This post was originally published on this site
Uncertainty is universal across today’s quickly changing world of work, and HR is at the heart of navigating how employers help their workforces respond to it. One often-overlooked way HR can respond to uncertainty, according to one chief people officer, is by leveraging the company’s employee resource groups.
According to Janeen Speer, chief people officer at Benevity—a provider of charitable donation-management, volunteer-management and grant-management platforms—ERGs can play a pivotal role in helping organizations navigate uncertainty, including shifting market dynamics and evolving workplace cultures. ERGs can be essential to building workforce resilience, Speer says, and maintaining cultural continuity amid change.
One opportunity for ERGs to be particularly effective is during leadership shifts. They can bring new leaders authentic employee perspectives, foster grassroots engagement and build trust among employees and leaders, Speer says.
Why are ERGs so ‘powerful’ for facing change?
In fact, she notes, Benevity, based in Calgary, Canada, recently navigated some internal leadership changes and found ERGs to be a significant source of support.
“ERGs build communities of people connected through shared interests and understanding,” she explains. “As such, they are a powerful yet often overlooked force of stability during leadership transitions.”
In fact, Speer notes that according to Benevity’s
