Shaping the Future of ERGs: Expert Insights from Top CHROs

HR Policy CEO Tim Bartl recently facilitated an engaging conversation with General Mill’s CHRO, Jacqueline Williams-Roll and Boston Scientific’s CHRO Wendy Carruthers and CDO Camille Chang Gilmore. The conversation was launched by Professor Ann Marie Ryan, representing the SIOP Foundation, which partnered with HRPA on ERG research.

Professor Ryan introduced four critical steps for a successful ERG strategy, as highlighted in our recently-released CHRO guide:

1. Align ERGs to Organizational Strategy and Goals

2. Strengthen Governance

3. Develop ERG Leaders

4. Reinforce Inclusion

What they're saying: Boston Scientific and General Mills shared insights on implementing these steps, drawing from over 20 years of experience with employee networks. 

• Jacqueline Williams-Roll highlighted how General Mill’s core value, Champion Belonging, integrates employee communities and drives engagement. 

“Ninety percent of employees report that GM values belonging, and 88 percent report being engaged,” according to Williams-Roll.

• Wendy Carruthers noted that Boston Scientific’s ERGs, which came to the company through an acquisition, quickly demonstrated their strategic importance. 

Now an “embedded part of the business strategy,” their ERGs each have an executive sponsor and develop annual plans aligned with the company’s “four Cs: Career, Culture, Community, and Commerce.”

The panelists discussed the importance of maintaining transparency with employees and ERG leaders regarding the company’s approach to social issues. Camille Chang Gilmore underscored the significance of a “robust listening strategy” to support decision-making—listening, learning, and then acting—a method the company successfully used in response to events like George Floyd’s death and the Roe v. Wade reversal.

Finally, the discussion explored best practices for measuring ERG success which have evolved beyond traditional metrics like participation rates, chapter growth, and goal achievement to include comparisons of ERG participants against overall company metrics on retention, engagement, and development. 

Professor Ryan noted that some organizations supplement these metrics with case studies, offering richer insights into ERG success and impact.

Go deeper: Read the full HRPA/SIOP report for additional company strategies: ERG 2.0: A CHRO Guide on Effective Practices for Employee Resource Groups.