Hennepin County Employee Resource Group Program (HC ERG Program)
2017 NACo Achievement Award Winner
Hennepin County, Minn., MN
Best In Category
About the Program
Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)
Year: 2017
Employees are Hennepin County’s greatest asset. Not only are they the providers of county services, but they also drive innovation and continuous improvement of how those services are provided, helping to make the organization the best that it can be. To sustain that level of contribution employees must be engaged, feel welcome, valued, respected and included no matter their background, place of origin or identity. The Hennepin County Employee Resource Group Program provides employees who share common backgrounds, belief systems, abilities, identities and those who consider themselves allies of affinity communities a structure that fosters belonging within the organization and that provides professional development and visibility for members. It also provides a means for the unique talents, perspectives and experiences of employees to inform employee benefits, facility design, and service design and delivery. Hennepin County is at the forefront of utilizing the ERG model within public sector organizations. Nationally very few have implemented such programs; even fewer have enjoyed a success comparable to Hennepin’s in such short time, with eight groups launched and operating within two years and memberships totals of over 700 employees. Affinity groups represented in the program include people of color, women, veterans, gender non-conforming and millennials, among others. The ERG Program has garnered the attention of local media, and government jurisdictions across the state - and across state lines - reach out to Hennepin County to follow its lead.