If you are planning to found an ERG or are a new ERG Leaders, you might find the attached Q&A helpful.
In an interview style, here are the answers to the following questions around establishing the NxGen ERG (Next Generation at the Workplace) at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) in 2009:
- Where did the idea for NxGen originate?
- Why was the Next Generation at the Workplace ERG necessary at BI?
- What makes NxGen innovative? How do you think your approach to creating and growing this new ERG was different from the past?
- What is the business case for the existence of NxGen? How do you link NxGen to BI business plans/activities?
- How does the NxGen seek to drive innovation at BI?
- Are there specific requirements for project size, scope, etc that the NxGen group takes on?
- How are employees able to allocate time to create and develop NxGen projects?
- Do the initiatives that arise out of NxGen resonate with other generations in the workplace? within BI?
- What are the criteria necessary to make an ERG like yours successful? What role do NxGen members, executive management, and the overall company have in its success
Attachment: NxGen Case Study for NALC 2010
(Published also as “Expert Insights” in the Network and Affinity Leadership Handbook, Powerful tools for Employee Resource Groups, p.76-79, Diversity Best Practices, New York, NY; 2010)
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