Employee Resource Groups in the International Market

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are very popular with companies in the United States, but it is becoming increasingly important for companies all over the world to adopt this workplace habit. Employee resource groups are groups of employees who join together in their workplace based on shared characteristics or life experiences. Global companies need to hone in on this, and take full advantage of what ERGs can do for a business.

When companies decide to go global, they end up with employees from all different backgrounds, religions, and cultures. Having ERGs in place in a company is the leading way to make sure employees are comfortable working with a variety of people. It is additionally crucial to the success of the business; it has been shown that two of the top ten business areas impacted by ERGs are cultural assimilation and the company’s global development. ERGs are becoming more and more critical for companies that are operating in increasingly global and budget conscious markets.

A struggle for international companies has always been getting people from all different backgrounds to work collectively as a team, but engaging in employee resource group’s shows that even the company cares about the individual and the importance of diversity in a workplace. It is important for companies to identify differences in the workplace and strive to learn from, and adapt to, these differences. ERGs even come into play when a company acquires a foreign entity. Employee resource groups offer the essential cultural assimilation related to joining a foreign company with a separate organization.  This will help companies be successful internationally in the sense of having happier employees and a better all-around business.

There is a great future for employee resource groups in companies of all sizes. They provide team building opportunities and help with integration into foreign cultures. It is important when thinking about developing these groups however, to position them in a way essential for the company's globalization and new market expansion.

In summary, it is more important than ever for international firms to get workers involved in employee resource groups. It provides tremendous benefit to the company itself and companies will wreak the benefits from having a more satisfied workforce. Feel free to leave a comment to tell us of any ERGs you may have participated in and if you have seen any benefit to these.