Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) give employees from various backgrounds and groups an opportunity to feel a stronger sense of belonging within an organization.
If your organisation has established ERGs, you should evaluate the participation rate in those groups. If it’s lower than expected, it’s critical to dig in and determine why employees feel reluctant to join an ERG. This is also an ideal opportunity to see if there are other ERGs worth establishing.
ERGs are a significant asset to organizations and their people, but many ERGs are underutilized due to a lack of understanding about their function and promise. ERGs bring together people of both similar and different backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences, and how their collaboration can benefit an organization at the company and individual levels. Measuring the impact of ERGs is important for several reasons. First, it allows ERG Leaders to see if they’ve achieved their goals. If ERGs are not having the type or size of impact they would like, then they may need to re-evaluate their approach. Measuring impact can help ERGs to identify areas for improvement and to focus on tasks that drive measurable change. It can also provide ERG leaders with data to support their efforts and make a case for support to the wider business.
Track and Measure the Effectiveness of ERGs
Like any other strategic initiative, measurement is essential to effectively managing individual ERGs and the ERG program as a whole.
Each of your ERGs should identify key metrics to track and report on trends in member involvement, including:
- Group membership
- Event attendance
- Participation in ERG program (mentoring, community service, etc.)
- Budget performance.
Similarly, your HR leadership or executive diversity council will want to track the effectiveness of ERGs against company initiatives. Ideally, your organization will capture baseline data before launching an ERG program so you can see how the program influences talent metrics such as
- Recruiting event representation
- Retention rates
- Employee engagement levels
- Hiring rates for diverse candidates
- Employee promotion rates.
Are You Aligning ERGs with Business Initiatives?
To encourage buy-in at all levels of the organization, it’s critical for ERGs to align their goals on company objectives such as:
- Recruiting – Attending career fairs, sharing job openings with their networks, and referring top talent
- Enhancing leadership development – Serving as a proving ground for emerging leaders from among an ERG’s membership, hosting leadership workshops for employees across the organization, and fostering mentorships
- Creating a culture of inclusivity – Embedding inclusivity into the company culture by raising awareness internally and elevating the company’s brand within the communities the ERGs represent.
Execute Listening Sessions (LS) For Measuring Employee Satisfaction an ERG
Listening sessions (LS) are another method for measuring employee satisfaction in an ERG program. These sessions can be conducted in person or virtually and can be used to gather feedback from ERG members on their overall satisfaction with the group and its activities. Listening sessions can also be used to gather feedback on specific areas of the ERG program, such as events and activities, communication, and leadership.
To conduct a listening session, ERG leaders can organize a meeting or event where members can provide feedback on their experiences with the ERG program. Listening sessions should be structured to encourage open and honest communication, with a focus on constructive feedback.
When conducting listening sessions, ERG leaders can ask questions such as:
- What do you like about the ERG program?
- What areas of the ERG program do you think could be improved?
- How can the ERG program better meet the needs of its members?
- What suggestions do you have for future events and activities?
Learn how our virtual listening sessions engage all employees, giving them a psychologically safe, anonymous solutions-oriented forum. Talk to our experts.
At Inclusive Leaders Group (ILG), we help leaders create safe, inclusive spaces that elevate employee engagement and performance to improve the business results and the communities they serve. Our clients rank among the top five markets with 98% action plan completion using our proven process to enhance and sustain results.
ILG is a Certified Woman-Owned & Minority-Owned Business. Don’t go it alone with your DEI strategy. Go with the experts. At Inclusive Leaders Group, our Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging services include strategic advisory consulting, executive education, HR and leadership development, and assessments. Our diverse consulting team will guide you through the development of progressive, evidence-based, business-driven DEI strategies to retain the best talent and increase employee engagement by 30% and overall satisfaction by 10% in one year. For more information on how to build a robust diversity recruitment strategy, reach out to us today please VISIT US.
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Measuring The Participation in Your Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
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Employee Resource Groups give employees from various backgrounds an opportunity to feel a stronger sense of belonging within an organization.
