Employee Network Group Best Practices, Policies and Guidelines, and Implementation
D&I issue
You are interested in starting or obtaining greater business value from Employee Network Groups (ENGs). Perhaps you have questions such as:
- What are employee network groups?
- What are the business advantages and benefits of employee affinity groups? What is the business case?
- Which employee groups should we form?
- Are there any potential risks or problems associated with ENGs?
- How do we manage them effectively to obtain value without incurring any problems?
ENGs are an increasingly common component of leading-edge diversity initiatives. An ENG typically focuses on the business-related issues of a particular community, such as Asians, African Americans, people who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender (GLBT), Native Americans, Latinos/Latinas, Men, people with disabilities, Women, or faith and spirituality. Membership is generally open to all employees.
Employee Network Groups have enormous potential advantages and, as with many excellent ideas, potential pitfalls to avoid. Managing ENGs effectively can help grow your business, build your company's reputation, and increase workforce diversity through their impact on your products and services, employees, and external communities.
Potential pitfalls include inter-group conflict, backlash, uncontrolled internal pressure points, and unauthorized spokespeople.
The objective is realizing the benefits your business needs while minimizing the likelihood of experiencing the pitfalls.
D&I solution
MDB Group's principals have extensive direct experience and expertise with all aspects of successfully planning, implementing, and managing Employee Network Groups. As with all our D&I work, we apply Business-Aligned® diversity planning to ENGs. We can develop the relationships, guidelines, best practices and policies, and communication plans that help ensure a successful launch and a positive outcome.
To learn more about our Business-Aligned D&I approach to ENGs:
| Listen to an audio overview | |
| Subscribe to a podcast |  (paste link into your media manager) |
| Read an article | Developing and Implementing Employee Network Groups |
Sample D&I results
See representative results achieved by MDB Group's principals at Managing Employee Network Groups.
Related links
Employee Network Groups have potential benefits to employees, product / service design and marketing, and external communities. Click the links below for further insight:
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Adding ENGs to a diversity initiative is one way to further engage employees and achieve new types of results. |
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By engaging employees and providing new development opportunities, ENGs can help address morale and turnover. |
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ENGs can help build a credible external company presence through community involvement and relationships. |
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ENGs provide an internal resource of knowledge and experience for product/service development and marketing. |
Next steps
Please call us so that together we can determine how Employee Network Groups might benefit your company.
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Resource Links
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MDB Group Business-Aligned® D&I Solutions
D&I Application Note (PDF): Grow Your Organization through Business-Aligned® D&I Planning
Spotlight on Building Inclusion
Almost all organizations say they want a more-inclusive workplace. Some can define what this looks like. Very few organizations achieve anything close to “full inclusion". Why? It takes a change in mindset about diversity and cultural difference.
Growing an organization and its business through full inclusion typically demands some mix of the PICAS factors (Productivity, Innovation, Creativity, Agility, and Safety). Full inclusion requires cultural and behavioral change from the CEO to the newest employee. To learn more visit these pages:
