Sony Music commits to creating a dynamic, safe and inclusive environment for all its employees. A driving force behind it? Talent Advisory Groups.
Talent Advisory Groups (TAGs)—or, commonly known as Affinity Groups, Employee Resource Groups or Business Network Groups—are employee-led communities that help foster a safe environment and provide growth opportunities to all employees within a company. At Sony Music, TAGs are created around common interests, identities and experiences. Whether employees identify as a community member or an ally, all are welcome to get involved.
In addition to the sense of togetherness that TAGs offer to employees, they also play an integral role as a partner to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), and the People eXperience (PX) team. This mutually beneficial, advisory partnership ensures that Sony Music is always reflective of its employees.
“Our TAGs are integral partners who help us drive cultural change at Sony Music Group,” says Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta (Specialist, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion). “They directly inform us about what their communities are experiencing, and we use those insights to implement policies and initiatives that feed back into their groups and further foster a culture of safety, belonging and inclusion.”
From hosting networking and community building events to spearheading diversity initiatives, Talent Advisory Groups ensure that every voice is heard and appreciated. Being part of a TAG means you get to enhance the employee experience through collaborative work that drives cultural awareness across the company.
To help meet their goals, every TAG has an executive board (think: president, vice president, communications director, treasurer and more) who work together with TAG committees and members to organize initiatives and events open to all employees. In addition to the boards, each TAG also has an executive sponsor—AKA a senior leader who plays an advisory role. Executive sponsors tap into their years of experience and knowledge of the business to help shape TAG strategies, and champion their efforts.
Eva Amesse (Associate Director, Learning & Development) finds value in being involved both as a TAG member and leader. “I’m part of the Emerging Professionals board, and really enjoy meeting employees from all areas of the business and creating opportunities for us to learn from each other,” says Amesse. “Also, I recently returned from parental leave and members of The Village have been so supportive during this period of transition. I’m so grateful to have found two wonderful communities within Sony Music Group.”
The most important characteristic of Talent Advisory Groups? They know no boundaries when it comes to creating new spaces for their members. They are globally available to every Sony Music office and offer endless opportunities to create new groups or chapters.
Talent Advisory Groups are a fundamental part of the company culture experience at Sony Music Entertainment. (Not part of the Sony Music team, but now you’re thinking it sounds pretty awesome? Visit our careers page to browse open positions.)
Click on each TAG logo below to learn more about each group and their unique missions.
ABLE fosters and nurtures a disability-inclusive environment for both the employees and customers of our products. We are determined to remove any stigma around physical/mental disabilities, inspire accessible innovation and create an environment where everyone feels free to be their whole selves.
HUE’s (Helping Unite Everyone) mission is to empower, celebrate and build community among the diverse and intersectional community of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) at Sony Music Group and beyond. HUE focuses on harnessing the collective power of our communities to shape global culture throughout the entertainment industry.
OutLoud is a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) folks, and LGBTQIA-friendly employees. Raising awareness of important LGBTIQA+ issues and culture, networking opportunities and finding opportunities to extend support to the larger community.
SOMOS (translated to “we are”) promotes awareness of and acts as an advocate for the Hispanic and Latinx communities both inside and outside of Sony. SOMOS aims to focus on social contribution and employee development, ultimately in support of Sony’s diversity strategy and community involvement goals.
Sony Emerging Professionals is a highly motivated, diverse group of employees committed to the personal and professional development of all Sony employees. Through educational events, peer-to-peer mentoring and community outreach activities—all designed to expand internal and external Company networks—we strive to find innovative ways to equip, engage and empower our cross-divisional member base.
The Village’s mission is to create a space for working parents and caregivers to come together to share diverse experiences, resources and solutions in a supportive and non-judgmental way to ensure our employees and their families thrive. We want to support employees through their parenting and caregiving journey from pregnancy, delivery, time away from the office, return to work and beyond.
Wellful is committed to inspiring, encouraging and educating members to maintain and grow healthy lifestyles through educational events, stress-reducing activities, community outreach and team building. We strive to create an employee network that is goal driven, healthy and strong while creating an environment that helps strengthen both employees and the company, contributing to the overall success of both.
Women’s Initiative Network’s (WIN) mission is to unite and support Sony women of all levels and backgrounds, to promote their professional development and opportunities within the company, and to foster community in the Sony universe as well as with other external women’s groups.
