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Women have been networking in the workplace for as long as they've been part of it. Women’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are the official version of that networking—a dedicated space for connection, support, and relationship-building. Since the 1960s, ERGs have played a key role in diversity and inclusion efforts, with women’s ERGs at the heart of many corporate DEI initiatives. Building a diverse workforce isn’t easy, but creating an ERG for women is one powerful way to make it happen.
What is a women's employee resource group?
Employee Resource Groups (or employee networks or affinity groups) are employee-led initiatives that bring together individuals who share a common identity. Their purpose is to provide a safe space for employees to connect, share experiences, and offer or receive support from peers and mentors.
ERGs are typically built around shared characteristics or experiences, with women's groups being one of the most common examples. Other types of ERGs might include a network for Asian women at the company, a Pride ERG for LGBTQ+ women, a Black womens ERG, GenZ women, or single moms, to name a few.
Why are women's ERGs important?
In 2025, women—especially women of color—still face serious roadblocks at work. Men outnumber women at every level of the corporate pipeline, with only 81 women promoted to manager for every 100 men, McKinsey reports.
Consistent manager support plays a big role in advancement, but less than half of women say they get that help. Women of color get even less support than white women, making it even harder to climb the ladder.
During COVID-19, women faced bigger setbacks than men, according to Census data. They experienced steeper job losses and slower recovery. They had to handle more childcare and family responsibilities. And since more women worked essential jobs like nursing and retail, they had a higher chance of getting sick.
Women’s ERGs step in where support is missing. They provide mentorship, advocacy, and leadership tools to help women advance. ERGs create a space for women to tackle challenges, build connections, and find opportunities often overlooked in the workplace.
Benefits of ERGs for women
ERGs offer a buffet of benefits for your organization and the women in it. For women, those benefits include:
- Community: Women’s groups at work offer a judgment-free space to share experiences, connect, and build a supportive network.
- Professional development: Having female mentors at work instills confidence while helping women close skill gaps and advance.
- Empowerment: ERGs champion and advocate for women's issues, which empowers them to influence business decisions and drive policy changes.
- Networking: ERGs expand women’s networks across departments, leading to new growth opportunities and promotions.
For organizations:
- Employee engagement: When women actively participate in an ERG, it boosts engagement and productivity at work.
- Diversity & inclusion: ERGs address biases and break down barriers, which leads to a more inclusive workplace culture.
- Talent retention and attraction: Strong ERGs attract top talent and increase retention by offering a supportive, diverse environment.
- Innovation: ERGs spark new ideas by bringing together diverse perspectives.
- Policy improvements: Women's ERGs have advocated for better parental leave, flexible work schedules, and access to training programs, which make the workplace more equitable.
Examples of companies with ERGs
Get inspired with these examples of employee resource groups for women.
Asana: The AsanaWomen ERG is on a mission to lift up the work of women in tech. This affinity group brings women together to showcase their work, share wins and struggles, and make cross-department connections. Members say it makes the software company a great place to work.
Avison Young: The commercial real estate firm uses ERGs to create a soft landing for new employees and support the ambitions of underrepresented demographics. As part of their Women’s Network, Avison Young uses mentorship to help women build leadership skills and move into top roles.
King Games: King’s women’s ERG has supported 250+ women and non-binary employees through mentoring and direct access to company leaders. The program’s success made waves, sparking interest from other departments to create similar programs.
How to build a women’s ERG: Tips and best practices
You know your company needs an ERG to support women and set them up for success. So, where do you start? Here’s how to build a women’s ERG that drives impact and creates real value for your employees.
Establish clear objectives and structure
To make your women’s ERG effective, define clear, achievable goals that align with organizational priorities. Establish a formal structure, including things like budget, roles, responsibilities, timelines, and programming. You can also set ERG metrics to track participation and other success factors.
Here’s a bit more on each of those.
Achievable goals
Set specific goals such as:
- Increase women's representation in leadership by 20% in two years.
- Launch a mentorship program pairing 50 junior women with senior leaders annually.
- Host quarterly professional development workshops with at least 75% attendance.
- Advocate for a company-wide parental leave policy within 18 months.
- Improve retention rates of women employees by 15% over three years.
Sample ERG budgeting tips
When developing your ERG budget, consider the following:
- Assess the resources needed for events, training, and initiatives
- Allocate funds to activities that align with your goals
- Engage leadership to secure funding and support
- Regularly review and adjust the budget to meet evolving needs
- Gather input from women in the ERG to ensure their needs are addressed
Roles and responsibilities
Encourage participants to define key roles within the ERG, like:
- Executive sponsor. Advocates at the leadership level
- ERG chair. Oversees strategy and operations
- Events coordinator. Plans events and programs
- Communications lead. Manages communications
- Membership coordinator. Recruits and engages members
- Finance manager. Oversees budget
- Metrics lead. Tracks performance
Metrics to track success
Data is great for tracking the ERG’s success, measuring impact, and spotting trends. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like:
- Membership growth rate
- Event attendance
- Retention rates of women employees
- Number of mentorships established
- Satisfaction scores from surveys
- Policy changes influenced by the ERG
Naturally, women should be actively involved in the structure and organization of the group. With a female leader at the helm, you amplify the group’s impact while advocating for resources, funding, and training opportunities.
Tie group activities back to business goals
Starting an ERG just for the heck of it is fun, but it’s not likely to accomplish much. The most impactful ERGs have objectives and goals that align with your business goals. When ERG efforts directly support business objectives — like inclusivity, more women in leadership, or boosting community engagement — they create meaningful impact and drive measurable success.
Develop engaging activities and events
To build a meaningful experience, create a dynamic calendar of events that cater to varied interests. Include women’s ERG discussion topics like diversity, breaking the glass ceiling, maternity leave, and hiring discrimination around motherhood and pregnancy. Give members a chance to share their feelings and experiences, ask questions, and most importantly, explore solutions.
Find a balance between fun and meaningful, with women’s ERG event ideas like leadership workshops, negotiation training, or work-life balance sessions to support professional growth. Mentoring programs can provide career advancement opportunities, while mindfulness activities like yoga or meditation sessions promote well-being.
Pair members together for mentoring or peer learning
Actively build connections by pairing together ERG members for mentoring or peer learning opportunities. These experiences can give female employees mentors who impart more confidence, an enhanced skill set, and create higher engagement among your staff.
To set your mentoring program up for success, define clear objectives, pair mentors and mentees based on their skills and goals, and set up regular check-ins to track progress. This approach helps build strong relationships and boosts the ERG's overall impact.
💡 See how commerce platform Lightspeed used mentorship to support internal employee growth, cross departmental collaboration, and increase women’s representation at multiple levels.
Provide resources and support
Give your women’s ERG strong backing from leadership by keeping communication open and providing the resources it needs to succeed. Rotate leadership roles to create development opportunities and avoid burnout. Build ties to executives to amplify the group’s visibility—an executive sponsor can advocate for the ERG, secure funding, and align its goals with organizational priorities. These connections also open doors to decision-makers and increase opportunities for women across the company.
Include remote and hybrid workers
Remote and hybrid workers should have equal opportunities to participate, contribute, and benefit from the ERG. Adapt in-person events by live-streaming keynotes, setting up remote breakout sessions, and sharing digital versions of all materials.
Include everyone by rotating meeting time zones, establishing co-lead roles, and facilitating virtual leadership roles. And gather feedback specifically from remote members through surveys, focus groups, or a remote advisory committee, to address their unique needs.
Promote the ERG to women in the organization
To increase participation, get the word out about the ERG. Use emails, Slack, the wiki, new hire orientations, and internal newsletters to reach female employees. Clearly highlight the ERG’s purpose and benefits, showing how it supports their growth. Encourage current members to share their experiences (wins, photos, event recaps) and invite other women to join.
Make it simple to get involved by providing clear instructions and emphasizing the value of participation.
Gather and respond to feedback from members
Ask for feedback regularly through surveys and discussion sessions to understand what’s working and what’s not. Don’t just collect feedback—act on it. Show members you’re listening by making changes based on their input and communicating those updates clearly.
Partner with other ERGs
Promote connection and inclusivity by organizing joint events with other ERGs. This helps break down silos and allows employees to better understand and respect each other’s experiences.
Collaboration with other ERGs encourages variety, a stronger sense of community, and drives a more inclusive workplace culture. Plus, it builds hype and awareness around your own ERG.
Support women in the workplace with mentorship
Mentorship is a game-changer for women in the workplace, and an ERG offers the connections and support they need to thrive. When mentors are within the same organization, women stay engaged and productive.
Launching a diversity mentoring program through your ERG can shift your company culture, elevate women, and open doors for talented female leaders to rise.
Software can streamline the logistics of building an effective mentoring program. From matching mentors and mentees based on skills and goals to managing certificates, badges, virtual networking, and project tasks, technology takes care of the details so you can focus on meaningful connections.
Inspired to build a more inclusive workplace? Let’s talk about how mentoring software can help. Schedule a demo with Together today.
