Best Practices,
Sample Resource-Group Charters
We asked 10 companies with our highest-rated employee-resource groups to share their best practices for starting the groups and sam- ple charters. Here are their recommendations to directly align your
employee groups to your business goals:
Starting an ERG
A formal request for ERG status should be submitted
to the diversity department, including rationale for
the group (connected to business goals)
Once the diversity department OKs the group,
the diversity department should find an executive sponsor (as senior as possible and preferably cross-cultural)
ERGs may receive funding through the diversity department’s budget, the executive sponsor’s budget or their own fundraising activities
Annually, each ERG must submit a revised
business plan and document their business success from the previous year (e.g., in recruitment,
engagement, mentoring/talent development,
marketplace connections or supplier diversity)
ERG leaders must have a regularly scheduled
meeting with the CEO and senior executives
ERGs are encouraged to collaborate with other
employee organizations by sharing information
and supporting each other’s events
Resource-Group Charter
Best Practices
Specific and clearly stated vision and/or mission
statements
Statements on how the mission will be
accomplished
Can be short-term or long-term but must be
realistic and attainable
Business-plan objectives should be detailed,
revised yearly and evaluated at regular intervals
Goals/strategies should be prioritized
