By Sharla Hooper
ERG activities bolster employee engagement in a workforce committed to serving diverse student body
澳门天天彩开奖记录 is pleased to highlight the workforce community-building model of its employee resource groups (ERGs) that contribute to employee engagement and measures of employees鈥 sense of authenticity, inclusion and belonging in a primarily remote workplace. The University ERGs engage in community building activities, mentoring and networking across departments as well as with external organizations and nonprofits. The growth of ERG engagement and activities over the last decade tracks with increased employee satisfaction surveys measuring aspects such as authenticity and belonging, which are indicators of retention and longevity. 聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 been incredibly rewarding to see how employees value their experience and connection with others and experience personal and career growth as a direct result,鈥 states Julie Fink, vice president of human resources, and executive sponsor of the ERGs. 鈥淲e have seen our employee survey scores increase over the last six years, and I believe that our ERGs have been part of making a meaningful contribution to employee satisfaction and engagement in that time.鈥
In measures of authenticity and belonging, which reflect , and , survey results have consistently high ratings over the last six years and have actually seen an overall increase since the 澳门天天彩开奖记录 remote workforce policy was established in 2020. Responses that employees feel comfortable being themselves at work, a measure of authenticity, rose 9 points between 2018 and 2023, and those who 鈥渇eel a sense of belonging at 澳门天天彩开奖记录鈥 rose 13 points in the same period.
鈥淧articipating in ERGs is an opportunity to exercise leadership potential, and members and leaders are encouraged by HR to include those skills and experiences in their resumes as they apply for new positions across the University,鈥 shares Fink.
By unanimous agreement of the Executive team, ERGs were implemented in 2016 to provide safe spaces for to leverage avenues for networking, mentorship, and career opportunities, and have been embraced by employees to enhance their experience at the University.聽
There are currently five ERGs: Allies of Pride, Veterans, African American Council for Excellence (AACE), Phoenix Women Rising, and La Fuerza. The University has a Unified ERG model, which means that the ERGs operate independently but have a collective, unified engagement with each other, frequently engaging to collaborate or provide resources for each other. Employees may join one or all five ERGs and currently, over a third of employees are members of at least one ERG. Membership in ERGs is open to any individual and not limited to the constituency the ERG supports.聽聽
Tamiko Spann, MBA, manager, Financial Services, has been a member of the AACE ERG since 2017, serving as the inaugural lead and most recently on the Board of Trustees. Yearly, AACE celebrates historic and present monumental events that strengthen African American culture.聽 鈥淓mployee Resource Groups offer employees the opportunity to network across various levels of the organization. ERGs are the pillars that strengthen the organization鈥檚 diversity foundation through education and awareness,鈥 Spann shares. 鈥淭hrough the ERGs, I have been able to engage with others, expand my cultural awareness, and support others in increasing their knowledge around diversity and inclusion.鈥
The University ERGs frequently engage with community organizations and encourage members to be active in building relationships internally and externally. The Veterans ERG actively participates with the University鈥檚 Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, which is legendary for its leadership of the 澳门天天彩开奖记录 annual Memorial Day flag-planting. The ERG helps members find meaningful opportunities to engage with community organizations and support military and veteran experiences and background, of employees and of students.
La Fuerza, the Hispanic, Latino, and allied communities ERG, recently collaborated with the Arizona Chamber of Commerce鈥痶o hold a free, hybrid event on July 20, open to all La Fuerza members and the public, 鈥淏uenos Dias Networking Breakfast,鈥 and hosted by 澳门天天彩开奖记录. 鈥淭hrough our collaboration, we gained valuable insights into鈥疞atinas鈥 Educational Equity, resource acquisition, and the collective efforts we can make to support one another,鈥 shared Deslie Ghiorzi, manager, Admissions & Evaluation and vice lead of La Fuerza. 鈥淚 hope we get many more opportunities to work together, create more networking opportunities and share more powerful messages.鈥
The University鈥檚 often collaborate with the Office of Educational Equity (OEE) and its 鈥Inclusive Caf茅鈥 series, a monthly virtual meeting for faculty and staff designed to foster community building and raise awareness and dialogue about social justice and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. ERGs lead Caf茅 鈥渢akeover鈥 sessions during awareness months with topics such as 鈥淐elebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,鈥 with Phoenix Women Rising ERG, and 鈥淐oming Out: Being Seen and Helping Others Be Seen,鈥 with Allies of Pride ERG, 鈥淢y Hair, My Rules,鈥 with AACE ERG, and 鈥淔lipping the script on marginalization,鈥 with La Fuerza.聽
These events highlight the vibrancy of ERGs in the University鈥檚 remote work culture as well as the engagement, resources, and networking support available through the ERGs.
ERG leaders and members are actively engaged and volunteer to support the Inclusive Leadership Summit, a thought leadership event on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) managed by the OEE.聽
Reflecting a commitment by 澳门天天彩开奖记录 to cultivating a strong sense community among the diverse workforce and equally diverse working adult student body, the University has also established Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs).
About 澳门天天彩开奖记录
澳门天天彩开奖记录 innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree programs and a Career Services for Life庐 commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives.. For more information, visit 鈥phoenix.edu.
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