A company can't become a leader in its field without supporting its employees' needs. Intel, the world's largest chip maker, believes that its 12 employee networks are business tools that ensure that its employees are comfortable and successful.

The Intel India (IINDIA) employee group, which has more than 2,000 members nationwide and nearly 600 in the Oregon chapter alone, functions as a transitional guide for new Indian employees, a community-service organization and a teacher of Indian culture. Intel considers the group a competitive advantage and its members regard it as a necessity.

"Employee groups at Intel are created to help employees with diverse backgrounds integrate smoothly with Intel culture," says Uma Parepalli, president of IINDIA. "There are so many employees from many different cultures and religions. So when they first join Intel, the group will help them easily work with their team and the rest of the employees."

IINDIA's members provide new employees with resources outside of Intel. 'The typical newcomer like a recent college graduate or anyone coming to a new Intel location may want to find local resources. They want to feel at home, find out where the nearest temple or [Indian] grocery store is,' he said.

Besides making its employees feel at home, IINDIA functions as a solid business tool. Through college campus visits, job fairs, mentoring and community outreach, Intel's employee networks are constantly promoting the brand and recruiting potential workers.

Community service is an integral part of the company's 12 employee groups, which are based on race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

In fact, IINTEL was inactive for several year during the end of the 1990s, but the group was reborn after a 2000 earthquake in India spurred the company's Indian employees to pool their resources and send money back to the quake's victims.

The revitalized IINDIA holds formal meetings every month, but members communicate via email and phone every day, Parepalli says.

The recession, coupled with the cyclical nature of the high-tech industry, has caused some personnel shuffling during recent months. So the company offers a unique program called redeployment, which allows laid-off employees an average of two to four months to find a new job within the company while maintaining their previous salary.

"[Employee groups can] help as a networking opportunity for employees to know other employees from different teams and work groups, so if any employee loses his or her job he or she might be able to find placement in another group within Intel,' he says.

Among IINDIA's other activities are holiday celebrations, bringing in outside speakers to educate the office about Indian culture, sponsoring family picnics and rounding up cricket teams.

But most importantly, Parepalli says, IINDIA members simply try to be there for each other. 'We're committed to making Intel a great place to work,' he says, 'so we have to be supportive and help each other.'