Fostering Staff Networks & ERGs: Engaging Staff and Driving Business Goals

Tuesday, 5 December 2023 | Online

From fostering future leaders and providing a forum for staff inputs to driving innovation, supporting diversity and realising inclusion across the business, numerous strategic and social benefits exist to support the development and growth of staff networks and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

On 5th December, join us for ‘Fostering Staff Networks & ERGs: Engaging Staff and Driving Business Goals’ to learn from expert speakers about ensuring the success of staff networks in your organisation, from inception to maturation. 

You will discover how to maximise the impact and outreach of your networks, ensuring they become valuable contributors to company policy, practice and culture.

On-demand video recordings of each session will be made available to delegates after the event. 

Previous speakers include:

• Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE, Author, ‘The Incredible Power of Staff Networks'; Consultant and Coach, The Power of Staff Networks
• Bernadette Thompson OBE, Co-Chair, Race to the Top Grade 6/7 network; Deputy Director, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government
• David Pearson, Inclusive Leadership Expert, former Director Global Inclusion & Diversity, KPMG
• Brendan Roach, Director of Strategy and Networkology, PurpleSpace
• Rob Neil OBE, Director, Krystal Alliance & Former Civil Servant 
• Karen Harvey-Cooke, Chair of Enfys the LGBT+ staff network, Cardiff University
• Vanessa Vallely OBE, Managing Director, WeAreTheCity; Founder of Gender Networks
• Kate Lalor, Chair, Cross Government Social Mobility Network; Transition Taskforce, Cabinet Office
• Jag Singh, Vice President, National Sikh Police Association
• Madiha Sajid, Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion Practitioner; and (Previous) Chair, UCL Parents & Carers Network

Why attend? 

• Learn about the business and individual benefits of staff networks for your organisation
• Bring new, innovative ideas about how to maximise the success and benefits of staff networks back to your organisation, with the insight needed to put them into practice 
• Hear about best practice in creating and developing a staff network from leading figures
• Receive event recordings and presentations for your reference after the event
• This event is CPD certified, and contributes to your professional development.

Who should attend? 

Anyone interested in developing a thriving staff network within their organisation, including employers, staff network leads, motivated employees, HR managers/officers, wellbeing officers, senior managers, consultants, trade unions and representative groups.

09:00

Welcome from Dods Events D&I

Kiren Kaur, Diversity & Inclusion Portfolio Director, Dods Events

09:05

Chair's Opening Remarks

CHAIR: Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE, Author, ‘The Incredible Power of Staff Networks'; Consultant and Coach, The Power of Staff Networks

09:20

Staff networks: supporting diversity, realising inclusion, and driving business goals

• Networks and ERGs as strategic business drivers
• Transforming staff engagement and wellbeing through networks
• How networks unlock corporate growth whilst fostering a culture of inclusion

10:00

Comfort Break

10:15

Starting up and setting out: Determining the vision and structure of your staff network

• Deciding on the network’s aims, vision and objectives
• Creating a structure to accommodate aims and allocate responsibilities
• Aligning the aims of the network with the business’s goals
• Writing a business plan and developing a service offering

11:15

Comfort Break

11:45

Executive Engagement: Acquiring executive support and embedding your network in the wider business culture and structure

• Making the business case and value proposition of your network
• Developing a budget and making a funding bid
• Engaging senior management as sponsors and champions
• Defining guidelines and operating agreements with senior management

12:45

Break for Lunch

13:30

Panel Discussion

Broadening your network: Making connections and building momentum

• Creating and evolving your recruitment plan
• Designing events to engage with new members and the broader community
• Maximising publicity and capitalising on existing communication channels
• Networks as a vehicle for educating those of different backgrounds or affinity

14:45

Comfort Break

15:00

Workshop

• Network Lead skills training: Empathetic Leadership
• Recognising Empathy as a key aspect of competent leadership
• Defining empathy and seeing what it looks like in practice
• Empathy as a key tool to protecting employee mental health and wellbeing
• Using empathy to inspire followers and elicit loyalty

15:45

Expanding vision and ambition: maintaining growth and cultivating innovation over time

• Data-driven: measuring outcomes and success to make better-informed decisions
• Collating feedback and ideas for organisational improvement
• Sustaining energy, fresh ideas and continued expansion over time
• Transforming your network into a talent and leadership development pipeline
• Leveraging relationships with other ERGs within and beyond the business

16:30

Chair's Closing Remarks

CHAIR: Cherron Inko-Tariah MBE, Author, ‘The Incredible Power of Staff Networks'; Consultant and Coach, The Power of Staff Networks

16:45

Event Close