At The Zebra, we take All Stripes Welcome seriously. Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, are groups designed to foster support and inclusion for different groups of employees at The Zebra. Our groups support retention and recruiting efforts, and target resources at groups that need different levels of support in their careers or working lives.
ERGs at The Zebra
We currently have three Employee Resource Groups at The Zebra.
Shebras
- Group that supports women, people who identify as women and allies
- Feature programming/events:Â
- Support working parents/moms
- Provide unique professional and skill development opportunities
- Encourage access to women leaders around Austin
- Facilitate connections around the company
Affinity
- To provide support, inclusion, and opportunities for minorities*, and allies.
- Goals:
- Promote awareness & educationÂ
- Celebrate other cultures, races, and ethnicities
- Growing allyship, tolerance, and acceptance
- Clearly defined career paths based on merit
- Unbiased hiring
- Create a community
- Create a voice
- Different & valuable perspective
- Finding a voice for constructive dialogue
- Provide internal & external support
- Ex. internal =Â a safe space
- Ex. external = volunteering, other diversity ERGs
*Minorities: Immigrants, first generations and beyond, people of color, mixed Race and allies
Dazzle
- Create a better sense of belonging among the LGBTQIA+ community and empower everyone to bring their authentic selves to the team
- Goals:Â
- Build on the supportive and inclusive space for the LGBTQIA+ community within our company and continue to fulfill the ‘All Stripes Welcome’ mission
- Provide networking, volunteer, mentorship, and sponsorship opportunities that align with other organizations in our area
- Plan events and provide visibility and feedback to leadership in order to preserve our diverse company culture as we grow
What is an ally?
When you join The Zebra you may not identify with one of our existing groups but you may be interested in being an ally.
From a great resource on How to Be an "Ally" to an ERG:
An ally is someone who takes responsibility for fighting against inequality and injustice as if the struggle were their own. To translate this definition to allyship within an ERG, they are people who advocate for a fair and just experience for the employees who share a common identity with the group.
Resources
Here are some things we've written about our own ERGs
- How I built two female-first employee resource groups – and how they shaped my career
- How to start a women’s employee resource group (ERG)
See below for some external resources about ERGs and why they are important to us.
- How can ERGs benefit and support an organization?
- Promoting Diversity & Inclusion with Employee Leaders
- Why ERGs?
- ERGs and Pepsi Cross Words
- 3 Reasons Employee Resource Groups are Essential for your Business
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Interested in joining The Zebra?
See our current openings here!