The future of Employee Resource Group Management

Future of Employee Resource Group Management

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have been around for a while. Organizations have had basic ERGs in place governed by ERG Leads who track membership, conduct events and engage with members. But what's next for Employee Resource Groups? How are they evolving to keep up with the changing nature of workplaces and employee expectations?

Here is a list of advancements observed in the management of ERG programs and is the future of Employee Resource Group Management.

Quantifying Engagement

An ERG’s success is measured by how engaged its members are in all the activities. Senior leaders want to see data-backed evidence that members are satisfied and aligned with the ERG’s core purpose. Teleskope’s ERG Points feature has helped ERG Leads quantify engagement and demonstrate value to their leadership teams. With this feature, ERG engagement can be deduced by assigning redeemable points to ERG activities such as attending an event, leading a discussion, organizing an activity etc. The points rewards system also encourages reticent employees to participate in ERG initiatives.

Instant Recognition

An ERG platform with a built-in recognition module is another feature that is gaining traction. New-age employees no longer feel the need to reserve recognition events for year-end events. They prefer instant acknowledgement of good work, good actions and kind words. Teleskope’s Recognition Module, which allows self and peer recognition, helps build a positive work environment by facilitating a seamless recognition experience for ERG members, thus, improving the overall ERG experience.

Compensating ERG Leads

ERG Leads in most organizations do ERG-related work over and above their regular work at no extra compensation often leading to burnout. However, with ERGs getting aligned to business goals and ERG Leads showcasing their contribution in performance reviews, it is only fair to compensate them for the impact they are making. Compensation need not always be monetary. Teleskope’s ERG Points provides a solution by rewarding ERG Leads with points which can be redeemed against gift vouchers or any reward system chosen by the organization.

Contributing to personal and professional growth

ERG members are looking for personal and professional growth avenues along with their ERG experience. Diversity-linked mentorship programs provide a personalized solution by mapping mentors and mentees based on ERG attributes in addition to HRIS attributes. Employees are looking to connect with intent and this nuanced layering of career planning and professional development is the answer to the evolution of ERGs expected by employees.

Celebrating Intersectionality

The future of ERGs lies in collaboration. ERGs must join hands to create safe spaces that address intersectionality. Employees who belong to more than one community, such as Black women or differently-abled veterans, need to feel comfortable to share their intersectional experiences. Multi-ERG events increase awareness about diversity and the challenges faced by different minorities and can be easily managed using ERG software like Teleskope.

Layers of smart and intuitive technology combined with the power of collaboration are shaping the new wave of Employee Resource Group management.