Session Focus: The Critical Role, Employee Resource Groups, Play in Personalizing Learning

Session leaders representing organizations like GitLab, Nielsen, and ABInBev shared powerful examples of how employee resource groups (ERGs) are evolving into robust leadership development platforms during the session "ERGs: The Next Platform for Leadership Development."

The key takeaways:

1. ERGs are a critical tool for personalized learning, leadership development, and fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Learning teams should explore greater collaboration and integration with ERGs.

2. Hybrid approaches combining virtual and periodic in-person ERG events create more networking and relationship building opportunities. Face-to-face interactions boost engagement.

3. Having a clear "member value proposition" is important so ERG participants feel their time is well-spent and they gain valuable skills.

Dirk Tussing shared compelling research showing "Acting as a volunteer in an ERG group is more effective at developing leadership skills than formal training programs."

Examples highlighted how ERGs have evolved from occasional events to multifaceted learning journeys. GitLab's women's ERG created a 3-month development program mapped to internal processes to accelerate career advancement. Nielsen engaged their ERGs to provide critical input ensuring their inclusion analytics product resonated with diverse audiences.

Overall, the session showcased ERGs as powerful platforms for personalizing learning in more agile, community-driven ways aligned with the future of work. As Tracy Wilk, facilitator, summarized "Connection is the killer app" - and ERGs are primed to make those vital connections.