Careers in Colour #3: Employee Resource Groups
A special edition focusing on the importance of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in organisations and a sneak preview of our upcoming free event.
Keep Thursday 19 October, 6:30pm - 8:00pm (AEST) free for our online event on Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for cultural diversity - who’s it helping?
ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplaces.
We have four amazing speakers across a diverse range of industries, backgrounds and lived experiences that will focus on:
The value of ERG/employee networks for cultural equity
What it is like to be involved in networks and the barriers for ERGs focused on racial/cultural equality
Share learnings and help equip organisations to drive impact with the introduction of the CiC alliance - A space for ERGs to connect.
Register here for our free event and submit any questions or topics you would like to be discussed with the panel here. Follow us on LinkedIn where we’ll release more details on the speakers for the event.
Note: The event will be run on Zoom. If you require any accessibility requirements or accommodations, then please list them in the registration form or reach out to us at careersincolour@gmail.com.
💡Spotlight feature: Learnings from PM&C’s CALD Network
The Australian Government’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s (PM&C)’s (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) CALD Network is making waves. This staff-led network advocates for the needs of its members, who identify from culturally diverse backgrounds.
The network has achieved a LOT: from holding language sessions each month for members, hosting a series of fireside chats (with CALD-identifying leaders who share stories about their career journey), and progressing a whole host of advocacy work across the Australian Public Service (APS) which is an employer of more than 150,000 employees - including providing valued input into the Department’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy.
We wanted to celebrate and share some of their recent wins - and help inspire ideas for other employee resource groups for people of colour.
I&D strategy & senior representation targets:
The network contributed to PM&C’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy 2023-26 - which is a must-read.
The Strategy includes significant goals, including a target to have at least 20% CALD representation at the Executive Level (EL) 2 and Senior Executive Service (SES) levels, the most senior levels of APS Employees, by 2029.
PM&C is only the second federal government agency with a target for CALD representation.
Better census data:
The network also pushed for better demographic information collected in the annual APS Employee Census.
This will enable an improved understanding of CALD representation in the APS and PM&C through the adaptation of more up-to-date approaches about what it means to be CALD.
The work drew from DCA’s work on Counting Culture principles for measuring cultural diversity in the workplace.
This was a cross-agency initiative that involved working collaboratively with other CALD networks across the APS - which started with early discussions in 2021.
2023 was the first year the Annual APS Employee Census captured more nuanced data helping better identify CALD staff, which allows organisations to more accurately report and reflect insights about the experiences of CALD staff.
Congratulations to PM&C’s CALD Network! Keen on learning more about what other employee networks are up to and connecting with others doing similar work? Stay tuned - CiC has a few initiatives lined up.
🗓 More events, resources and opportunities
27 Sept: Tech Leader Chat on “How to foster belonging and inclusion” with Ellen K. Pao, former CEO of Reddit, where she broached major discussions around profiting off white supremacy, hate speech, and sexism. She is also a leader in women & diversity in tech since the landmark “Pao v. Kleiner Perkins” court case which brought gender discrimination and workplace sexism to mainstream attention, especially in the tech industry.
30 Sept: For those wanting to meet in-person in Melbourne, there are tickets for an amazing free event “Founders Walk” for impact-driven POC founders or creatives who want to move their feet and businesses forward on.
