Employee Networks
Are They Dead, or Do They Still Have a Place?
Some organisations have used employee networks for years - groups built around gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, or wellbeing. At their simplest, a staff network is a group of employees who come together around a shared characteristic or experience, often with the aim of creating community, raising awareness, and influencing change.
They’ve given people safe spaces, built visibility, and in some cases shaped policies.
But many businesses, particularly SMEs, have never had them. And for those that do, the question is shifting: should we keep networks as they are, or rethink them for today’s workplace?
Where Networks Add Value
When they work well, networks can:
Give voice and visibility: offering underrepresented groups a platform to be heard.
Create community: building safe spaces for employees to connect and support each other.
Influence change: raising awareness, educating colleagues, and influencing policies.
Where Networks Struggle
The challenges are real:
Low engagement: a small group carries the load, while most employees don’t take part.
Silos: networks operate in isolation, sometimes competing for attention or resources.
Tick-box risk: organisations set up networks as a symbol of inclusion, without integrating them into leadership and decision-making.
The Evolution of Networks
This is where the conversation is shifting. Employee networks aren’t dead, they’re evolving.
In some organisations, traditional networks still add real value. In others, the model is moving toward combined inclusion groups or employee voice forums. The focus is less on themes, more on collaboration and action:
A single group bringing together diverse perspectives.
Stronger links to leadership, with a direct line into decision-making.
Practical initiatives employees can see and feel, not just awareness campaigns.
Both approaches can work — the key is being intentional about design and purpose.
Why This Still Matters
Whether separate or combined, networks, or newer forms like inclusion forums and employee voice groups, still have a place. They remain one of the clearest signals to employees that their voices matter.
But for networks to thrive, they need:
A clear purpose that employees understand.
Connection to leadership so feedback turns into action.
Visible impact so employees feel their involvement makes a difference.
A Simple Next Step
At Edenfold, we help organisations refresh and restructure their networks so they work with, not against, wider culture. That might mean:
Supporting leaders to sponsor effectively.
Helping networks collaborate across themes.
Designing combined forums that cut through silos and drive change.
Because the question isn’t whether networks are dead. It’s whether they’re evolving in a way that delivers real impact.
Find out more about our staff network support: