Staff Networks and Employee Voice: Towards an Evaluation Toolkit

For the last two years we have been investigating the purpose, function and utility of Staff Networks as a source of employee voice.

We started our project with the first event on Staff Networks in 2022 and gained insights from our colleagues in the industry with experience in managing and overseeing staff networks as chairs, EDI leads.

With input from our industry partners in the form of in-depth interviews, we gained theoretical understanding on the processes, practices and outcomes that inform these networks.

Based on the knowledge gained through this process, we developed a toolkit which can help EDI leads and Staff Network chairs in assessing the voice capability of their staff networks.

Our data suggests that staff networks are potentially powerful tool for employee voice, but this potential is often unrealised. We hope this toolkit can provide practitioners with insights about how to fully harness the promise of Staff Networks in creating a more inclusive organisation.

Purpose

In this 3rd leg of our events on staff networks we will unveil the beta version of the toolkit with the aim of incorporating your feedback to improve the toolkit.

Activities

• Sharing best practices
• Discussion and Development of Toolkit

Who Should Attend

Staff Network Chairs, Staff Network Members, EDI Leads and HR Managers

Who we are

We are a team of researchers based at Alliance Manchester Business School and members of the Work and Equalities Institute.

Isabel Tavora is Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management with a research interest in all areas of equality including intersectionality and the interface between gender, the family and employment. Isabel chaired the School’s Equality, Diversity (EDI) and Inclusion Committee from August 2018 till July 2021 on different areas of equality.

Saleema Kauser is a Senior Lecturer in Organisational Strategy with research interests on gender inequalities, particularly the challenges facing women from ethnic minorities. She is a board member for the Pankhurst Trust and Manchester Women’s Aid, where she works to achieve justice for women and girls.

Imran Saqib is a lecturer in Human Resource Management (HRM) and Employment Studies with research interests on HRM in developing countries, their equality implications and new channels for employee voice. Imran is a member of the school’s EDI Committee.