Employee network
and affinity groups each have unique characteristics—no two are alike. There
are, however, common planning and management techniques. Do
you need to develop a business case or implementation plan
for network or affinity groups? If so, consider the elements
described below to ensure your efforts, and that of the groups,
best fit your organization’s needs.
While implementations will vary, it is still helpful to state
a definition of employee network groups to serve as a foundation
for this article. An employee network group:
- Is focused on the business-related issues of a particular
group
- Is open to all employees in the company
- Has a local and/or national organizational structure
with officers and holds periodic meetings
- Has an overall mission aligned with your company’s
business purpose
- Is involved in member professional development activities,
business partnerships, and community activities
- Serves as a two-way communications channel with senior
management, sensitizing management to employees’
concerns and communicating company messages to employees
- And provides advice and counsel to management.
To build your business case, you need
to consider the following:
The Group’s
Value
Employee Network Groups (ENGs) can add significant value
for the employees who participate, the external communities
in which you interact, and your organization’s bottom-line
results. Employees who participate in ENG meetings get unique
networking and learning opportunities. Employees acquire practical
project management skills by organizing professional development
workshops and community involvement work. ENG officer and
committee responsibilities provide leadership development
opportunities that may expand far beyond the employee’s
regular job. Consider the development opportunity for a middle
manager who leads an ENG with 100 to 1,000 members!
Is community presence important to your company’s business
success? ENG members are ideal ambassadors—as company
representatives at marketing events, leaders of or participants
in community projects, mentors in schools, and speakers at
special events.
Business success requires that you understand and effectively
meet your customers’ or clients’ needs. If you
serve consumers, the diversity of your customer base is likely
expanding. ENG members have unique knowledge of market segments
that may be high growth potential for your products and services.
ENGs are excellent in-house market research resources. They
can also be of immense help in developing product/ service
introduction plans to boost market share.
Determine which of these benefits of ENG participation are
most relevant to your organization. Quantify them to help
make the business case.
Plan Ahead
In recognizing groups as ENGs, there are various considerations
that are best factored in up-front to make sure the network
developed is appropriate for your organization.
1.
What is your business need for introducing Employee Network
Groups? If the sole purpose is internal work environment,
you may need groups representing fewer communities. If you
have an aggressive, highly segmented business marketing strategy,
you may need many ENGs to reflect multiple market segments.
2. Do you allow ENGs to use the company logo
and brand? This is most relevant when the ENGs do
work outside the company (e.g., community presence or assistance
with marketing or recruiting). If the company controls the
events, this is an easy decision. If the ENG chooses its venues,
you would have less control of use of the logo and brand.
What restrictions would you place?
3. How
much funding, if any, is provided to the groups? Consider
your affordability along with the business purpose. If the
groups do market research and/or marketing, your line organizations
should provide funding. If the ENGs’ purpose
is to help improve work environment, perhaps they should
be funded by HR. If the ENGs provide training and professional
development, training budgets can be tapped. Funding can
come from multiple sources.
4. Once some groups
are recognized and granted support, more groups will seek
similar status. When do you stop? This is a trade-off
between inclusion and resources. Each group recognized is
a relationship to manage that requires time, money, and people.
If the groups do involve extensive business partnerships,
get senior line managers as champions who manage the relationships.
Regardless, you will need human resources support to manage
policy and detailed relationship issues. Figure that every
5-10 groups will require nearly one person in human resources
as a full-time relationship manager.
5. What
issues will be discussed? Part of the answer is
in your business purpose, discussed earlier. Also consider
limiting the nature of their efforts to advice, counsel,
and communications about topics such as employee needs, business
plans, and helping senior executives keep in touch with the
needs of all employees. The group is not designed to negotiate
terms and conditions of employment or work environment— that would infringe
upon the rights of a union. Seek advice from your labor attorney.
Above all, though, don’t let this particular issue
stop you from moving forward with network groups. There is
far too much potential value, and this concern is readily
addressed.
Infrastructure
These groups will develop a natural and highly desirable
interest in helping the company, the community, and employees.
That takes communication, information, and relationships.
The keys to making this happen? Repeat three times, “Managing
employee network groups requires dedicated resources.”
If you have any doubt, your best path is to not implement
network groups.
Consider bringing the ENG leaders together with your corporate
diversity team as a coordinating council. This gives you a
venue through which to encourage partnering across the ENGs.
Also consider establishing one or more senior managers as
executive champions for each ENG. Have the champions collectively
report their results to the CEO periodically. The CEO can
meet with the combined group of ENG leaders once or twice
per year. This creates:
- A source of excellent learning for the executive champions
- A link between the CEO and the ENGs
- An advocate to help identify business partnership opportunities
for the ENG, and to make appropriate introductions
- A venue through which the champion can communicate her/his
messages.
Potential Pitfalls
Yes, some may arise. Here are the major pitfalls with some
thoughts about managing them:
What types
of interests will we recognize as an ENG? Some companies
allow any group that is aligned with business purpose. Some
allow any group except for those based solely on political,
religious, or commercial interests. Most only recognize groups
when there is a business need, and require alignment with
business purpose, policy, and direction.
Why
bother? They just lead to divisiveness! By making
membership in the groups open to all employees and having
a firm business purpose for the groups, you can build awareness
of the groups’ positive aspects. Expect and accept
that there may be some level of residual discontent.
The
ENGs might get too independent. Certainly a valid
concern. Manage the relationships, funding, and areas of involvement.
Limit membership to employees. Perhaps include contractors.
Conclusion
By now you have given thought to the key questions and hopefully
you have a good starting point for a successful plan to realize
the many benefits available from a well-managed set of employee
network groups.
