The importance of getting leadership buy-in and support for ERGs cannot be understated. Leadership involvement brings credibility, resources and visibility to ERG efforts. Without executive or senior leader support, many groups struggle to gain their footing and can miss the mark when it comes to finding their place within the organization. ERGs can benefit from aligning with organizational goals and DEI initiatives, and executive involvement can help make that happen! For the purposes of this guide, we’ll call this role “Executive Sponsor” with the understanding that anyone in a senior leadership role in a company (VP, Director, Executive etc.) would also fall into the same category.
What does an Executive Sponsor do?
An Executive Sponsor can pave the way for an ERG to access strategic resources in the organization, or get more visibility in company-wide spaces. ERGs should connect with their executive sponsors regularly (at minimum, monthly) though your program may set different parameters or guidelines for your ERGs. Having an executive sponsor on board can be useful to help promote an ERG within the organization, and when other employees see that their executive is involved in an ERG, that creates a sort of unspoken permission for them to also be involved. Even with team encouragement, employees can sometimes feel conflicted when taking away from their day-to-day roles to participate in ERGs and seeing a senior employee involved can help remove that stigma. Whether an Executive Sponsor identifies directly with the ERG or acts as an ally, their presence helps ERGs thrive.
Executive Sponsors can provide ERGs with strategic assistance, helping to fine tune their mission, vision, and goals. They can sometimes play the role of evangelist as they champion the ERG to the wider organization. Many ERGs leverage their sponsors’ skills by having them assist in developing new resources or solving inefficiencies. Due to their position and role, executive sponsors can also help navigate requests for funding, or access to influential people both internally and externally. Some executive sponsors find themselves providing mentorship and career advice to the members of their ERGs even if only informally. Ultimately, an executive sponsor should be interested in being involved in the ERG and not just at a high level or for photo ops; they should be attending events and meetings, participating when possible, and rolling up their sleeves to stay active.
Preparing for Executive Sponsors
Before starting the search for an executive sponsor, ERGs need to ensure that they can clearly communicate their purpose and goals. Creating a short presentation to express these values can help potential sponsors understand what they’re going to be expected to do. Ensure you outline their responsibilities and that they have a clear picture of what their involvement will look like. You may have some program-wide guidelines in your organization that can help guide this conversation, or each ERG may approach the process differently. Your executive sponsor does not need to be an identifying member of your ERG, however, the connection is often stronger when they are. Ultimately, your Executive Sponsor needs to agree to be a vocal ally for the ERG.
Leadership is often brought in to elevate the value of an ERG, but these leaders don’t always know how to engage with the groups in a meaningful way. Your Program Administrator may want to develop or source some training or coaching materials for executive sponsors so that they know how to best support the groups that they are involved with. This could come in the form of a workshop, written guides, or toolkit. If you have this content available within your organization, make sure you reference it when looking for leadership involvement!
Give Your Executive Sponsors a Job
Once you have an Executive Sponsor on board for your ERG, make sure there is a plan for their involvement. Set agendas for meetings, ensure you’re highlighting ERG value stories and wins, and leave space for their input. Encourage them to participate visibly in your events, on your Employee Groups site and across the organization. If your executive sponsor leaves a meeting they attend with homework, that will help create a sense of purpose and strengthen the sponsor relationship. As with many things we do in our work, creating accountability by setting clear goals and tracking progress over time, can have lasting beneficial results.
Executive Sponsors can often be found working on:
- Strategic Alignment: Coaches your ERG on strategic growth, ensuring your ERG’s goals align with broader organizational DEI objectives.
- Driving Engagement: Define how your Executive Sponsors should participate in your Employee Groups site. Posting content, commenting on other’s posts and participating in discussions can help bring visibility to your ERG.
- Mentorship and Leadership Development: Providing career guidance, coaching, and professional development opportunities for ERG members and leaders
- Securing Resources: Helps ERGs secure financial support, connecting with other leaders (both internal and external) that might benefit the ERG
- ERG Advocacy: Promote the ERG to employees and other executives, ensuring visibility at leadership levels. Act as a spokesperson for the ERG during company-wide events or external networking opportunities.
- Championing Policy Changes: Advocates for changes in company policies or benefits that directly impact the ERG’s identifying members, such as adjustments to health benefits, parental leave, or other inclusive policies
- Furthering Inclusivity: Models inclusive leadership behavior and sets expectations across the organization for supporting ERG activities
Ultimately, your ERG can succeed without executive sponsorship, but the ERGs that are most successful have strong and active leadership involvement. With leadership support, ERGs can influence policy, culture and employee engagement and have a lasting impact on your organization.