Global members

Companies will tell you that career advancement is driven by performance.  To some extent, that’s true. But ask employees how advancement actually works in any given company and the answers get murky fast. You need visibility. You need an advocate. You need to speak up more. You should stay long enough to build relationships. You […]

Employees often come to ERGs with questions about how careers actually move inside the organization. The wording varies. Some want to know if they are ready for more. Others want to understand which skills and experiences matter most. Many feel like everyone else understands the system better than they do. These are not about insecurity. […]

Here we are, well into 2026, and I found myself wondering how women’s ERGs are doing. As you may know, the conversation around DEI is… complicated. Some companies have pulled back on the language. Others have reorganized programs or folded initiatives into broader talent strategies. So it seemed like a good moment to check in. […]

Organizations talk about talent. A lot. Managers identify high performers. Leaders mention people they are impressed by. Names circulate in positive ways across multiple conversations. In most companies, it isn’t difficult to find individuals many people believe are already operating above their formal level. So when something limited appears, something only one person will receive, […]

From the outside, the route looks clear.  Your performance is strong. Projects are getting delivered. Reviews look good. If you were scanning a spreadsheet or a leadership update, you’d assume things are moving exactly as they should. And then your career…stalls? It’s hard to define, because nothing is really “wrong” at work. But somehow, nothing […]

What years of data, conversations, and missed signals tell us about retention Women don’t leave organizations suddenly. They leave because patterns repeat. This shows up year after year in research, including McKinsey and LeanIn’s Women in the Workplace reports, and it shows up just as clearly in Forté’s Career Outcomes data and in our conversations […]

Let’s start with the obvious. Women aren’t short on ambition, brains, or credentials. They’re showing up with MBAs, solid experience, and sometimes even higher starting salaries than men. Yet somewhere between “manager” and “VP,” the escalator to leadership turns into an obstacle course. Spoiler: it’s not because women forgot how to lead. It’s because the […]

Did you ever notice that at some point, we decided that “belonging” meant free food? Don’t get me wrong. I love free food; give me a good bagel spread any day of the week! But if you think an ERG-sponsored breakfast is what’s going to make your employees feel seen, supported, and more likely to […]

“Give yourself grace.” That’s the first piece of advice Alexandria Chong and Nancy Straub share with new Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders. Simple on the surface, the phrase speaks to their own work at Deutsche Bank, where they’ve helped create space for women to connect, be heard, and grow. Both women play key roles in […]

ERGs have always fascinated me. They’re one of the few places inside companies where employees can connect honestly about identity, belonging, and equity. At Forté, we see the same dynamics play out across organizations — networks fueling growth and resilience. But in 2025, those havens look different. Back in 2022, identity-based networks were gaining momentum. […]