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Employee Resource Groups are one of the most important features of a truly inclusive workplace. But how do you set one up and run it?<\/p>\n
When you hear about digital transformation (and you hear about it a lot), most people focus on the technology. But, ultimately, it\u2019s about people and culture. The technology is how we \u2013 to quote our mission statement \u2013 empower every person on the planet to achieve more. Digital transformation is more focused on preparing for the future workplace and how to transform your workforce to get you all there.<\/p>\n
This focus on people is what my role as a Digital Inclusion Lead is all about. I try to make sure that our employees are engaged and have a voice. And a key way of doing that is through our Employee Resource Group for employees with disabilities. After all, if you want everyone to achieve more, you need to listen to their diverse needs and ideas.<\/p>\n
But what exactly is an Employee Resource Group? Why do you need one? And how do you get one up and running?<\/p>\n
Well, you\u2019re in luck. Because I had to find the answers to these same questions when I started\u2026<\/p>\n
You could think of Employee Resource Groups as a community that\u2019s dedicated to furthering the cause of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. At Microsoft, we have a number of different Employee Resource Groups and among them is our disAbility group. There, people with disabilities and everyone who supports their cause are given a voice to help remove barriers that they face in their everyday lives. It\u2019s also a way you can capture insight and ideas. And feed them into your own business and products\u2026<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all about making sure your business is representative of society so you can speak to all consumers. When you consider that approximately 20 percent of our society have a disability of some kind, that\u2019s both a moral and commercial imperative.<\/p>\n
One of the most important benefits of Employee Resource Groups is that they question how things can be changed for the better. That growth mindset means they\u2019re often at the forefront of thinking or innovation. Worldwide, for instance, more than one billion people have disabilities and need assistive technology \u2013 but only about one in ten actually has access to it. Our disAbility group often questions how to make software and devices smarter, and keep them affordable, so that more people can have the independence to perform daily tasks. The group has become a centre for excellence in making Office 365 more accessible. And we\u2019re now sharing this expertise beyond the business. They’re dedicated to creating both an inclusive workplace and an inclusive world.<\/p>\n
There are many other examples of the work we do to create accessible technology that can have a positive effect on people’s daily lives. I see the Microsoft Hackathon and Ability Hacks, for instance, as a really exciting example of how innovation can improve accessibility. Employees take time away from their regular jobs to hack solutions for people with disabilities. The resulting projects have turned into products used by millions of people, including Seeing AI<\/a>, Windows Eye Control<\/a>, Xbox Adaptive Controller<\/a> and Microsoft Learning Tools.<\/a><\/p>\n What\u2019s the purpose for your Employee Resource Groups? Do you want to address all areas of diversity? Or would your business and its people benefit from having discrete groups? At Microsoft, our disAbility group represents employees with hearing loss, visual impairments, ADD, dyslexia, mobility loss and much much more. Plus let us not forget allies who want to learn, are passionate about what we do or want to connect for personal reasons. I believe that this is a great chance to build out a strategy that\u2019s useful for both the employees within the group and the organisation. Not only will employees see that your business cares about them as individuals and is worth working for, but as a business you\u2019ll also be more productive and innovative.<\/p>\n Your Employee Resource Groups should be open to all, with no restrictions. Someone who\u2019s part of one group can still get involved in another, for example.<\/p>\n In fact, why not go further and help members network with resource groups from other companies? (It will also give you a chance to see if the other folks are doing things you hadn\u2019t thought of so you can share learnings and best practices.)<\/p>\n This will show the members of your Resource Groups \u2013 and the rest of your organisation \u2013 that you\u2019re serious. I run the disAbility group as a business, with budgets, plus discussions on what we are going to do in the financial year, how we\u2019ll make progress, and how we can support our mission? And I make sure we measure those things.<\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to overstate the importance of having a forum to give your employees a voice in this day and age. At Microsoft, our disAbility group is a force to be reckoned with. So do everything you can to set up your own force too.<\/p>\n![\"Illustration](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2019\/02\/blog_empowerment_800x450.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow do you set one up and run one?<\/h2>\n
1. Establish what you need and build a strategy<\/h2>\n
2. Make sure they\u2019re inclusive, not exclusionary<\/h2>\n
3. Promote your Employee Resource Groups and their objectives throughout the wider business<\/h2>\n
4. Set a budget and objectives for your activities<\/h2>\n
Find out more<\/h2>\n