Enterprise Mobility’s Thriving Employee Resource Groups
Many different groups and committees have been established at Enterprise Mobility to support greater diversity, inclusion and equity, aligning with the priorities of the Cultural Compass Committee.
Employee resource groups, or ERGs, are voluntary, employee-led groups that devise and deliver initiatives to create a more inclusive culture.
As Vice Chair of the Cultural Compass Committee’s Gender & Worklife Compass Point, Caroline Howarth is proud of how the different gender ERG’s support Enterprise Mobility’s inclusive culture.
“Promoting the work of our ERGs is so important,” she told DRIVE. “There is so much we can do to create a strong culture that supports people of all genders at each stage of their career with us. The ERGs are a key part of empowering employees and bringing about positive change.”
Caroline Howarth on IWD 2024
“The ERGs are a key part of empowering employees and bringing about positive change”
A people-centred culture of promoting from within means that the career of an Enterprise Mobility colleague can extend through several decades and life stages, each one requiring different types of support.
“It’s really important to talk about what these groups do and achieve so that we can all learn from one another,” Caroline explained. “Following each group’s SharePoint is a great way to keep in touch with what they’re doing and to download some fantastic resources.”
The Women’s Initiative Network and Enterprising Women are two good examples of how ERGs support an inclusive culture.
The Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) is a female-only networking group open to women at junior to middle level management working at Enterprise Mobility’s Egham campus.
It describes itself as “a place where women can be unapologetically ambitious” and is “a safe place for women of different ideologies, ethnicities, ages, socioeconomic, professional and academic backgrounds to give voice to our dreams and find the encouragement to start chasing them.”
WIN runs monthly sessions on many themes including allyship, effective leadership, and handling ‘mum guilt’.
WIN was the driving force for the creation of ‘menstruation stations’ in women’s toilets at the Egham campus to champion the issue of women’s health and its impact on the workplace.
This was followed up with a focus on menopause and educational sessions on how menopause can affect women later in their career and how to provide support.
Caroline Howarth (second row, right) with Enterprising Women
“It’s really important to talk about what these groups do and achieve so that we can all learn from one another”
Now in its 14th year, Enterprising Women supports department heads and other resource groups to improve gender equality. The team is involved in almost every major gender-focused initiative at the Egham HQ, helping departments and individuals to make things happen.
For example, Enterprising Women Supported HR in launching a formal mentoring programme in Egham which has been effective for a number of years.
They also worked with one colleague, Zoë Lazell, to establish and launch the Parent Network specifically to provide support and resources for parents before and during their parenting journey.
A significant success was the collaboration with the remarketing team to launch the Women in Remarketing Network. Two years later the initiative has already seen a 75% increase in women working in remarketing.
“Groups like WIN and Enterprising Women help the business to achieve their diversity goals, and help women to thrive at Enterprise Mobility,” Caroline concluded. “I’m tremendously proud of what they do and the impact they have.”
If you are interested in a career with Enterprise, please visit our recruitment website at careers.enterprise.co.uk and at careers.enterprise.ie
