How do leaders know which ERGs they need?

April 07, 2023

The connection between ERGs and DEI teams seems intuitive and natural. Why, then, do so many businesses see these groups in separate lights? As Nicole Simpson, the U.S. DEI Director for creative marketing agency RAPP explains, “ERGs can be an important piece of the engine driving your organization to a more equitable place. They are not just a nice-to-have or a vehicle for one-off cultural events like Black History Month or Pride Month.”

Simpson has seen first-hand how powerful ERG and DEI groups can be when they work together, and it’s part of the reason she pushes hard for RAPP to be innovative in both ERG and DEI realms. At one of her former employers, the Black talent ERG had a conversation with the executive leadership team about what the Black talent at the company needed. Simpson credits this type of healthy give and take for the resulting programs and policy changes that improved the Black talent experience at the organization.

Both ERGs and DEIs do a lot of exhausting work. By linking them, you can help lower the chances that they’ll unknowingly duplicate efforts or end up hosting competing events and campaigns.

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