Final eng

Employee Network Employee Network GroupsGroups

Ottawa UniversityOttawa University

Brandon S. HaddixBrandon S. Haddix

A brief overview of Employee A brief overview of Employee Network GroupsNetwork Groups

http://mba.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbilt/data/research/339full.pdf

Companies that use Employee Companies that use Employee Network GroupsNetwork Groups

Network Groups in MicrosoftNetwork Groups in Microsoft At Microsoft, we believe that our continued success At Microsoft, we believe that our continued success

depends on the diverse skills, experiences, and depends on the diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds that our employees bring to the company. To backgrounds that our employees bring to the company. To help foster diversity and inclusion, Microsoft has a rich help foster diversity and inclusion, Microsoft has a rich community of Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and community of Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and Employee Networks (EN). These organizations provide Employee Networks (EN). These organizations provide career development, support, networking opportunities, career development, support, networking opportunities, mentoring, community participation, product input, and mentoring, community participation, product input, and assistance in activities that promote cultural awareness. assistance in activities that promote cultural awareness. Their programs include speaker series, scholarship Their programs include speaker series, scholarship programs, community service, development conferences, programs, community service, development conferences, and heritage celebrations.and heritage celebrations.

Network Groups in Morgan StanleyNetwork Groups in Morgan Stanley

The firm recognizes the importance of employee networks The firm recognizes the importance of employee networks and the rich resources that can be reaped for both and the rich resources that can be reaped for both employees and the organization through the exchange of employees and the organization through the exchange of ideas and relationship-building. Employee Networking ideas and relationship-building. Employee Networking Groups are firm-sponsored organizations that are Groups are firm-sponsored organizations that are designed to enhance employee engagement, deliver designed to enhance employee engagement, deliver substantive content, create a framework for cross-substantive content, create a framework for cross-business unit connectivity and idea-sharing, and advance business unit connectivity and idea-sharing, and advance the firm's overall culture of inclusion. the firm's overall culture of inclusion.

Network Groups in Freddie MacNetwork Groups in Freddie Mac

Sharing our differences and building on our Sharing our differences and building on our similarities helps us collaborate effectively, think similarities helps us collaborate effectively, think creatively, build professional relationships and creatively, build professional relationships and take pride in our accomplishments and ourselves. take pride in our accomplishments and ourselves. Our seven Our seven Employee Network GroupsEmployee Network Groups play a play a major role by providing opportunities for major role by providing opportunities for professional development, networking, outreach professional development, networking, outreach and cultural enrichment.and cultural enrichment.

How can these groups benefit an How can these groups benefit an organization?organization?

• Talent Attraction and Recruitment:Talent Attraction and Recruitment: Members of Members of these groups can serve as recruiters for an organization these groups can serve as recruiters for an organization by attending conferences and job fairs, offering by attending conferences and job fairs, offering testimonials on the company website and hosting testimonials on the company website and hosting networking events.  Members of these groups are more networking events.  Members of these groups are more likely to associate with people within their affinity group likely to associate with people within their affinity group outside of work who may be potential employees; they outside of work who may be potential employees; they can serve as the voice of the organization.  Sometimes can serve as the voice of the organization.  Sometimes these groups can be used for targeted recruitment.  For these groups can be used for targeted recruitment.  For example, if an organization is looking to hire more military example, if an organization is looking to hire more military veterans, a employee group focused on veterans may be veterans, a employee group focused on veterans may be assigned the task to recruit a certain number of veteran assigned the task to recruit a certain number of veteran employees.employees.

Benefits of networking groups Benefits of networking groups (con’t)(con’t)

• Talent Engagement, Development and Talent Engagement, Development and Retention:Retention:   Employees involved in network   Employees involved in network groups may have developmental opportunities groups may have developmental opportunities available that they would not otherwise.  For available that they would not otherwise.  For instance, non-management employees often instance, non-management employees often develop leadership skills by participating in develop leadership skills by participating in network groups.  This helps employees feel network groups.  This helps employees feel more engaged, which leads to retention. more engaged, which leads to retention.

Benefits of networking groups Benefits of networking groups (con’t)(con’t)

• Customer Attraction and Market Customer Attraction and Market Outreach:  Outreach:  Networking groups can assist Networking groups can assist organizations in reaching customers in organizations in reaching customers in otherwise saturated markets and help them tap otherwise saturated markets and help them tap into underserved markets.  Additionally, groups into underserved markets.  Additionally, groups can be instrumental in developing new can be instrumental in developing new products.  At Frito-Lay, the company’s Hispanic products.  At Frito-Lay, the company’s Hispanic resource group was responsible for coming up resource group was responsible for coming up with the idea for the guacamole flavored chip. with the idea for the guacamole flavored chip.

Risks of employee networking Risks of employee networking groups.groups.

We will talk about two types of disadvantages We will talk about two types of disadvantages with networking groups. The disadvantages it with networking groups. The disadvantages it has on the employees, and on the organization.has on the employees, and on the organization.

Disadvantages on the employees.Disadvantages on the employees.

There are multiple disadvantages to employees in networking There are multiple disadvantages to employees in networking groups. Sometimes other employees resist the changing culture of groups. Sometimes other employees resist the changing culture of the American workforce and the diversity that networking groups the American workforce and the diversity that networking groups promote. People with these views are often opposed to change and promote. People with these views are often opposed to change and the uncertainty that follows. This discrepancy between the ideals of the uncertainty that follows. This discrepancy between the ideals of the networking group and the ideals of other employees has the the networking group and the ideals of other employees has the potential to cause rifts. Additionally, our society is currently potential to cause rifts. Additionally, our society is currently emphasizing that an employer should meet all of an employee's emphasizing that an employer should meet all of an employee's needs, and networking groups are said to further this notion. Some needs, and networking groups are said to further this notion. Some believe that this thinking is dangerous if taken too far because it believe that this thinking is dangerous if taken too far because it could make an employee too dependant on their employer. If could make an employee too dependant on their employer. If networking groups are leading activists to make their lives revolve networking groups are leading activists to make their lives revolve even more around work, such negative implications could arise.even more around work, such negative implications could arise.

Disadvantages on the employees Disadvantages on the employees (con’t)(con’t)

Some also believe that it is also dangerous for an networking group Some also believe that it is also dangerous for an networking group member to be strongly invested in the possibility of change provided member to be strongly invested in the possibility of change provided by their networking group. By becoming so invested in an networking by their networking group. By becoming so invested in an networking group, there is a greater probability that that member may lose sight group, there is a greater probability that that member may lose sight of the larger change that they want to see in society by instead of the larger change that they want to see in society by instead focusing too much on the prospect of change in their specific focusing too much on the prospect of change in their specific company. Along the same lines, others believe that radical members company. Along the same lines, others believe that radical members of networking groups have to find a careful balance between of networking groups have to find a careful balance between supporting their cause and supporting their workplace. Since radical supporting their cause and supporting their workplace. Since radical advocates for a cause tend to feel deeply about the issues, they can advocates for a cause tend to feel deeply about the issues, they can feel pressure from their advocacy groups to yield more influence in feel pressure from their advocacy groups to yield more influence in their networking group, while their networking group needs them to their networking group, while their networking group needs them to adopt a more conservative approach in order to contribute to and adopt a more conservative approach in order to contribute to and deal with the business. deal with the business.

Disadvanges to the organizationDisadvanges to the organization

Networking groups have the potential to create strained Networking groups have the potential to create strained relationships between members of the group and upper relationships between members of the group and upper management. Because of the fact that these management. Because of the fact that these management personnel have the ability to affect management personnel have the ability to affect promised jobs and bonuses, there are situations that promised jobs and bonuses, there are situations that have the potential to arise in which networking group have the potential to arise in which networking group participation leads to discrimination. To combat this participation leads to discrimination. To combat this potential disadvantage to networking groups some potential disadvantage to networking groups some believe it is necessary for them to focus on gaining trust, believe it is necessary for them to focus on gaining trust, joint learning with management, and forming alliances in joint learning with management, and forming alliances in order to promote change. order to promote change.

My two cents!My two cents!

ReferencesReferences Employee Resource Groups, n.d., retrieved September Employee Resource Groups, n.d., retrieved September

8, 2013 from: 8, 2013 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_resource_groups#Disadvantages_of_ERGshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_resource_groups#Disadvantages_of_ERGs

Winters, M., (August 29, 2012), Benefits of Employee Winters, M., (August 29, 2012), Benefits of Employee Resource Groups, retrieved September 8, 2013 from: Resource Groups, retrieved September 8, 2013 from: http://www.letstalkaboutwork.tv/benefits-employee-resource-groups/http://www.letstalkaboutwork.tv/benefits-employee-resource-groups/

Employee Network Groups, n.d., retrieved August 5, Employee Network Groups, n.d., retrieved August 5, 2013 from: 2013 from: http://http://www.freddiemac.com/careers/diversity/networks.htmlwww.freddiemac.com/careers/diversity/networks.html