Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) - also known as Affinity Groups, Business Resource Groups (BRGs), and Culture Committees—have served as DEIB hubs for organisations for years. At Havas we believe that ERGs are wellsprings of culture which effect the entire employee population and have made shifts to centralize ERGs as a strategy for continuing to upscale our DEIB efforts.

But how exactly can an organization determine whether their ERGs are successful? There are many non-traditional barriers to determining overall success and performance of an ERG that other areas of business historically don’t navigate. In addition to—most often—being volunteer groups within a larger organization, ERGs often operate in a liminal state of trying to address internal issues while assisting with business objectives.

As Havas continues revitalising and relaunching our own internal ERGs we’re eager to share a few tips and insights for success we’ve learned throughout the process.

Set Up for Success

Before accessing an ERG for success it’s important to make sure that each group has been set up to achieve excellence. A few things to consider when thinking about how an ERG is set up:

1. Sharing the responsibility.

Too often we see ERGs that fall to the shoulders of a single individual. This can often have a twofold negative impact in the organisation.

Firstly, the rate of burnout for these individuals is terribly high and often results in them stepping back or—in worse case scenarios—leaving an organisation altogether. When that happens, an ERG can falter without a consistent leader at the helm. Secondly, leaders may develop unrealistic expectations that a large body of work can effectively be managed by a single person. This expectation may make future ERG leaders feel as if their efforts aren’t being appreciated or valued by comparison.

To share the burden of work ensure an equitable distribution of responsibilities within an ERG. This may look like a hierarchical structure in more advanced ERGs with strong participation (President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) or, with newer ERGs, may take the form of two or more co-leads.

2. Establish ways to recognize leaders.

Whether it’s fiscal stipends, full compensation, consideration during career advancement/promotions, or other types of rewards, make sure that your ERG leaders are recognized by the organization in some way(s).

When leaders acknowledge the work that ERG leaders put in to benefit the business—and if ERG leaders believe the work they’re doing may ultimately affect their future standing in the organization—we see an increase in trust and engagement.

3. Clarify…everything.

One of the top complaints ERGs tend to make is about lack-of-clarity. Ensure ERGs have guidelines, goals, and a working understanding of things like:

·      Budget

·      ERG goals

·      Business imperatives they are meant to influence

·      Internal resources

Measure For Success

Once an ERG has been set-up for success it’s important to conduct routine measurements to ensure the ERG is operating effectively. There are several ways an organization can determine whether their ERGs are a success.

1. Participation

Are you seeing an increase in the number of people joining events and meetings? That’s a sign of success! Organizations should keep in mind natural inclines and declines—such as months of recognition, like Pride Month—when participation may climb then naturally descend again. This is to be expected.

2. Engagement

Many organizations determine engagement through a variety of factors. Employee satisfaction scores and feedback through surveys, head count during events, and documented interest in leading social/identity-based work. Seeing increases in these areas may indicate that the work ERGs are doing is affecting overall engagement culture.

3. Budget Performance

An ERG that underspends may be having more troubles than an ERG that overspends. It’s important to ensure that leaders are aligning their budget and spending with their overall goals to carry the biggest impact. Smart leaders will make sure ERGs use their budget as much as they ensure they don’t overreach.

4. Retention Rates (of correlating demographics)

If you have a high performing, particularly active Black/African American ERG and have begun to see a higher retention or lower attrition of that demographic, it’s a good sign of success. Compare participation and engagement scores from each ERG against their relevant identity-demographic and you might find a connection.

It’s important to note that while data and research support these methods of identifying success amongst ERGs, every organization and every ERG is different; a one-size-fits-all approach often yields unsatisfactory results. Don’t forget to consider social-, emotional-, and trend-factors as influencers of success before determining whether or not changes should be made to an ERG.