Throughout May we unpack ‘intersectionality’ and look at the positive, practical outcomes when in-company ERGs/Networks work together.

Through our conversations with members we know that many of them are tapping into the momentum and rewards that ERG/Network collaboration can bring. Some organisations have created communities spanning all of their Employee Resource Groups/Business Resource Groups/Affinity Groups/Networks; some have ‘appreciation weeks/months’ comprising a series of events to bring the various ERG/Network communities together; and others run all-ERG/Network conferences as a way of sharing good practice of ERG/Network leadership and in recognition of the work that these internal change-makers do.

Collaboration brings numerous benefits to all ERGs/Networks involved – from the practical everyday benefits, such as saving on resources and widening an ERG/Network’s audience, to the more nuanced changes, such as richer conversations brought about by different perspectives and an accelerated sense of community and culture change.

And it doesn’t stop there: the benefits of joint events and initiatives extend to the ‘customers’ they’re aimed at … cutting down on the amount of time required from employees to attend, and take part in, inclusion-related events.

This month’s resources and peer engagement opportunities (listed below) will provide insights on where opportunities for collaboration and synergies might lie with other ERGs/Networks; how to ensure the identity and ‘voice’ of the disability ERG/Network is still heard when working with more established ERGs/Networks; and offer tips on collaboration success.

May learning & development opportunities

Connect with your peers at one of this month’s peer group learning sessions – these small, interactive one-hour sessions for ERG/Network leaders and those working towards disability inclusion are a great way to share good practice, swap ideas, share challenges and opportunities and build your leadership capabilities.

We have four sessions to choose from:

• Thursday, 5th May at 08:00 – 09:00 (BST)
• Thursday, 12th May at 16:00 – 17:00 (BST)
• Wednesday, 18th May at 11:00 – 12:00 (BST)
• Tuesday, 24th May at 13:00 – 14:00 (BST)

Encouraging and empowering colleagues to build their inner confidence is one of the core purposes of a high-performing ERG/Network and our Working Group meeting this month provides a unique platform for ERG/Network leaders to discuss and feed directly into our work in this area. 

PurpleSpace’s Purple Confidence Think Tank, our strategic Working Group supporting our mission to empower employees with disabilities to build their inner confidence, will meet on Wednesday, 25th May. If you are interested in finding out more about our Working Groups, please do get in touch via hello@purplespace.org. 

Further reading & helpful resources

Our extensive Resource Library has a number of resources to support you in embedding this month’s theme, including:

• In-company networks/resource groups working together: Briefing outlining practical guidance from PwC on how to collaborate with other ERGs/Networks in your organisation.
• Spotlight On … Eve Pearman and Toni Davies, PwC: Video interview with Eve Pearman and Toni Davies, chairs of PwC’s Gender Balance Network and Disability AWareness Network (DAWN), on the impact that can be created when staff Networks work together.