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Q: Where do you ask the work/life questions you can’t google??

A: ERGs

Way back in the pre-pandemic days of 2017, Josh and I set out to find out what working parents & caregivers actually wanted at work. We were hoping for an easy-solve.

HA! Jokes on us. We talked to over 1,200 working caregivers from every level of seniority, role & industry and through every leg of the caregiving journey. We had perfect strangers in tears and on the verge of breakdowns.?

Through the many laughs, tears and knowing sighs, we heard 3 consistent themes:?

• They felt alone?
• They craved community support within their organization
• They wanted expert advice + practical guidance they could trust (and didn’t have time to go look for it themselves)?

That’s the problem we initially set out to solve at Kunik. And it took us deep into the world of ERGs.?

While our work has expanded to cover Employee Experience at large and challenges ranging from topics like team dynamics & hybrid work, to upskilling managers, navigating difficult conversations & beating burnout systemically - our roots are in ERGs.

Because of that, I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately. First with all the news on DEI - budget cuts, layoffs, etc. Second, because we’re digging deeper into what a truly meaningful and thriving employee experience looks like - and how that helps employers drive retention and performance.?

You might be surprised to hear that at the same time companies are reconsidering their DEI initiatives, we’re seeing employers double down on ERGs. It shouldn’t be surprising though. ERGs have been mis-categorized. Or rather, they’re a prime example of how we need to rethink everything from DEI to & Employee Engagement, Learning and Talent Development Strategies.?

At most companies ERGs sit under DEI. Where they belong is in the center of Employee Experience.?

At their most robust, ERGs connect peers, support career development, drive business results, develop your talent pipeline, and foster a sense of belonging that drives engagement and performance.?

Traditionally ERGs were based on identity, but today they cover topics from mental health to interests - further guidance on how we should be thinking about them: intentional places of connection, learning and growth that are central to a thriving employee experience.?

Yes, ERGs are an integral part of DEI initiatives. They also can inform your business. Have a tech product and want to know how to meet the needs of GenZ? Talk with your ‘Young Professionals ERG’. Wondering how to shift advertising to meet a new consumer segment? Have you talked to your Women’s ERG? Your Black ERG? Sounds obvious - but you’ll find most orgs don’t do this (in fact, they often bring in outside consultants without ever looking internally).

We lead a monthly ERG Roundtable and what we’re hearing from ERG Leaders shows how these groups have grown - and the potential they have. We’re not talking about happy hours + potlucks. We’re hearing things like - ‘we’d like to learn more about strategic goals our CEO has over the next 6 & 12 months so we can work with our exec sponsor to impact that’. Or ‘how are other ERGs working with their talent teams to think about access to learning + development opportunities?’ And ‘Are your ERGs tied into talent recruitment and onboarding?’?

Those are just some of the topics that we’ve been working with ERGs on lately. What else is trending? 4 big areas:?

1. ERG specific Convos - create space?
2. Intersectional / Cross ERG Convos - connect identities & groups?
3. Topics tying ERGs to business, product + talent - drive results & impact?
4. ERG Leadership Academy - better run, more impactful ERGs that develop talent & give back to Leads investing in your org

ERG Leadership Academy is the fastest growing area of our work with ERGs. It’s also closely tied to HR/Talent, DEI and L&D - a prime example of cross-functional collaboration and how your employees think about EX - something that impacts them daily and drives personal growth & professional development at the same time.?

If you’re struggling to get buy-in, resources, or otherwise develop your ERGs, think about reframing them. ERG Leaders are Culture Champions & Employee Experience Advocates. Your ERGs impact everything from whether a new GenZ hire will want to join to how you’re thinking about retirement and your older populations (yes, a lot of orgs have ERGs for that too!).?

Curious to hear how really forward thinking orgs are going about this? Happy to chat!

How does EX drive performance + Retention?

Want to know what your peers think? Join us for ‘Making it Matter in Miami’?

The big question we’re tackling:?How can EX drive performance + retention?

We’ll dive into 3 themes:

1.?Employee Experience 2.0?—> moving beyond ‘milestones’ to everyday EX?

2.?Learning Revolution?—> How are leading employers rethinking learning today?

3.?People Strategy?to?Business Strategy?—> Want a seat at the table? What data/info really matters here?

Message us for more info

What we’re reading:?

• Here’s what workers really care about?
• The only career advice you’ll ever need?
• More US women are working than ever?
• More than 50% of managers feel burned out?
• The skills based approach to culture change?
• Struggling caregivers find new support from ERGs
• How to avoid burnout from a Wall Street rising star?
• Shareholder activists drag companies into culture wars?
• Men are more likely to be rewarded for supporting coworkers ?
• Cancel that brainstorm - there’s a better way to spur good ideas?