ERG Software - Key Features for program managers

Managing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be a challenging task for ERG program managers. The task entails management of the entire program, multiple ERGs, ERG Leads, business objectives and much more. The right ERG software can simplify the task of ERG management with automation.

Here are some key features that ERG program managers should look for while choosing an ERG platform.

Scalability - Depth and width of ERGs

An Employee Resource Group program usually starts out with a couple of ERGs. But this number can grow rapidly when different types of ERGs (identity-based, interest-based etc.) are introduced in an organization. An ERG itself can grow in size by expanding across geographies. With every ERG having location-based ‘Chapters’, the management of these groups gets more difficult. ERG software should have the capability to handle the scale at which ERGs grow in multinational companies. It should be able to provide a complete view of the key metrics of the entire ERG program at a glance to aid in the decision making process for ERG program managers.

ERG Budget Management

Budgets are a key component of ERG management. Keeping track of budgets across multiple ERGs can be challenging without a centralized view. Providing ERG budget approvals over emails to various ERG leads can lead to inaccuracies in data. Moreover, keeping track of how much budget was consumed by every ERG across all its chapters is difficult to do manually. ERG program managers should look for software solutions that provide a complete overview of budgets across ERGs. Customization of expense types and integration with internal expense tracking tools are also features to look for as every organization manages internal budgets differently. An in-built approval system that automatically sends budget approval requests from ERG leads to program managers is essential. When ERG program managers can view all funds, they can also promote multi-ERG events among ERGs to ensure the most effective use of their allocated funds.

ERG Software integration with existing systems

A comprehensive ERG software should integrate seamlessly with existing technology. By integrating with the Human Resource Information System (HRIS), an ERG software can provide insightful data about DEI and employee experience. It is also essential that there is an integration with centralized communication channels to help promote ERGs among employees. Integrating with financial systems is needed to manage ERG expenses and budgets. Integrating with Business Intelligence (BI) applications can help provide data views to present to the leadership team and share the progress and impact of ERGs.

Reporting and Analytics

Data can bring tremendous value to ERG program managers. Tracking and measuring key ERG metrics helps in strategizing for the long term. An ERG software should provide detailed reporting with customizable dashboards to enable decision makers. Data analytics including event analytics, content analytics and survey analytics can provide great value when analyzed objectively. A global consulting firm harnessed the power of data by analyzing ERG data against key parameters to demonstrate the business impact of ERGs (read here).

Assigning roles and permissions

ERG program managers decide who among their teams can access ERG data. An ERG platform typically has three types of users - admins, leads and members. ERG software should have the capability of customizing access and permissions as per different roles. For example, ERG budgets can be made visible to ERG leads, not necessarily to Chapter leads. Within the admin panel, different ERG leads can have permission to create content and/or publish content etc. The ERG software should allow for the customization of roles and their respective permissions. This will help prevent any compromise of sensitive employee data.

Investing in best in class technology, like Teleskope, that has all of the above mentioned features for ERG management can be beneficial to ERG program managers in the long run.