The company needs to take a serious look and review of the productivity impact of the various employee groups. While they're great for building relationships and knowledge they're encroaching upon actual business functions and goals.
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Employee networks, when done correctly, are incredibly beneficial to the bottom line. Chevron is just doing it half-assed because they only care about optics.
I helped open a local chapter of a network in an overseas office. We chose the local finance GM as our sponsor. We offered us a budget of $30k the first year for social events.
I remember someone recently boasted being on every employee group and attending almost every Houston event. I was torn between “what real work do you actually do” and “keep it up so you have no time to interfere with those actually working.”
If anyone knew how much time and money was spent on employee networks and events, it would be mutiny
If you're looking for a way to eff off at work get involved in event planning in one of the employee groups. Some are glorified fraternities at best. I've attended events from just about every employee group out there, and the only lunch & learn I can remember that had any impact was a well completion discussion hosted by the Women's Employee Network.
Both things can be true. We need to outsource your jobs to India because we are bleeding money. We think PRIDE and your ethnic identity are so important that we want you to take at least one day a quarter off for symposiums and living libraries and summits.
When your participation in network groups has a greater impact on performance ranking than what you contributed through direct work to the bottom line then things have gone too far!
Are you referring to that 25% of the top articles on the home page are patting the backs of those in the network groups?