In our January Meet Up, we covered a lot of ground! Prior to the meetup, we had nearly 100 DEIB & ERG Program Managers weigh in on what we should discuss, and 83% signaled that setting goals & planning initiatives for the New Year was on the top of their mind. So in this meet up, we focused on some tangible takeaways and resources to set your employee communities (i.e. ERGs) up for success.

Kicking off a New Year: The Big Takeaways

Here were some high-level takeaways from our session:

1. Set goals. From the get-go, it's important that everybody from your C-suite to new employees are on the same page. Need some help? Check out our goal-setting guide here.
2. Set up systems. Automating away administrative tasks can help you think strategically and use your time effectively. If you're thinking about Employee Community (i.e. ERG) platform, feel free to book some time with us here.
3. Get leadership buy-in. Make sure exec sponsors are appointed and are clear on how they can help champion your employees.
4. Think outside the box. There are tons of new types of employee communities (mental health, caregivers, remote employees) - so make sure you're introducing structure across the board that can help them all get on the same page, and possibly share resources. Check out our guide to intersectional efforts here.
5. Don't be afraid of change management. New growth means you might have to set new expectations. Make sure you're being clear from the get-go and striking a balance between being hands-on and flexible. It's tricky, but necessary!

New Year: ERG Leadership Checklist

Sierra Quiros runs the ERG Program at Betterment and shared her awesome playbook + checklist for how they set themselves up for success as they transition to new ERG leadership.

See below for her checklist on what to cover with new leaders! Download the document by clicking here.

‍

Bonus: Certifications & Courses

The space is growing rapidly and there's so much to learn. DEIB and Employee Community managers are quickly owning more and more of the Employee Experience at a company. If you're looking to bolster your credentials, here are some recommended certifications and courses that our community members shared at the end of our meet up today.

The Diversity Movement: The Diversity Leader’s Intensive

USF: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate

The Sarah Jane Academy's DEI for Practitioners