Employee resource groups (ERGs) can be integral to helping employees find a sense of community and belonging at an organization, but creating a successful ERG requires clear expectations, meaningful actions, measurable results (aka a change in a company’s benefits, culture, or policies), and feedback from members that they feel seen and heard. We asked our partner companies to share how one of their ERGs is moving the needle for equity at their organization. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at Radancy’s Women in Leadership Group.
Radancy’s Women in Leadership Group
Radancy is a global talent technology leader that provides SaaS for recruitment and talent acquisition to employers. They started Radancy’s Women in Leadership Group (WiL Group) to support advancement opportunities for women within their company and their global communities in early 2020.
Expectation: Their goals
1. External commitment: Engage in activities as a member of a community that supports the development of girls and women around the world.
2. Support and development: Develop and retain female employees, supporting career advancement goals and creating equitable pipelines to leadership positions within the company.
3. Equitable representation: Ensure equitable representation of our female thought leaders, which helps build their personal brand.
Employee insight
“I’ve been with Radancy for almost five years, and in 2020, I was selected to be an inaugural board member of Radancy’s first ever Women in Leadership employee resource group. We worked hard initially to get off the ground, developing our mission, vision, and objectives. Throughout our second year, we’ve grown in size and expanded our initiatives. I am proud to work for an organization with a female CEO and an active WiL ERG primarily focused on supporting advancement opportunities for women within our company and our global communities. Many employers have ERGs, but what makes Radancy’s ERGs different is the quality and quantity of programming we design that gets supported by senior and executive leadership. Knowing I work for an organization that is committed to growing and evolving their people, especially the women, makes me feel seen and heard and cared for. I’m really excited to be a part of our future.” —Kady Brethauer, Chief Client Partner
Action: Programming they offer
In addition to professional development and coaching sponsorships, WiL Group’s most popular events are their Women in Conversation panels, which cover topics such as gendered behaviors that impact women’s advancement, career planning and ladder climbing, women’s professional strengths, and lessons we can learn from the next generation. The ERG has also read The Memo and Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men as part of their book club, and after the Roe v. Wade reversal, hosted a community conversation to discuss how the news affects women.
Employee insight
“It’s nice to work for an employer who understands that workplace experiences are not universal. I really enjoy attending the quarterly Women in Conversation panels hosted by our Women in Leadership group. These are great places to hear personal stories from colleagues in different departments, stages in their careers, and locations around the world. I’ve found the panels to be a very inclusive, safe space for people to share how they balance (or don’t) work and life. We can learn a lot by just listening to each other and taking in lessons about setting healthy work boundaries so you can be the best version of yourself. I encourage everyone to actively engage in all the events and content our ERGs produce, it's a great way to open your eyes to a new perspective.” —Amber Bakeberg, Associate Creative Director
Results: Progress they’ve made
A few of WiL’s members pointed out that Radancy’s new parental leave policy in the U.S., which aimed to give birth mothers 12 weeks of paid time off between short-term disability and Radancy's six-week policy, had one-week gap with no coverage—the week before the benefits kicked in. Most birth mothers were not getting paid for that time. The ERG quickly worked with executive leadership and the HR team at Radancy to amend the policy to add a week. Now, all birth mothers have 12 weeks of paid time off between Radancy policies and short-term disability benefits. (Non-birth parents have six weeks under Radancy's policy.)
WiL has also advocated for pay equity and inclusive benefits, such as the potential inclusion of travel reimbursement for health care as a result of Roe v. Wade’s reversal, and has worked closely with their Equity & Openness Affinity Group (read more about that here) on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the workplace.
Employee insight
“As co-chair of the new Working Caregivers group, part of the Women in Leadership ERG, I have been empowered to develop a proposal to enhance the individual support and empowerment, as well as company programming, of working caregivers within Radancy. The ERG’s feedback, encouragement, and excitement throughout the proposal process has been inspiring. The experience has helped me grow my skills in a new area, and I look forward to seeing the proposed plans soon come to fruition.” —Jenny Steinberg, Vice President Digital Strategy
Love the follow-through? Learn more about effective ERGs and whether they're right for you here, or explore Radancy's ratings and open jobs here.
