Assessing areas of impact
Through the Best Companies for ERGs process, we assess participating organizations against key criteria aligned to each of the following four areas of impact:
Program support
The ERG program is an integral part of the inclusion strategy, with robust and dedicated resources.
Leadership
Leadership plays a visible and active role in supporting ERGs and a culture of inclusion.
Governance
The organization takes steps to measure, report, and help ensure ERG accountability.
Inclusive culture
The culture of the organization reflects its commitment to inclusion and ERGs.
Program support
The organization has a formal inclusion strategy in place that incorporates employee resource groups (ERGs)
The organization has at least five ERGs spanning five different diversity dimensions
The organization has at least one full-time employee whose role involves supporting the ERG program
The organization has a dedicated ERG budget in place and a process for ERGs to request funding
Leadership
The organization has a formal strategy in place for executive sponsors, with each ERG having at least one executive sponsor who is a senior-level business leader
Executive sponsors meet regularly with ERG leaders to provide guidance and support
The organization provides leadership development opportunities to ERG leaders
The organization provides guidance to ERGs on leadership succession planning
Governance
ERG metrics are tracked and reported to senior leadership at least once per year
The organization has established guidelines in place that outline ERG expectations and accountability measures
The organization takes steps to track ERG spending against business results
ERGs provide an update on their progress toward meeting goals on a regular basis
Inclusive culture
The organization demonstrates a visible commitment to supporting ERGs through external and internal means (e.g., communications, partnerships, etc.)
The organization communicates the value of ERGs to all employees at least once per year
ERGs play a role in recruiting and onboarding new employees
ERGs are given an opportunity to weigh in on relevant inclusion efforts
For more information, please refer to FAQs or contact bestcompanies@ergtopia.com.