Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) help create inclusive and innovative workplaces, and at CES® 2020, members of ERGs or staff members dedicated to creating productive workplace cultures participated in The ERG Experience, a curated CES program dedicated to helping expand the diversity of attendees.

Engaging in the ERG Experience, Samsung aimed to support and recognize its ERG leaders who volunteer their time to help the company build a culture that enables employees to be themselves and that cultivates diverse thinking to drive innovation and growth.

“[The program] allowed Samsung attendees to network with and learn from other highlighted member companies who are committed to creating diverse and inclusive workplace cultures,” said Michelle Manglal-lan, senior manager of talent and culture for human resources at Samsung’s North America Office.

For Manglal-lan, who was attending CES for the first time, inspiration came from unexpected sources. CES’s Innovation for All conference track opened discussions about diversity and inclusion (D&I) not only for company culture but also in product design.

“I was also pleased to see how many high-tech companies were focused on D&I as a strategic priority,” Manglal-lan said.

On the Right Track

Samsung found the ERG Experience helpful to the work it is doing daily for D&I. Listening to other member companies share and discuss their D&I journey and efforts helped Manglal-lan and her team validate that they were on the right path forward. It also presented new opportunities, such as asking ERG members to test new products to present diverse perspectives and alert companies of potential inclusion issues.

“Participating in the ERG Experience also gave us the opportunity to share best practices, experiences and partnerships,” Manglal-lan said.