How to build and support employee resource groups

Executive overview

Many employees from minority or underrepresented groups face discrimination that spills into the workplace. Employee resource groups (ERGs) give those employees a formal community for support, visibility, and change. They also benefit employers by strengthening culture, DEI outcomes, and retention.

HR's role is not to run ERGs but to create the conditions — policy, process, and visibility — that make forming one safe and straightforward.

What ERGs are

• Voluntary employee communities built around a shared characteristic or concern
• Common focus areas: race, gender, religion, sexual identity, ethnicity, parenthood
• Originated in 1970 when Black employees at Xerox organised around racial workplace tensions
• Valuable for organisations of any size — not just large enterprises

Why ERGs matter

• Give employees a space to feel heard, celebrate culture, grow networks
• Drive real organisational change from within
• Support DEI standards and employee engagement
• Strengthen retention and, over time, recruitment
• Signal that the organisation values diverse backgrounds — not merely tolerates them

Five steps for an ERG formation policy

1. Foster open communication — give employees a safe channel to raise concerns without fear of retribution
2. Encourage clear goals — invite the group to write a mission statement, core values, and goals
3. Decide on leadership — ERG leaders act as intermediaries; choose people who can communicate effectively for the group
4. Assist with metrics — track membership, turnover, and participation; document organisational changes the ERG influences
5. Make the policy accessible — include it in the employee handbook or culture guide; use compliance features to distribute and confirm receipt