What are affinity groups diversity?

What are affinity groups diversity?

In a nutshell, an affinity group—also called an employee resource group (ERG)—is a group of employees with similar backgrounds, interests, or demographic factors such as gender or ethnicity. Often, employers use affinity groups to help create a diverse and inclusive workplace.

What are examples of affinity groups?

Examples of affinity groups include women in the workplace, working parents, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) matters, and any other group based on a common set of interests. Private employers are not required by federal law to have workplace affinity groups.

Are affinity groups discriminatory?

Because affinity groups are often based on protected characteris- tics such as race, sex, age, or disability, employers must proceed with caution. Dealing with affinity groups brings an inherent risk of violat- ing laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of protected charac- teristics.

What defines an affinity group?

An Affinity Group is a group of faculty and staff linked by a common purpose, ideology, or interest. Affinity Groups play a vital role in ensuring an inclusive environment where all are valued, included, and empowered to succeed.

How are affinity groups structured?

You can start an affinity group in your workplace, as long as you have an interested group of people, a clear goal and enthusiastic support.

1. Set a clear goal.
2. Identify your supporters.
3. Pitch your group.
4. Use your resources to your advantage.
5. Structure your meetings.
6. Decide who will do what.

How many affinity groups are there?

Amazon has 13 affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups, which bring Amazon employees together across businesses and locations around the world. Some examples include the Black Employee Network (BEN), Amazon Women in Engineering (AWE), and Indigenous@.

What makes a good affinity group?

Overall, an affinity group “needs to be something that is meaningful to the participants of course, but is also meaningful to the organization. So how do you keep it constructive is something you constantly have to ask yourself,” Calder says.

Are affinity groups effective?

Affinity groups can help employers attract more diverse candidates, reduce turnover and increase employee morale. Moreover, multiple studies have found that companies are likely to have above-average financial returns if they fall among the top quartile of their peers for diversity by race, ethnicity and gender.

How do you support affinity groups at work?

The Guide How Do You Start an Affinity Group at Work?

1. Have a Goal in Mind.
2. Find Your Allies.
3. Make Your Case.
4. Work With the Resources You Have.
5. Outline What Your Meetings Will Look Like.
6. Assign Roles.
7. Don’t Forget to Be Remote-Inclusive.
8. Understand What You Can (and Can’t) Do in the Workplace.

How do you manage affinity groups?

How to start an affinity group for your employees

1. Set a specific goal. Consider what your workplace needs most and identify it as a goal for the group.
2. Identify potential group members.
3. Pitch your idea.
4. Decide the responsibilities of members.
5. Research your limitations.
6. Start your first project.

How do you structure an affinity group?

What are affinity groups at work?

An affinity group is defined in Merriam Webster as “a group of people having a common interest or goal or acting together for a specific purpose.” In the workplace, you may also refer to it by its more common corporate synonym, “employee resource group.”