Understanding intersectionality and the experiences of employees who belong to more than one marginalized social group is critical to achieving success in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives.
Intersectionality and employee experience go hand in hand when it comes to DEIB initiatives, but the relationship is often overlooked, which can keep organizations from truly achieving their goals. Diversity can be achieved through fair hiring practices and internal mobility, but true inclusion and belonging relies on intersectionality, a concept that many business leaders are just beginning to learn about.
Considering intersectionality requires ERG and BRG leaders to look past the charter of their group, and to focus on the actual human experience of employees in their organization.
A Gentle Reminder: What is Intersectionality
In the context of employee experience and DEIB, intersectionality describes the interconnected relationship of social categorizations (such as race, gender, disability and sexual orientation) as applied to an individual or a group. Belonging to more than one group that is often discriminated against can increase the likelihood of a person facing unfair treatment and could make it more difficult to determine which aspect of their identity is.
What is an Intersectional ERG/BRG Initiative?
Intersectional ERG or BRG programming span across two or more ERGs/BRGs and across other types of employee communities. They can help across several areas including:
- Giving new ERGs/BRGs an example to learn from another more established group
- Boosting employee engagement across multiple ERGs/BRGs
- Giving leadership more ways to get involved & see a broader impact across the company
- Provide more touch points for members & leads more opportunities to capture feedback & track participation
Some Effective Examples of Intersectional ERG/BRG Initiatives
- Disability IN’s Disability BRG encourages all the organization’s BRGs to include a disability inclusion statement on all event invitations and meeting announcements, e.g. We want to be sure that all are included and comfortable, please let us know if you need a disability-related accommodation to fully participate.
- With Native Women (Nov. 30th) & Latina (Dec. 8th) Equal Pay Days around the corner, Highspot’s Women’s ERG partnered with their Hispanic & Indigenous ERGs to bring awareness to the inequities around pay for different women.
- For the 10-year anniversary of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,’ Netflix held an event between their Veterans & their LGTBTQ+ ERGs to discuss their experiences & perspectives.
- For World AIDS Day on December 1, Experian’s Pride ERG collaborated with their Karibu ERG (their African American and Black ERG) to spread awareness internally on the importance of this day and topic. The North America Executive Sponsors from both ERGs shared a joint communication that reflected unity and intersectionality as this topic greatly impacts both these affinity groups to this day. Their goals were to break down stigmas, share important statistics for education and awareness, and make the topic less taboo in the workplace.
An Award-Winning Intersectional ERG/BRG Initiative for 2025!
Planning ERG/BRG events for MLK Day or Black History Month? Discover Inclusive Leaders Group’s award-winning virtual educational session, What Dr. King Would Teach Today’s Employees About Allyship.”
Final Thoughts: Make a Commitment to Recognize Intersectionality in the Future
Moving forward, let your ERG/BRG members know exactly how you will recognize intersectionality in future activities and initiatives. Just as the ERG/BRG should check any of its events or activities for accessibility, allyship, and inclusion, there should also be a check that it considers intersectionality. A great way to ensure this balance of power is to collaborate with other ERGs. Invite them to provide feedback on your plans and to invite their members to your future meetings.
