Building a diverse and inclusive organization starts with creating a culture that embraces and celebrates people’s differences. Investing in employee resource groups (ERGs) is a great way to give your employees a voice, for them to meet and connect with others in their organization and to provide an additional sense of belonging.  ERGs give employees a forum to meet like-minded people, raise awareness on key issues, and share their culture and values. According to Bloomberg, companies with dedicated ERGs have reduced turnover rates, increased performance on goals, and increased productivity. ERGs can also add values to your company’s recruitment process and employer branding efforts. 

While employer resource groups run the gamet, ERGs supporting working parents are widely popular across companies of all industries. Working parenthood is a challenge, and while the corporate benefits that support them usually end after leave, the issues that working parents face certainly do not. Parenthood, unlike being an employee, are roles most adults assume without training, education, or practical experience and can leave many employees drained and distracted. Employee Resource Groups and even online forums have a been a popular place for people to turn to to connect on every topic under the sun, affording people the opportunity to connect with others who have similar interests, concerns, questions, and experiences as a way to feel heard and supported. But, often times depending on the topic, employees don’t want to share their personal lives with other employees, or let colleagues and co-workers know some of their personal child-related struggles. They prefer to keep work and life separate. Many may turn to online online forums to get answers and feel heard but those online forums can also come with internet trolls, not-so-user friendly discussion board layouts and internet rabbit holes, leaving employees feeling more overwhelmed, confused and stressed than before.

Meet Kunik. We had a chance to speak with Kunik founders Liz and Josh, who are helping change the way employers implement ERGs and how they support the parents in their workforce. Now, your working parents can connect with other working parents who understand their struggle in an online forum. With colleague, peer, and expert support, your employees have the opportunity to become more confident, productive and engaged than ever. 

Kunik’s community is designed for the modern working parent. It’s a place to participate in conversations at the intersection of work and parenting, with other working parents. Seventy-six percent of parents want a resource group, but only 9% belong to one.  Employees can connect with peers across all industries, geographies and identities in Kunik’s easy-to-use community to provide and receive perspectives without the judgement or drama that a typical online forum might be conducive to. Kunik is a place to share ideas and experiences with a community who can relate, on topics that you can’t just google. The “I’ve been there’s” and the “I’m experiencing this right now with my child” can go a long way in making employees feel understood and like their not alone. And it doesn’t end there.  Kunik has a network of experts that contribute to community conversations, coach individuals, and who tailor programming for company groups in the following categories:

1. Baby Support: Sleep & Lactation, Raising multiple kids, Child behavioral issues, Newborn care(bathing, diapers, soothing, swaddling), Parent bootcamp and Education: what care and/or school.

2. Parent Support: Pre + Postnatal health & wellness, Relationship & Marriage Coaches, Household Responsibilities & Work: The Juggle, Parenting Coaches and Financial planning & college savings

 3. Career Support: Life & Career coaches, Motherhood & entrepreneurship coaches, Career transition coaches, Parental Leave: Prep, Planning, & return, Child & Career Balance

Kunik may be a good fit for your employees because they can:

• Offer a solution to smaller employers and those with fewer parent employees through their Peer Network
• Scale and customize a robust offering for client’s with larger workforces and/or more needs (Private Group + expert programming)
• Enable companies to build upon their existing inclusion efforts by dedicating a space to help their employees better integrate their life outside of the office with work. And, Kunik integrates with Slack.

Kunik hosts & manages private, company specific, working parent groups (outsourced ERGs) and a working parent peer network with vetted experts to support members and customizable programming for individuals and groups alike. The result is stronger retention, lower costs, and a more inclusive workplace.