{"id":61722,"date":"2022-04-13T17:28:55","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T17:28:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explore.local\/2022\/04\/13\/increasing-workplace-engagement-with-brgs\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T19:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T19:59:10","slug":"increasing-workplace-engagement-with-brgs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/degreed.com\/experience\/pt-br\/blog\/increasing-workplace-engagement-with-brgs\/","title":{"rendered":"Increase Workplace Engagement with Help from Business Resource Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Engaged people are productive people. We highlighted that in our most recent report, 4 Ways Every Manager Can Create a Positive Learning Culture<\/em><\/a>. But what exactly is workplace engagement,<\/strong> and how can you promote it across your organization<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workplace engagement is the emotional connection and commitment<\/a> employees feel toward your organization and its goals. And according to Gallup<\/a>, workplace engagement has declined for the first time in five years. It\u2019s no longer enough to simply talk about how your workplace values permeate. Connection happens and commitment becomes real when input and action come from all levels of your organization \u2014 including senior leaders and individual contributors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Degreed, we boost workplace engagement by celebrating the strengths of all<\/em> our colleagues. One key approach has been formalizing our Business Resource Groups (BRGs), which work to create an inclusive and safe environment that empowers people to be their whole selves and to drive innovation and performance. They even tackle issues like nonverbal communication<\/a>, which is all the unspoken cues between people, including facial expressions, gestures, body movements and nuances of the voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Increasing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Impact of a Strong DEIB Culture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In collaboration with RedThread Research<\/a>, we sought to understand the relationship between a strong DEIB culture and business outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After speaking with more than 100 people and surveying more than 1,000, we created a DEIB index that measures how diverse, equitable and inclusive an organization is based on respondents\u2019 input. We found if an organization has a strong DEIB culture, it has better business outcomes. Specifically, respondents were 81% more likely to indicate high customer satisfaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other research shows simply integrating DEIB training methods<\/a> isn\u2019t effective in driving equitable outcomes. At Degreed, we\u2019ve found success by normalizing a respect culture through a combination of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Creating opportunities for our employees to learn personal, interpersonal and technical skills.<\/li>
  2. Supporting these efforts by enabling employee-led resource groups sponsored by senior leaders.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Building a DEIB Culture: The Business Case for BRGs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Why do BRGs boost engagement and help drive productivity? It\u2019s because they build trust<\/strong> across an organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As our own Chief People Officer Janice Burns described during one of our internal BRG summits: \u201cFocusing on DEIB in the workplace isn\u2019t new, but where many companies struggle is thinking that DEIB is simply about a diverse representation of employees. Representation is an input and a first step in inclusion. But without the practices and the conditions where people feel included, the representation falls flat.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \""Representation<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    At Degreed, our first step to creating a culture of inclusion was establishing five Business Resource Groups (BRGs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    BRGs are led by employees \u2014 for employees. At Degreed, these groups enable our leadership team and individual contributors to learn new skills and share diverse perspectives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While each group has an executive sponsor, the responsibility of driving these programs falls on individual contributors at all levels of our organization. These groups are not an extension of HR but instead report to the CEO directly. Why? It gives a voice to all employees and authentically integrates diversity, inclusion and belonging strategies into our business practices at all levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Co-chairing or participating in one of our BRGs encourages individuals to put learning into practice. It allows people to gravitate toward their passions and educate and challenge one another to think outside of their norms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Our research with RedThread found individuals are just as important as managers in driving change. Organizations score much higher on the DEIB index when individuals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n