EDI Staff Networks

Employee Representative Groups

EDI Staff Networks

Colleague Resource Groups

Three ways to describe what are essentially the same thing; Internal groups in organisations which centre on an affinity group with the aim of giving members a voice so their working lives can be improved. These groups usually form part of an organisation’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy and are an effective way of providing a supportive structure to employees.

When establishing a network, it’s important to consider and define what role the network will play as part of the wider organisation. Without clear aims and objectives networks can find it difficult to have a meaningful impact. Ideally the purpose of the group should be written down so there’s clarity on the group’s purpose. Typically, a good staff network will provide the following:

1. Provide a safe space to discuss challenges.
2. Be a source of support for staff members and discuss best practice.
3. Provide a collective voice for the workforce to senior management.

It’s important to ensure that meetings have structured agendas that support the above areas. Time can be allotted during meetings for free-form discussion, however meetings with no agenda run the risk of discussing the same issues on loop without progress being made. This can then lead to members experiencing frustration, leading to a drop in attendance. Successful groups focus on actions and solutions which are achieved by establishing aims & objectives and monitoring progress towards them.

Peer-to-Peer Networks established

Many larger organisations have run staff network groups for several years now, which has resulted in many successful changes being made within workplaces. They often come with challenges too, such as struggles to attract new members, a lack of inspiration on what to do for celebration events and gaining buy-in from senior leaders within the organisation. To help tackle these challenges, the Growth Company have joined forces with Electricity North West, The Hut Group & United Utilities to establish peer-to-peer networking groups specifically for the Chair/ Leads of internal Employee Representative Groups so they can collaborate, discuss issues and share best practice to aid the development of the groups they lead.

Groups established include Ethnicity, LGBTQ+, Gender Equality, Health & Wellness, Parent/ Carers, Armed Forces plus others including Ability/ Disability, Social Mobility & Bereavement/ Grief.

Do you lead such a group in your organisation?

Or do you have a responsibility for D&I?

If so, these networking groups are for you and your colleagues to meet with like-minded people from other organisations who share a common goal. Individual groups meet approximately every 6-8 weeks online and engage with each other in an online platform between meetings too. There are also two in-person meet ups a year where we bring together all of the groups to discuss wider topics and hear from experts who work within the D&I space.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Adrian Bird on 07503620816 or Adrian.bird@gcemployment.uk.