6) Why Are Staff Networks or Employee Resource Groups Important?
After you have studied and understood the relevance and biblical stance for
diversity and inclusion hopefully you are now able to understand why Christians need to engage. Christian Staff Networks or Employee Resource Groups (ERG) are important to:
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Employers, because if employees are able to bring all their attributes to work in a welcoming and enabling environment, then factors such as employee productivity, commitment and attendance are likely to improve.
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One another, because additional confidence for employees to be themselves and to express their personal attributes, is likely to release their full potential, increasing personal growth and job satisfaction.
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Other Staff Networks who are able to provide additional personal support mechanisms.
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The organisation as a whole, because as well as making better use of creative resources of existing staff, sound diversity frameworks can be used in attracting new employees to the organisation.
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The community, because a diverse workforce will be more representative of the community in which it exists and particularly in service industries, it is likely to be able to offer better and more appropriate services.
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God’s Kingdom, because diversity is at the very heart of the gospel message.
It is important that Christians understand that they have a legitimate role in the workplace and, in the tradition of Jesus, have as a starting point love and friendship for one another and for all work colleagues.
What is the group’s attitude to other staff network groups?
It is important that members of the Christian Workplace Group show a positive attitude towards other diversity groups, whether they exist formally or not. Other diversity groups have just as much reason to request recognition as the Christian group.
Remember one negative comment by a single member of your group concerning the beliefs or lifestyles and choices of others, can do an enormous amount of damage to the Christian Group as a whole and, more significantly, to people’s views of the Christian faith.
Challenge:
Document together how your group will operate within the organisation’s diversity framework.
How will the Christian Workplace Group engage with other staff network groups?
Potential tensions with other staff network groups can be avoided by identifying opportunities to work with them. From time to time, the Christian Workplace Group may wish to consider putting on joint events with other diversity groups. Such joint projects can be useful in developing and cementing good working relationships and could include:
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Multi-faith events looking at topics such as ‘How does my faith influence my work’? This provides an opportunity for the Christian faith to be shared with other faith groups.
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Joint working groups could develop materials on how teams can work together when there is a diverse range of beliefs and attitudes within a team.
Challenge:
Make sure you discuss these as a group so you are moving together in unity.
| What is God saying, at the start of this process take time to listen. |
| Tips on how to find other Christians in your workplace |
| Who will lead? What roles are needed? |
| All equality, diversity and inclusion frameworks, principles, policies and
procedures of any organisation are first and foremost governed by the Equality Act 2010 |
| Time to create your business case or terms of reference. Be totally transparent so management and all staff know what your are endeavouring to achieve. |
| How and why your group should engage with management |
| Frequency, time and venue, agenda, leaders and supporting leaders... |
| This is one of the most important roles of a Christian Workplace Group. Let your light shine so they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. |
| Christian Workplace Groups can be at several stages of development and knowing where your particular group is can help in the process of achieving employer recognition. |
| Watch this short video as Matt explains how the Christian Workplace Group started in a local authority in Oxfordshire.
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