ERG Software: How to know when you need it

With the number of software solutions available in the market, it is difficult to shortlist ones that are a fit for your organization. With Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives gathering momentum in many organizations, there is a growing need for DEI-specific technology solutions i.e. DEI Tech.

What is an ERG software?

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an integral part of DEI initiatives. ERG software is a tool to help manage Employee Resource Groups effectively. An ERG software usually has features such as membership management, event management, communication management, budget management, reporting and analytics. ERG software solutions integrate with HRIS and provide useful data views to administrators and leaders about ERG growth.

How does one know when an ERG software is needed?

Some signs that indicate the need for an ERG management software are listed below.

1. ERGs are gaining traction

If your organization has one or more ERG and if they are gaining traction, having an ERG software is recommended. When one or more ERG is successful and well-received, there is usually a quick growth in the number of ERGs in the organization. Moreover, every ERG grows in size as it gains more members. This number is compounded for organizations that have ERG presence in multiple locations often spanning different continents. Managing ERGs is a challenging task irrespective of their scale and size. Having an ERG software to manage, measure and grow ERGs can reduce the complexity of the task with the help of automation and integration to ensure data integrity.

2. ERG Leads are overwhlemed

If ERG leads and administrators seem overwhelmed with the task of managing ERGs, then investing in an ERG software is imperative. Managing ERGs using multiple disparate applications without a single source of truth can lead to discrepancies in data as well as loss in productivity. Not having a tool to help with repetitive ERG-related tasks while also fulfilling their regular day job commitments can lead to ERG lead burnout. An ERG software like Teleskope takes care of all the administrative tasks for ERG leaders while providing them with data-backed insights. With the help of an ERG software, ERG leads can focus on the strategic aspects of nurturing the ERGs and increasing employee engagement.

3. Struggling with a lack of data

You might need an ERG software if it is a challenge to answer basic questions about your ERG program such as number of members per ERG, year on year membership growth, number of events per year per ERG, average attendance per event, percentage of budget used till date etc. Key ERG metrics when tracked proactively, provide insights on how to tweak existing practices. For example, if no new members join the ERG in a given quarter, ERG leads can infer that they need to focus on ERG promotion among new and existing employees. Similarly, low employee engagement in ERG events is an indicator that event ideas need to be revisited. A comprehensive ERG software tracks all key metrics and provides a wealth of data and information. ERG data also helps present a case to the leadership team about the business impact of ERGs. This in turn helps to validate ERG budgets and garner ERG support from executives all year round.

4. Committed to Diversity & Inclusion

If your organization is genuinely committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, an all-in-one intuitive employee community software can help boost all your DEI efforts. An agile platform like Teleskope can support multiple employee programs such as ERGs, mentoring programs, volunteering programs, interest groups, location-based groups and so much more. The future involves the inclusion of ERG data in other programs to make them more nuanced. ERG mentoring is one such example of combining ERG data with HRIS data for better mentor-mentee matching. ERG data can also help create new programs which cater to the complete employee lifecycle from recruitment and onboarding to engagement and retention.

A comprehensive ERG software solution is an investment in building a diverse and inclusive workplace that is future-ready.