Also read: DiversityInc.com Career Center, employee-resource groups, career advice, mentoring, peer relationships

From presenting ideas to management to collaborating with leaders outside your business unit, involvement in employee-resource groups (ERGs) benefits employees as much as employers. That's because as a member you gain exposure to decision makers, develop strong peer relationships and learn new skills, raising your profile in the organization. Through public speaking, project managing and more, you'll have experiences that may not ordinarily occur in your day-to-day job.

Moreover, ERGs provide talented people who might otherwise go unnoticed an opportunity to shine. Consider Vanessa Wilczewski, who at only 23 has become co-chair and one of the founders of Aetna's EnRGY, a 400-member ERG focused on the professional development of the company's Generation Y employees. (Aetna is No. 48 on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list.)

For more in-depth information on employee-resource groups, go to DiversityIncBestPractices.com/ergs.

How can you make the most of employee-resource groups to increase your personal and professional growth? Here are three strategies:

Strategy No. 1: Look for Mentors

What do women, Latinos, Blacks and Asians cite as the greatest barrier to corporate success? According to several studies, it's a lack of mentoring. But as part of an ERG, you have access to a network of peers who can provide valuable performance feedback in a non-judgmental, non-threatening setting.

"ERGs are an opportunity to work with an individual in a safe environment," says Pedro Suriel, U.S. geography and public service inclusion director at Accenture (No. 23 on The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list) and one of the founders of the company's Hispanic American Interest Group.

"They help people develop skills and, therefore, position them for advancement and ultimately senior ranks in the organization," says Lou Miramontes, a partner in KPMG's San Francisco office, member of the diversity advisory board and co-chair of the 700- to 800-member National Hispanic Latino Network.

To learn more about mentoring best practices, read our three-part series on what works at progressive companies at www.DiversityIncBestPractices.com/mentoring.

Want to find out how other companies are using employee-resource groups? Register for DiversityInc's webinar on ERGs on Sept. 22.

Strategy No. 2: Take a Leadership Position

Whether volunteering for projects that allow you to present to upper management or spearheading external community efforts, it's important to position yourself as a leader within your ERG to earn recognition. The reason: Senior management is increasingly getting involved in these groups. Eighty-four percent of CEOs from the DiversityInc Top 50 now meet regularly with ERGs, a dramatic increase from 44 percent five years ago.

"ERGs offer me an opportunity to connect one-on-one with the leadership team and to talk about my brand," says Suriel.

Employee-resource groups also provide members an opportunity to demonstrate their strengths. A case in point: After four months of planning, the Washington, D.C., chapter of Accenture's Hispanic American Interest Group--which has a strong project manager on the team--put on a 300-person gala at the National Museum of the American Indian last year in which senior leaders participated in a panel discussion. Result: The group's project manager was recognized by the company for coordinating the event.

For more case studies of cutting-edge employee-resource groups, visit www.DiversityIncBestPractices.com/casestudies.

Strategy No. 3: Join Multiple Groups

Involvement in several groups helps you expand your professional network beyond your immediate business unit and encourages cross-collaboration of projects so they can have a greater impact.

"And if you manage a lot of people," says Miramontes, "it's good to be connected to multiple groups because [members] work for you--so you're better able to connect with them and understand their perspective."

Looking for a company with employee-resource groups to help jumpstart your career? Check out KPMG's job postings on the DiversityInc.com Career Center.