Launch of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for Female Employees
Challenge
We identified that many of our current interactions and meetings are led by males and wanted to create a safe environment for our female employees to form a community and participate in regular sessions on topics of interest. We didn’t have any formal ERGs set up at Excelitas so began working on a regional ERG for female employees.
Actions
The mission is to have an inclusive and interactive environment for Excelitas female employees, to support and encourage their professional and personal growth and excellence. Our objective is to help build a welcoming culture and create a sense of community, providing a forum for learning, idea sharing, networking and safe space discussions that will drive inclusion and engagement. Starting in North America as of April 2021, PWNET began to host interactive events and activities training sessions, get-togethers, “fireside chats” – all with the aim to enhance employee cultural competence and identify, cultivate and build professional- and leadership skills. By connecting our members remotely across physical offices and organizational groups, across departments and regions, PWNET will work to foster a sense of community and belonging across Excelitas. Best practices and learnings from the North America launch were shared with other regions.
Outcomes
We launched initially for our North America sites and then extended the reach of this group and launched in Asia in August 2021 in UK in early 2022. We plan to extend this to our 6 sites in Germany by the end of 2022 and are actively working on preparing for this launch.
Contact
Laura Delves
I am very proud to be part of the Diversity and Inclusion team that co-founded Excelitas’ first Employee Resource Group (ERG), PWNET- Professional Women’s Network, Excelitas Technologies. Over the last two years, our international group of Excelitas female leaders worked hard, and continues to do so, on the development of new initiatives and policies in support of our company wide diversity and inclusion objectives.
During the two years of Covid shutdowns, managing and working through the pandemic, PWNET was one of the important Excelitas resources available to facilitate female employee well-being and support through interactive discussions, fireside chats and training sessions, particularly important during those times of crisis. Additionally, by identifying, engaging and nurturing our diverse talent through PWNET and future Excelitas ERGs, our leaders and our company can shape and support the employee’s growth as well as continue to champion an inclusive team spirit.