Today, I am honored to announce that Autodesk will now grant our global ERG leads an appreciation bonus of $10,000, or the local currency equivalent. The bonus will be given annually in April, upon completion of each year of full service as an ERG lead.  

I am proud of this important step forward in our commitment to building a workplace where people of all identities and backgrounds can bring who they are to a place they belong.  

It isn’t easy to put a price tag on the benefits our ERG leads bring to Autodesk. Their work is invaluable and they are a vital part of the fabric that makes Autodesk a great place to work. They give our employees—more than 10,000 of them—more ways to connect with their peers, learn about and celebrate our differences, and feel supported and included. They have also played an integral role in helping company leadership, including myself, learn how to support employees in both times of celebration and in the face of social injustice. For Autodesk, this is an investment in the future leaders of our work culture—and our company.  

They have stepped up to take on added responsibilities that directly impact our company’s success. Fostering collective accountability for building belonging is everyone’s job, but our ERG leads truly embody this principle.  

Gail Tanaka, global lead for the Autodesk Asian Network, shares her experience teaching seniors and youth in SF’s Japantown how to use Autodesk Tinkercad  

Recognizing the time and energy of our leads  

2021 represents an inflection point at Autodesk as a company, for leadership and for employees. The issue of racial justice in America was brought to the forefront in 2020 with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. Recent acts of violence against the Asian community in the U.S. and globally have also served as painful reminders of how much work remains to be done to combat racism.  

During this time, we leaned on our ERG leads, and specifically the Autodesk Black Network, more than ever. Their candid feedback and guidance helped us examine existing policies and practices, and create spaces for our employees to grieve and heal. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. We’ve seen all our ERG leads step up in similar ways.   

As a result of reassessing our ERG leads’ efforts, it became obvious that we needed to do a better job of rewarding and recognizing their contributions to Autodesk. As with any problem we face in business, we set out to learn by doing something different. While we can’t thank our ERG leads enough, we hope that this appreciation bonus is a way to say “thank you” for all that they do. 

Autodesk’s seven Employee Resource Groups

Evolving our ERG program  

Our ERGs are open to all employees. We’ve aligned them with our broader diversity and belonging goals, specifically building a culture that fosters equity, inclusion and belonging. Autodeskers can join an ERG for a group they identify with, but they can also join to serve as an ally to help further the ERGs vision and mission.  

Over the last year we’ve taken many steps to evolve our ERG program. In addition to this new appreciation bonus, and our first ERG Week, we also updated our selection process. Candidates interview in front of multiple panels, spanning peers and executives from CEO staff. Once selected, ERG leads serve for two years, with the option to run for a second term. This January, our current leads will wrap up their first terms, with the bonus landing shortly after.   

At Autodesk, we are fortunate to be part of a global company that works in almost 40 countries and speaks dozens of languages. Embracing what makes us different, as well as what unites us, helps create a culture of belonging that allows us to do our best work and thrive.   

I’m thankful that today, we can help show our ERG leads more appreciation for their essential contributions to our company culture.   

Learn more about our ERGs and our commitment to diversity and belonging.