Photo cred: N Azevedo, Unsplash
Considering starting your own employee resource group (ERG)? Or perhaps you have ERGs that are lacking in employee participation and engagement? If so, read on for 11 tips and 5 handy resources for creating and cultivating active, fun, relevant, and inspiring ERGs.
- Obtain leadership buy-in
- Identify an executive champion who will serve as an advocate, sounding board, and champion for the ERG by providing guidance and promoting the group’s activities and impact company-wide AND assign a support service role for each ERG that is created
- Allocate resources
- Ask employees for input
- ERGs are typically grassroots, employee-led groups
- Administer a survey to gauge interest in the types of ERGs employees want
- Take an inclusive approach by collecting feedback from a mix of departments, locations, and people
- You can also leverage the survey to recruit potential ERG volunteers and leaders
- Know it’s okay to start small
- Establish purpose, structure, and goals – once ERG is formed invite them to revisit and refine
- Recruit members
Photo cred Allgo an App, Unsplash
- Host the first meeting and plan the next steps including events
- Measure impact
- Track engagement metrics by looking at membership growth, event participation, and survey results to assess program effectiveness
- Customize metrics tracking to suit your specific goals and objectives
- Collaborate with other ERGs
- Revisit and refine as needed
References & Resources
Effective employee resource groups are key to inclusion at work. Here’s how to get them right
Indeed – How to Build an Effective Employee Resource Group (ERG)
