Setting up and maintaining your network group
Running a successful employee network group means getting the structure right from the beginning, but it’s useful to also ensure that you are focussing on best practice by aligning your purpose and core goals in everything the network does.
Values & Mission / Core objective examples:
- Employees: Provide better engagement, connection and belonging within an organization to marginalized groups
- Output: Better innovations, feedback on organizational strategy and aiding decision making for services, customers and clients
- Help contribute to formulising wider strategy that aligns to the organization values, policy and Diversity & Inclusion strategy
- Aid the employee life cycle or journey through development and events
- Collaborate with external networks and relevant organizations for better support
- Share and formulate resources within the network and beyond
- Wider campaigns
- Well-being support
- Sharing lived-experiences
Action Plan Questionnaire
- What is my group’s name, logo, etc.? Do you need this to align with other network groups within the organisation?
- What is the purpose and agenda of the group, i.e. Black Employees, multi-cultural, etc. Consider what are the key issues your organisation is facing within this agenda to inform your purpose and mission.
- How does your group fit in with HR, business and other ERGs. If local then how does it work with its overseas counterparts?
- Who is the target demographic? Also include allies. List out the benefits and contributions of each group.
- How will you engage those within your organisation, what communication platforms do you have access to?
- What would the launch entail and date? And how will we launch?
- What is your committee structure? And formulate logistics, i.e. frequency of meetings etc.:
- How will you ensure committee members have time to properly work on areas set out?
- Will my network have a set budget? How will this be determined?
- Who will be your executive sponsor(s), committee chair(s) and core committee members? How are these selected?
- How often will you meet and who will be involved/invited to these meetings?
- Has Covid-19 and associated provisions temporarily and permanently affected/changed any plans, objectives and values?
Getting Started
Here are our top tips on starting a network within your organisation.
Get started…
1. Find interested members to join the committee and hold a meeting
Getting an initial committee together will help the execute some of the roles within the network, help better engagement and get different perspectives to inform on some of the activities.
2. Get buy in from HR and senior stakeholders
Most network have at least one sponsor, their role is to help support the needs of the network, particularly when the business needs to support areas and sign off on some of the actions created. Having a senior sponsor will speed up these processes. HR involvement is also crucial in ensuring that the network group is aligning to wider diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
3. Create your mission and action plan
Use our resource to help you identify key objectives and purpose, so that you can build out your network’s activities and align your comms and strategy.
4. Get ready to launch
Your first event will be the launch, use this as a way to engage new membership, communicate your objectives and get feedback on what support your colleagues are looking for.
Strategy: Contents
The strategy or action plan helps inform on mission and the detailed tasks. It is a document that anyone can view and ensures that other stakeholders, i.e. HR or the exec team are aware of the group’s activities and remit.
Business case
This might also be a good chance to list the benefits and gaps in business which your group will help provide. Ensure that this is aligned to wider organisation values, goals and strategy.
Committee members
- Chair(s) – can also include deputy chairs
- Executive sponsor(s) – they don’t need to be from an ethnic minority group, but must be passionate about the agenda, willing to learn, listen and support, and use their position of influence to amplify the group’s mission throughout the organisation.
- Sub-committee leads: Consider areas of your group that needs workstreams, i.e. communications, events, finances, etc. (each lead will contribute to a section of the action plan
- Consider including a member of HR or the someone who is responsible for inclusion to help your group strategy align to wider inclusion goals
Communication plan & member engagement
• What has the groups got access to? Intranet, Company-wide comms, Communication members on committee, etc.
• What is the 12 month comms plan? Ensure this aligns to your groups strategy
• If your organisation has employees distributed over various locations, consider how you can maximise engagement
Events plan
The foundation of most networks are a calendar of events, which aid awareness and engagement.
• Will your events include cultural and awareness holidays, days and celebrations?
• Will your events include career development? i.e. professional development, mentoring, etc.
Allies Engagement Plan
Objective: Engage allies from the offset. But ensure it is clearly set out the benefits for and from allies joining the network
Logistics
Meeting frequency: How many meetings will you have? Who will attend each meeting? What is the purpose of each meeting? (i.e. Working with HR to align to strategy. Formalising budget and allocation. Meeting the exec sponsor. Functional regular committee meetings to execute the plan)
Other functions
List out other functions of the group, i.e. producing a survey, sharing resources, launching a mentoring programme, etc.
Maturity: Affinity > ERG > BRG
The committee should have a longer term vision that aligns to your goals. This includes how your network will be integrated into helping business in the future.
| Objective | Example | |
| AFFINITY GROUP | Build awareness | Networking events |
| EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP | Develop careers | Mentoring programme |
| BUSINESS RESOURCE GROUP | Influence business | Feedback on the marketplace |