Meet Elastic's ERGs

Employee resource groups (ERGs) — or as we like to call them, Elastician resource groups — have been a part of Elastic’s culture since 2016. They started as organic Slack channels that Elasticians could join to connect with others from similar backgrounds or experiences.

ERGs allow Elasticians to build a sense of community and belonging outside of their immediate team and allow for knowledge sharing, learning and development, and networking.

We’re a distributed organization with employees in more than 40 countries around the world. We speak different languages, come from different cultures, and work in different time zones. What unites us is our Source Code, a shared set of ideals that we’re always working toward.

One tenet of our Source Code is “As YOU, Are” which means that we celebrate our differences and encourage everyone to “come as you are” without feeling pressured to conform to a singular norm. 

Karen Penn, Elastic’s head of global inclusion and community impact, shares how the Source Code promotes healthy discourse among employees. “On a daily basis, things can be misinterpreted, but it’s important to not assume malice. We have this set of ideals to show that.”

She also explains her tool for managing awkward occurrences when they arise, especially around differences.

“We have to respect the pause”,” she says. When working alongside Elasticians representing more than 100 nationalities, a multitude of languages, and differing communication styles, it’s important to “respect the pause,” and let people explain. Doing so ensures nothing is lost in translation and enables Elasticians to address things in a meaningful way. 

The release and timing of any features or functionality described in this post remain at Elastic's sole discretion. Any features or functionality not currently available may not be delivered on time or at all.