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Round 2 Track B:EXPERIENCED ERG (4+ YEARS): Effectively Market the Value of

ERGs to Your Company and Increase ERG MembershipFACILITATOR:Natan Cohen / Corporate Vice President, Media & Metrics / New York Life (Co-Chair, Enable)

PRESENTERS:Preeta Chandra / Customer Lifecycle Marketing / Verizon (President, South Asian Professionals Inspiring Excellence) Stefanie P. Hines / Teaching Assistant Professor / West Virginia University (Former VP of Multi-Ethnic ERG at EQT)

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Stefanie P. HinesTeaching Assistant Professor West Virginia University (Former VP of Multi-Ethnic ERG at EQT)

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Stefanie P. Hines, JD, CPLTA

Teaching Assistant Professor at West Virginia University,

Former VP of Multi-Ethnic ERG

How Do We: Effectively Market the Value of ERGs to Your Company and Increase ERG Membership Under

These Circumstances?

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Multi-Ethnic ERG

Successful Marketing requires:

1) An appropriate market and audience

2) Support from leadership (executives, senior management, etc.)

3) Engagement of your target audience

4) Support for the cause/need by the target audience

5) Engagement and Support of the ally audience

6) Measurable or somewhat tangible success

- Cincinnati, OH Population 296,943 -Pittsburgh, PA Population 305,704

40%

3%16%1%

40%

Total

(non-Hispanic)

Asian

Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic/ Latino

33%

1%

30%2%

34%

Total

(non-Hispanic)

Asian

Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic/ Latino

https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF

19%

75%

3%3%

Total

Female Non-Minority

Male Non-Minority

Male Minority

Female Minority

-EQT 2016 Sustainability ReportTotal Workforce:1914Total “minority” workforce:104https://www.eqt.com/csr/2016/index.html

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Multi-Ethnic ERG⸗ The stats on the previous page show the demographics in Pittsburgh compared to

another similar sized city in the same region, Cincinnati, and therefore represent some of the issue facing a company in that area.

⸗ Especially at EQT where it is a local company that was pulling most of its workforce from the region.

⸗ The challenge was then to create programming that was broad enough to touch on the needs of the entire diverse population– even though it was only 104 employees in the entire company AND engage allies.

⸗ This could have easily been a message to executives that there isn’t a “NEED” for an ERG to address this because there isn’t a population that supports.

⸗ But the message needs to be changed to- we need this ERG to grow and support the community that we do have and wish to foster the growth of.

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How do we: Effectively Market the Value of ERGs to Your Company and Increase ERG Membership under these circumstances?

1. Provide content that is meant to not only engage but educate2. Work within your own ERGs and outside ERGs to create joint programming that speaks to a

broader base 3. Educate and recruit allies from all levels of the company- actively engage leadership4. Continue to build an active base of members that can start to build a pipeline for potential

diversity candidates that can boost or maintain your workforce5. Show real life examples of success6. Increasing membership is all about the sell of why- why should I give up my lunch hour?

Why should I give up my evening? *7. For smaller companies- allowing joint membership or membership across multiple ERGs8. Find topics that are of interest to all types of people

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Examples of success

⸗ Events where leadership attends and gives valuable feedback

⸗ Speaker events

⸗ Panel discussions

⸗ New hires as a result (pipeline or attendance at events)

⸗ Longevity of current employees (comradery and a place to feel welcome)

⸗ Increased participation

⸗ Successful marketing and launch of new ERGs

⸗ Membership by almost all “minority” employees

⸗ Active participation by about 25% of the group

⸗ Cross ERG participation

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New ERGs riding the wave of success⸗ In 2016 it was determined by a group that there should be an ERG that

addressed the LGBTQA population.⸗ The company was well aware of social changes in the United States and

the world, and decided to march in the Pittsburgh Pride Parade- many of the participants were members of the 4 existing ERGs and family members

⸗ A survey was given out to ask about the desire of the employees to have a LGBTQA ERG

⸗ 1 person identified as being a LGBTQ⸗ Approximately 75 people identified as allies and wanted to participate

in the ERG.

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New ERG

⸗ The message again could have been skewed

⸗ Instead we used materials from NALC- including the amazing video shown by MetLife to show the leadership group that there could be many more people who were afraid or nervous to identify

⸗ Discussions on being yourself and the benefit to the person and the company

⸗ Touching on the human side of people and the reality that at least 3.5% of the adult population identifies as LGBTQ and that there was almost no chance that the company had only 1 person who was a member of that community.

⸗ This number resonated and demonstrated, again, not a lack of a need for the ERG but the extreme importance that an entire group of people was feeling like they had to hide or be hidden from their co-workers

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New ERG⸗ The marketing was almost “too easy” in the sense that showing what other

companies were doing or had already accomplished and then the actual demonstration of the participation by major corporations in Pittsburgh Pride really pushed the ERG into existence.

⸗ The information and lessons learned from NALC in 2016 helped to facilitate well structured conversations with supporting material.

⸗ The membership level and success of the 4 other ERGs helped to show the need and desire for ERG participation as well.

⸗ Partnership with outside organizations⸗ A sponsor who is a top executive The ERG was approved and has been active since late 2016.Naming rights and sponsorship of the parade for 2017.

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Pride 2016

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/Blogh/archives/2017/05/19/members-of-pittsburgh-lgbt-community-criticize-eqt-sponsorship-of-pride-parade

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Preeta ChandraCustomer Lifecycle Marketing Verizon (President, South Asian Professionals Inspiring Excellence

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Effectively Market the Value of ERGs to Your Company and Increase ERG

Membership

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Verizon: Who We Are • Nation’s largest wireless provider

• Premier broadband Internet company in the U.S.

• Leading global communications provider

• Serving more than 113.9M retail customer connections

• 5.7 million Fios Internet subscribers

• $126B annual operating

revenue in 2016

• Ranked #14 by Fortune in the

U.S.

16

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ERGs – Building our V Team CultureEmployeeDrive employee engagement and development through mentoring, networking, training, and leadership opportunities

BusinessIncrease employees’ ability to drive Verizon strategies to reach a broad spectrum of customers

CommunityPromote volunteerism in the communities we serve, partnering with the Verizon Foundation

CultureBuild awareness of cultural diversity through communications and events

Central to our diversity & inclusion strategy

*Data as of 6/17

9 ERGs

35 chapters

>10.3 K Employees

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• SPICE is committed to sharing the rich heritage of South Asian culture

• Providing a forum for communication of common interests and goals

• Strengthening the fabric of diversity throughout Verizon

• Support Verizon’s business imperatives, develop employees and provide them with opportunities to grow and excel

• Support the South Asian community and contribute to Verizon’s bottom line

• Design activities involving employee development, networking and information sharing

SPICE Mission

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• Support local communities by providing resources for their voluntary work and promoting Verizon’s products and services

• Inform, educate and spread awareness of our multi - cultural diversity and inclusion in Verizon

• Provide Verizon with a unique South Asian perspective to help grow its multi –cultural customer base

SPICE Mission

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•1,755 members

•Chapters in the US:

oFlorida

oNorth Carolina (new)

oNew York & New Jersey

oOklahoma

oTexas

SPICE Members & Chapters

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• ERGs are valued for helping Verizon

•Understand its broad spectrum of customers

•How to effectively reach many cultures

• ERGs also support Verizon’s strategic goals by

• Providing opportunities to discuss business issues

• Hearing from senior leaders

• Developing employees

Value of ERGs

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• SPICE helps employees

•Pursue issues that are important to them

•Connect with other employees who share similar interests

•Network professionally and personally

• Learn about different cultures

SPICE

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Since June of last year SPICE has increased it’s membership by 40%.

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• Organize events around the four pillars

• Events help attract new members and involve them

• Membership increases by 5% to 10% during our signature events – Diwali and Eid and Holi and Spring Festival Celebration

• Promote proactively & engage employees

• Support from ERG Global Diversity & Inclusion Team (GD&I)

Keys to increase membership

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Special Programs

SPICE Ambassador Program

• Core volunteers promote SPICE and encourage their colleagues to join us at events and eventually become a members

• Volunteers get a formal SPICE Ambassador title

• Ambassadors promote SPICE, help increase our membership and achieve their goals of improving leadership skills and networking

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Special Programs

Meet & Greet Sessions

Encourage members to bring new employees and inspire them to become a member

New employees learn about SPICE and interact with the leaders

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Events

Employee

Provide opportunities to develop & learn about business

Networking with execs and other members

Promote well being at physical, mental and emotional level

E.g. – Potluck, Meditation sessions, Summer kickoff

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Events

Business

Organize speaker series with leaders from various business units

Partner with sales and marketing to support grass root campaigns

Invite business leaders to speak at events

E.g. Leadership speaker series, Chalo Gujarat Fios promotion

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Events contd.

Community

Plan community activities around Verizon’s overarching goals

Support Verizon Foundation’s goals of Innovative Learning and STEM

Partner with local non profits & help serve the needy

E.g. Robotics camp, Engineer week, JerseySTEM, Elijah’s Promise, Grateful Bites, Walk at Sankara Foundation

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Events contd.

Culture

Showcase South- Asian culture, tradition, performances, arts, and cuisine

E.g. – Diwali and Eid Celebration, Holi and Spring Festivals