Synopsis: A Guide to Effective Resource-Group Executive Sponsorship

Written by DiversityInc Vice President of Consulting Debby Scheinholtz, the Guide to Effective Resource-Group Executive Sponsorship is a comprehensive report that features DiversityInc data as well as interviews with chief diversity officers from six companies that excel at managing effective resource groups. Featured companies include:

• MasterCard Worldwide, No. 15 in the DiversityInc Top 50
• Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), No. 19
• Target, No. 30
• Northrop Grumman, No. 42
• Rockwell Collins, No. 43
• Comcast Corporation, one of DiversityInc’s 25 Noteworthy Companies

You can read an excerpt from the 1,663-word article below. The Guide to Effective Resource-Group Executive Sponsorship article is available at DiversityIncBestPractices.com.

What’s an Executive Resource-Group Sponsor?

Executive resource-group sponsors—usually direct reports to the CEO or members of the senior-leadership team—give resource groups business influence within their companies.

1. Who is Eligible for Executive Sponsorship?
   Executive resource-group sponsors are usually at the highest level of the company—most often direct reports to the CEO.
2. How Are Executive Sponsors Selected?
   The chief diversity officer often selects sponsors from among the senior-leadership team. Alternatively, resource groups may request a particular sponsor or a potential sponsor may request a specific group.
   
3. Do Executive Sponsors Serve for a Defined Term?
   Some companies allow executive sponsors to serve indefinitely. In cases where terms are limited, they usually last a minimum of two years to allow for a ramping-up period and time to produce results.
   
   
4. What Qualities Do Chief Diversity Officers Look for in Executive Sponsors?
   The people we interviewed tell us that along with a senior-leadership role, executive sponsors should help the resource group align its goals with business objectives and strategies, help members navigate the corporate culture, and introduce group members to the right contacts to help them achieve their goals. Having emotional intelligence is also important.
   
   
5. What Type of Training Should Executive Sponsors Receive?
   DiversityInc’s white paper on resource groups found that 89 percent of companies surveyed train their executive sponsors in advance. The most prevalent type of diversity training is cultural-competency training, but some companies offer leadership training as well.
   
   
6. Are Sponsors Always Cross-Cultural?
   It is highly recommended that executive resource-group sponsors be cross-cultural, based on data analysis of results (promotions, engagement) and anecdotal evidence.
   
   
7. Are Executive Sponsors Compensated or Rewarded for their Roles?
   At the six companies whose CDOs we interviewed, executive sponsors receive no additional compensation for their role. The performance goal is tied to assessment and overall performance rating, but other activities can also satisfy this goal.

Read The Guide to Effective Resource-Group Executive Sponsorship article at DiversityIncBestPractices.com and get practical, takeaway examples from MasterCard Worldwide, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), Target, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins and Comcast Corporation.

The post MasterCard, Target & Comcast: Your How-To Guide for Executive Resource-Group Sponsorship appeared first on DiversityInc.

And there are other burning questions. How do you count being a “member”? Who qualifies to lead an resource group? What are companies that are good at this doing? 

DiversityInc has just completed cutting-edge research on the key issues and challenges in utilizing resource groups. Written by Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Barbara Frankel, the 2,592-word report includes best-practice strategies to solve companies’ most frequently asked questions.

The findings indicate an increasing interest in using these groups for multiple business goals internally and externally and in having leaders from a variety of levels and functions within the organization.

In the past five years, there has been a direct increase in the percentage of employees reported as members of resource groups. Currently, the DiversityInc Top 50 averages 23.4 percent of employees as “members of resource groups” while the average of all 535 participants in the DiversityInc Top 50 survey was 18.9 percent. Six years ago, when we started asking this question on the survey, the DiversityInc Top 50 averaged 11.2 percent.

There is a direct data correlation between higher membership and increased racial/gender representation at various management levels, according to analysis of the DiversityInc Top 50. 

In this exclusive report, we further explore this correlation in the cutting-edge best practices that top-performing companies are using today. Key areas include membership requirements and exclusions, structure, leadership selection and terms, executive sponsorship selection and funding, and measuring effectiveness.

For example, one best practice that 45 percent of companies follow is to create different membership policies for hourly/unionized workers, which enhances the talent pool, the opportunity for innovative ideas and the ability to create an inclusive culture throughout the organization.

Strategies to achieve this include:

•    Allowing hourly workers to participate fully in resource groups but only excusing those in leadership positions from shift work 
•    Allowing the participation of hourly employees but prohibiting them from assuming leadership positions
•    Requiring hourly workers to get supervisory approval if they seek to receive overtime for attending events after regular hours 
•    Requiring workers to get supervisory approval based on job content or a special sign-off from management to participate in social events and meetings during regular work hours

In addition to best practices on hourly workers, finding leaders and counting memberships, the report details the key diversity metrics that companies track to show definitive results. These can help diversity leaders to convince senior management—and the employee population at large—of the value of resource groups.

 Read the full New Resource-Group Research: Hourly Workers, Finding Leaders, Counting Membership report on DiversityIncBestPractices.com.

The post How Do You Include Hourly Workers in Resource Groups? appeared first on DiversityInc.