We developed a strong network of seven Employee Resource Groups and wanted to ensure they provided a strong employee voice to our broader EID strategy. In addition, we believed the ERGs could further complement our firm’s EID efforts through their individual and joint programming with a stronger understanding where the firm and the other ERGs had focused their priorities.

We started a quarterly ERG leadership meeting, which included the leaders of our ERGs, regional chapter leaders and ERGs senior advisors, as well as our Chief of Staff, Senior EID Leader, and Head of HCM. Additional participants include: Senior Diversity Recruiter, Head of Employee Platform, and our Corporate Social Responsibility Lead, plus our HCM and Employee Platform teams. The meeting is run by our EID Program Manager and includes an update on firm EID efforts as well as an interactive / collaborative component for the sharing of ideas and the brainstorming of new programming.

• Our ERG leaders feel more engaged, knowing they have a voice and play an important role in the firm’s broader EID efforts.
• We’ve seen an increase beyond “social” initiatives, particularly around learning and development efforts, and events focused on the discussion of important EID topics.
• We have seen an increase in the number of collaborative events among our ERGs, which we believe is critical to maintaining an inclusive culture.
• We have publicly shared that our ERG Leaders are key stakeholders in the firm’s EID efforts, both in client presentations and on our website.

Monica Warek