Case Study: Employee Resource Groups – Covestro

Overview

The goal of Covestro’s D&I activities is to involve everyone at every level of the company to “go above and beyond” in becoming more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. To work toward this goal, Covestro has D&I Ambassadors and employee resource groups (ERGs). The goal of each work site is to have a D&I Ambassador that partners with the site leader to grow diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at each location. Once in place, all Ambassadors meet monthly to share best practices, lessons learned, and activity updates, and Ambassadors can also start ERGs at their respective sites.

Covestro has 12 ERGs across its United States operations, which focus on the following areas:

• ACCESS (African American Network): African American and African Diaspora cultural
  awareness (including Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, Rwanda, and the United States)
• APC (Asia Pacific Circle): Asian Pacific
• CARE (Covestro Accessibility Resource Effort): People with disabilities, accessibility, and
  inclusion
• CHAMP (Covestro Helping Armed Forces Military Personnel): Veterans and military personnel
• COMPASS: Women
• CONNECT: Cross-cultural, cross-functional, cross-generational
• FIT Health and Wellness: Physical activity, nutrition, mental and physical health and well-being
• i3 STEM (ignite, imagine, innovate): Cross-cultural youth science engagement
• Lo Latino: Latinx, Latinos, Latinas, and other employees with Latin roots
• Spark: Emerging professionals
• Toastmasters International: Leadership and communication development, especially for English language learners
• UNITE Together for Diversity: LGBTQ

To make sure the ERGs are an accessible employee resource rather than top-down, they are employee-driven and employee-led. Any employee in good standing can join an ERG by reaching out directly to a co-lead or to the Head of D&I North America directly, and most employees inform their supervisors that they will be spending time as part of the ERG.

Best Practices

1. ANCHOR ERG ACTIVITIES TO A LARGER D&I STRATEGY THAT HAS SUPPORT FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE BUSINESS TO AVOID “FOOD, FEST, FUN, AND FLUFF” COMMITTEES
2. KNOW YOUR VALUES AND WHAT YOUR COMPANY IS WILLING TO STAND FOR
3. TAILOR EXISTING FRAMEWORKS TO YOUR NEEDS
4. ALIGN YOUR GOALS WITH YOUR LARGER INDUSTRY, THEN MAKE PROGRESS
5. HAVE CLEAR METRICS AND BUDGETS

Featured Company

View the Case Study

DOWNLOAD PDF