Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) come in all shapes and sizes - for better or for worse. Across the ERG landscape, ERG leadership structures range. A single ERG program or even an individual ERG chapter can contain multiple structures. This mix-and-match approach is part of the grassroots nature of ERGs. Oftentimes, ERG founders are asked to create a charter and come up with their own structure. Because of this, they often pull ideas from the internet, existing (sometimes struggling) structures, past ERG experiences, other community groups, and word of mouth. Up until now, there hasn’t been a clear recommendation on ERG structures.
After consulting with dozens of companies, the following roles are the core four that I recommend building your program around. There are additional roles, but these ones are essential for the structured and sustainable success of your program.
Instead of keeping the best practices locked away behind paywalls and consulting fees, here’s a go-to ERG structure for you. This is the structure I recommend to all the companies I work with, providing a solid foundation for their ERG roles.
Chair
The ERG Chair serves as the Project Manager for the ERG, acting as the main liaison between ERG Leads and the ERG Program Manager, ensuring smooth operations and effective communication within the team.
- Purpose: The Chair is the Project Manager of the ERG.
- Responsibilities: The Chair acts as the go-between for the ERG Leads and the ERG Program Manager (PM). In addition to project managing the ERG Leads, they’re responsible for updating the Executive Sponsor and holding regular check-ins with the leadership team, either through live calls or async touch bases.
- Accountability (Input) Metrics: Number of consistent leads meetings held.
- Results (Output) Metrics: Overall ERG Health / ERG Scorecard completion, Member Engagement Scores, ERG NPS Scores
- Importance: The ERG Chair is the single point of contact for the ERG PM, providing a clear and complete picture of everything going on in the ERG.
- The Ideal Candidate: People interested in people management and project management, especially those with a knack for organization.
- Resources Needed: Tools to track ERG Lead activities (I’m not alluding to software with this), access to ERG Health metrics, and an executive sponsor update template.
Communications Lead
The Communications Lead is often overlooked, but they’re essential for building a strong community. Since the main goal of ERGs is to bring people together, this role is crucial.
- Purpose: The Communications Lead handles community updates, connections, and resource sharing.
- Responsibilities: This includes posting in designated communication channels, creating newsletters (optional), working with Employer Brand on ERG-related matters, and coordinating company-wide messaging.
- Accountability Metrics: Number of scheduled posts per month.
- Results Metrics: Channel engagement scores.
- Importance: Regular communication is vital for keeping members engaged, especially those who don’t attend meetings. Without consistent updates and prompts, members can quickly lose interest.
- Ideal Candidate: Those interested in marketing or internal communications. This role is essentially internal marketing for the ERG, ideal for those who enjoy connecting with trends and hyping others up.
Events Lead
The Events Lead is in charge of planning and executing regular live activities, whether virtual or on-site, for the ERG.
- Purpose: The Events Lead acts as the event planner for the ERG.
- Responsibilities: Organizing monthly/regularly scheduled live events to engage members.
- Accountability Metrics: One event per month/regular cadence.
- Results Metrics: 10% engagement per event, 50% annual event engagement.
- Importance: Live events create real-time connections, providing memorable experiences and addressing specific member goals.
- Ideal Candidate: Event planners and extroverts, or those looking to enhance their hosting and facilitating skills.
- Resources Needed: Event planning guide, step-by-step event checklist, and event slide templates.
- Learnings from the Business World: Events are a core product of an ERG program. Like any product, they should be continuously improved to better serve the members.
Activities Lead
The Activities Lead, previously known as the Member Engagement Lead or Finance Lead, is all about creating fun, productive, and engaging opportunities for members while making the best use of the budget.
- Purpose: The Activities Lead finds creative ways to use the budget and boost member engagement.
- Responsibilities: This role involves tracking the budget and organizing regular engagement activities that don’t necessarily involve live events.
- Accountability Metrics: 100% budget usage annually (25% per quarter) & One asynchronous engagement opportunity per month
- Results Metrics: Contribution to the overall Member Engagement Score .
- Importance: Many members prefer engaging in activities on their own time rather than attending live events. Proper budget use ensures members stay engaged and resources aren’t wasted.
- Ideal Candidate: This role is perfect for introverts with creative ideas for programs that engage members, like member of the month programs, mentorship initiatives, or other fun activities.
- Resources Needed: A budget tracker, clear programming guidelines, and training on procurement processes.
Conclusion
These core roles form the foundation of a robust ERG leadership structure. By establishing these essential positions, your ERG can ensure structured and sustainable success. Stay tuned for part two, where we’ll dive into supplementary roles and how to implement them within your ERG structure.
With a solid leadership framework in place, your ERG will be better equipped to engage members, utilize resources effectively, and foster a vibrant and engaged community.
If you need assistance with your processes, reach out to us at info@theergmovement.com. Interested in revamping your ERG program in 90 days or less? Learn more about our ERG Fresh Start Program here.
.svg)
.svg)