge of establishing an inclusive environment aimed at the belonging of all individuals when there is not much representation throughout the industry. Additionally, Ulteig is a predominately remote company so creating community, support, and networking can be difficult as most interactions are virtual.
Actions
In January 2023, Ulteig created the inaugural Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These ERGs are employee-led and designed to promote community building, increase bias awareness, and provide career mentorship in a safe, supportive environment. Within these ERGs, employees gather to discuss missions and goals, execute inclusive and educational events, expand networks, and solicit feedback on promoting inclusion and equity. These gatherings also provide an opportunity to engage other employees who wish to aid these groups through allyship, accompliceship, and advocacy.
Outcomes
Ulteig first launched Women@Ulteig and shortly after expanded to include the Rainbow Alliance (LGBTQ+ ERG), Multi-Ethnic & Ulteig (ME&U, BIPOC ERG), and the Veterans ERG, with plans of developing an ERG for those living with a Disability. Currently, we have 289 employees (about 25% of our employee population) engaging in one of the four current ERGs. We have hosted 40 ERG-based events throughout 2023, three of which were collaborations as Bold Conversations.
Contact
Annie Rezac, DEI Manager
ERGs are designed to give voice to people who are part of historically underrepresented groups in the corporate setting. These groups are critical to building inclusive cultures and can provide visibility to those who may experience unintended barriers and biases. For ERGs to be successful, they must be employee-driven and led by individuals who have life experience representative of the communities being served and their allies.