Portfolio Spotlight: Employee Resource Group Internal Communication Recommendations

This document was created for a company boasting over 1,200 employees as a recommendation for internal communication strategy. My position as the head of the business impact group within the employee resource group gave me supervision and ownership over communication projects related to the group.

Although all material created for this communication strategy were done by myself and without direct relation to official internal material shared by corporate, in the best interest of quality and safety I have purposefully omitted identifying brand names from this copy of the internal communication strategy recommendation document.

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Part I: Current State Evaluation

Summary
Presently, the ERG is comprised of core leadership members, and hosts open meetings to informal
members on a “drop-in” basis. The ERG hosts “talking points” meetings, where ongoing projects, goals, and ideas are shared between members of leadership, and informal members. There are also meetings which act in “workshop” fashion to challenge members to confront biases and encourage conversation with the goal of developing a more inclusive workplace. Additionally, the ERG will at times hold “lunch and learn” sessions, and publishes the monthly [ERG] newsletter, interviewing individual [COMPANY] employees with an emphasis on showcasing aspects of personal life outside of work. The goal of these newsletters is to humanize the workforce and develop empathy across all departments. Current ongoing projects for the ERG include getting [COMPANY] scored on the Equality Index, initiating a Veteran’s Employee Resource Group (already started), conversing across business units, collaborating with [TRAINING] trainers, scheduling panel interviews, and engaging with front-line leaders.
 

Current Membership Analysis
DATA NEEDED. Recommendation: Conduct surveys for established members of the ERG. This includes leadership members, and anyone who has already signed up to receive meeting invites. An internal probe is encouraged to definitively analyze the current thoughts, wants, needs, questions, and
comments that members have regarding the ERG.

New Membership Analysis
Currently, the ERG has a tentative goal to encourage members of the unions present in [LOCATIONS] to participate in Council activities, especially [NEWSLETTER]. There has been concern raised over union members expressing hesitancy to participate in ERG and [NEWSLETTER]. The suspected reason for this has to do with preconceived notions that may exist in the minds of union members and leadership about the values and mission of the ERG and [NEWSLETTER] that do not align with personal values of this particular interest group.
GOAL: Facilitate ERG membership and participation from union members in [NEWSLETTER] interviews.

Equity Analysis
COMPARATIVE: To analyze brand equity most effectively for the ERG, it is important to compare with the brand equity of [COMPANY]. The [COMPANY] Policy states: [REDACTED]. The [ERG] maintains and promotes equity by housing key points from the [COMPANY] Policy in some of its practices. Namely, the [ERG] focuses on continuous growth and improvement. Tangible goals for the [ERG] include better aligning with certain compliance obligations, especially as they relate to local equal employment bylaws. Protecting employees from discriminatory practices, or intimidation, in the workplace, is foundational for the [ERG].

Communication Practices
Presently, the [ERG] communicates via email invites to meetings. These emails are sent to leadership
members, and a wider number of employees who have already opted in to receiving invites for all-
member meetings. Additionally, the [ERG] uses both digital and print channels to publish [NEWSLETTER]. In certain areas and departments around the plant, there can be found the [REG] handout leaflet, printed, and posted.

Mission, Vision, Values Analysis
COMPARATIVE: To analyze the mission, vision, and values most effectively for the [ERG] it is important to compare with those of [COMPANY]. [COMPANY] vision and values (summary): [PARTIALLY REDACTED]. [COMPANY] innovates to push boundaries with products that can perform in the most extreme conditions, challenging applications, and environments, improving what we know, and pioneering solutions for the evermore challenging applications and environments of tomorrow. [COMPANY] thrives where the expectations and barriers are highest. [COMPANY] is committed to attracting, coaching, and retaining only the best. [PARTIALLY REDACTED].
[COMPANY] values guide: Integrity, innovation, safety and sustainability, teamwork and respect, and
accountability.

[ERG] core values (summary): Inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility; establishing a workplace where differences are celebrated, similarities are strengthened, needs our met, and individuals are put in the best position for growth.

POINTS OF COHESION: Mutual respect in the workplace, teamwork, growth.

Identity and Personality
Currently, the [ERG] has developed a personality where inclusivity in the workplace is paramount,
especially pertaining to employees belonging to historically marginalized groups. “First impression”
introduction for the [ERG] during new employee onboarding is perhaps the most palpable actionable
example of this personality. The presentation exists to inform new employees of the Council’s existence, its values, and touch on past accomplishments, laid out following an “ice breaker” meant to
demonstrate the importance of a diverse workplace. This sets the identity and personality of the brand
for new employees.

Elements
The [ERG] currently has a handout that is printed and given to new employees and exists in a digital
format. Colors used in this handout are turquois, green, orange, and red. Secondary colors are yellow
and shades of light blue. Primary font used is Calibri, secondary font is Arial. I am unfamiliar with other visual / design elements associated with [ERG] if they exist.

Channels
The [ERG] communicates via email. Meetings and workshops are held on Teams. Handouts are given to new employees during onboarding orientation. Outside of [COMPANY], [ERG] sponsors [LOCATION] Pride and [LOCATION] Veteran’s Day Parade.

Data Collection
Previous data collection methods / results unknown to me.

Part II: Recommendations

Data Collection
It is recommended to conduct internal and external surveys for the [ERG]. Surveys of this nature should
be kept anonymous. Both should include qualitative and quantitative data. An internal survey should
include questions to narrow the scope of current feelings from members about the [ERG]. This is
primarily a tool for feedback to better understand the wants, needs, and vision of how current members
interpret their relationship with the [ERG] in its present state. Quantitative questions featured on an
internal survey like this should focus on acquiring demographic information of existing members.
For the sake of current communication goals, external survey questions should focus more on
qualitative than quantitative data; the goal of gathering data from non-members should be to
understand how this group perceives the [ERG] brand. Impressions, thoughts, feelings, emotions,
questions, and comments, along with feedback on awareness of the [ERG] and a willingness to either
join or participate in [ERG] sponsored activities and events, such as [NEWSLETTER].
New Membership GOAL: Facilitate [ERG] membership and participation from union members in
[NEWSLETTER] interviews.

Points of interest for future state recommendations pertinent to the goal of acquiring new membership
and participation from union members in [NEWSLETTER], and [ERG] as a whole, include revising current communication practices and channels, mission, values, and vision statements, and reassessing equity and personality. A broad evaluation of the positionality of the [ERG], [NEWSLETTER] project,
[COMPANY], and other employee resource groups and programs, should be conducted.

Communication Practices and Channels
Consider diversifying the communication types made available to [ERG] members. Panel style
workshops and education meetings are valuable and should continue, as are recurring “drop-in” style
meetings. The two key tones of these types of communications are “serious” and “informal,”
respectively. Developing another communication type with a set tone in the middle would be
advantageous. Examples could include lunchtime meet-ups where games are played, quarterly meetings
outside of work, at restaurants or entertainment venues, or holiday-centric celebrations (e.g.,
Halloween costume parties, winter holiday potlucks, spring picnics, etc.).

Additionally, consider expanding communication channels for the [ERG] outside of the digital-only
distribution and meeting space. Examples might include booking one meeting per month in an onsite
meeting room, allowing members to attend in-person, with rotating time slots to accommodate
employees with shift differentials. This is especially attractive to operations employees who might have
very limited to no means of attending digital meetings, and no availability during the 8am-4pm day shift hours.

Finally, it is recommended to expand the circulation of printed materials pertaining to the [ERG]
throughout the plant, both in digital and traditional format. Speaking candidly and from personal
experience, outside of the onboarding orientation presentation, I was not sure where, when, how often,
and to what ends the [ERG] met, nor how to join, nor what their meeting agendas might include, and did not have a readily accessible way to contact the council via intuitive means, such as through the
[COMPANY] Intranet.

Re-evaluate the [ERG] handout to include more direct, clear instructions for joining the council, what
prospective members can expect, and an outline of how frequently and where meetings take place.
Additionally, consider adding a way to access this information from the [COMPANY] Intranet. Finally,
communicate with all departments across the facility to ensure that a handout for the [ERG], with all
previously stated pertinent information easy to read and understand, exists within the department for
all members to see; printed and pasted somewhere, next to DMB meeting boards, etc.

Mission, Vision, and Values
It would be advantageous to conduct a deep dive into the values, mission, and vision statements from
the unions that currently work with [COMPANY]. Not only is it important to maintain equity by
embodying the core values of [COMPANY] through the [ERG], but it is also important to align those
values with the unions. In my opinion, I think that continuing to stress ideas of togetherness, growth,
innovation, and community strength in [ERG]’s messaging could “bridge a gap” between union members and representatives who might feel reservations about engaging with [COMPANY] sponsored programs like this.

Identity and Personality
From the perspective of a still relatively new hire, my first impression of [ERG] was very much as a
general diversity group that might put on seminars for inclusivity training now and then. I have since
been amazed at the depth and scope that the [ERG] functions on and impressed by the overarching goal
of developing a community at work rather than purely on education about topics related to diversity
and inclusion. While education of that nature is deeply important, and I do think that the [ERG] is not
afraid to challenge its members with introspective questions that evoke deep conversation, I think it is
just as important for new hires and especially union members to associate the [ERG] with community
and togetherness on a broader scope, rather than only as a forum for diverse workplace education and
discussion.

Elements
Consider using colors and typefaces closer resembling the [COMPANY] communication material
standards to promote cohesion.

Part III: Actionable Concepts

 

“Diversifying” [NEWSLETTER]
Consider developing “special” editions of [NEWSLETTER], to be published under the [NEWSLETTER] brand but with a different headline as stand-alone pieces. These could be themed around yearly events, holidays, cultural celebrations, etc. For example, and in the interest of attracting more union members to be interview candidates: As November approaches, I know I am not the only one who associates the month with Veteran’s Day. Consider putting out a call to interview a handful of veterans who work at [COMPANY], with particular care to invite members of the unions onsite. The newsletter produced might be titled something like “Veteran’s Voices,” with the [NEWSLETTER] sub-header featured in smaller text, to denote its association, but differentiate it enough as its own “program,” so to speak. This could be thought of as how a magazine might publish short, seasonal zines under the same brand, but as a “sub-brand” rather than a direct extension. The concept would be largely the same but elevating the voices of a few individuals in a longer-form article, spanning two or three pages. The interview questions then could be more topical to the edition; in this case, probing our veterans at [COMPANY] about their time served, lessons and memories they cherish from their time in the service, how their life in the military might sometimes translate to how they conduct themselves at work, etc. Along, of course, with more personal questions, focused on life, interests, hobbies, and aspirations.

I feel that a special edition like this that might cater to and feature a subculture of people that are likely
to exist in large numbers in both unions would make the idea of participating more enticing. Additionally, future special editions centered around other cultural dates or seasons of significance, like Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, etc. would generally add a degree of
excitement to the [TRAINING] model; something that warrants continuous “fresh” takes to maintain
employee interest in the concept.

[ERG] in-person meetings
As briefly touched on, I think there is great value in hosting in-person [ERG] meetings, at least once a
month. Whether that be the informal routine meetings, or the more engaging conversations with
[NAME]. In my short time here, I have heard several times that operation staff are much less likely to
attend digital-only meetings, and ones that especially do not take into consideration shift differentials.
Even just promoting that the [ERG] has more options for attendance than only during day-shift hours
and on Teams sends a message that the council recognizes the needs of operation staff.

Handouts, links, emails…more connection!
I believe that the [ERG] would see a jump in membership and meeting attendance if more proactive
steps were taken to clearly communicate how to join, who to speak to, and how to engage with the
council. I especially think that the [ERG], for all that it does, deserves a place on the Intranet. At least, it would be extremely advantageous to list meetings on the Intranet “Meeting Sign Up” list, alongside
other programs like [TRAINING]. This is where I first immediately went looking for the [ERG] when I was hired and was surprised not to see their meetings listed here. Having printed handouts with clearly
stated points of contact, meeting times and dates, and “how to join” instructions present in every
department would be ideal. This also generally sends the message that the [ERG] is firmly a part of
[COMPANY] – not just a small group that is hardly involved with daily activities, changes, and innovation within the [COMPANY].