How To Write A Strategy For Your Employee Resource Group

You've noticed inequity in your workplace or perhaps a lack of diversity and want to be part of the change, so you’ve started an Employee Resource Group… but now what?

You need a strategy for your Employee Resource Group (ERG).

It’s certainly not ground-breaking to state the importance of having a strategy in business. While this term covers an array of planning tasks, there’s no doubt that it’s one of your most crucial tools for success.

Your strategy will give you a shared sense of purpose and allow everyone to stay on the same page as you move forward.

However, despite this common knowledge, it’s common to see people starting an Employee Resource Group (ERG) without a strategy. ERGs can often get lumped in with social activities and special interest groups.

HR, Diversity and Inclusion and ERG leaders need to apply the principles they would use with a more traditional business team.

Starting an ERG without a strategy is a mistake – and your ERG deserves more.

This article will define the benefits and critical parts of an ERG’s strategy and teach you how to write one.

What is an Employee Resource Group Strategy?

We get this question all the time from people wondering how to start an ERG at work – what is an ERG Strategy?

Simply put, your ERG strategy is a way to conduct long-term planning so that you reach your desired end goal. Since most ERGs focus on diversity and inclusion, your strategy will likely revolve around achieving those goals.

How to Write A Strategy For Your ERG

While it’s best to undertake the ERG Strategy process with the group members, coming to the discussion with ideas and a meeting structure helps to ensure a productive meeting.

Remember to be flexible and let the conversation take its natural course, but don’t be too relaxed and let the strategy meeting veer too far off-topic.

Clarify your goals

It is impossible to overstate the importance of goal setting. There is no point in creating a plan if you can’t identify your desired result!

Planning your short-term and long-term goals will help set you on the right course.

Your goals are your overall purpose and will help you create your mission statement – you should have a clear, easy-to-articulate purpose. 

Your ERG goals should:

• Be easy to define and not overly complicated

• Be ambitious but ultimately achievable

• Align with your mission statement

• Be broken down into smaller milestones – called objectives 

Check out this blog on five reasons why your ERG needs clear goals.

Set your objectives

After you have clarified your goals, it’s time to break them down into smaller, more manageable objectives.

While goals and objectives are related, objectives are the specific tasks you will carry out to achieve the end goal.

For instance, your plan might be “foster a greater sense of workplace inclusion.” Your objectives might be “weekly host get-togethers,” “bring in an external educator for sessions,” and “write a monthly newsletter.”

When starting an Employee Resource Group, there are two main objectives: Strategic and Tactical.

• Strategic objectives – Help create the group’s overall vision and deliver on larger group goals, for example, securing an executive sponsor.

• Tactical objectives – Focus on short-term deliverables like events that educate employees on a specific topic.

Craft your mission statement

As with any successful group, it’s essential to have a mission statement. Whenever you doubt your next move, you can refer to your mission statement, which will help you stay on track. 

Your mission statement should include:

o   What do we do?

o   Why are we doing it?

o   How do we do it?

o   What is the value of what we do?

Once you have written your mission statement, open it to everyone in your organization, both online and in the office.

Measure your success

All of your goals should include metrics by which you can measure their success. Every objective should have a corresponding method to measure how it’s going, and you should assess them regularly to find out what’s working and isn’t.

For instance, if one of your objectives is a monthly email newsletter, your measurement metric might be to check the open rate, survey responses, and comments it receives. If your result is lower than you’d hoped, you can change things and try a new method.

Write down the resources you need

Write down the resources you need to achieve your goals. You will need funding, an executive sponsor and support from different teams in your organization.

It's crucial to write down what you need to present it to the right people and get the support you need to achieve your goals.

An ERG Strategy Benefits Everyone

Of course, ERGs can help you promote diversity, equity, and inclusion and provide employees with a safe space in your organization. But a successful ERG with an effective strategy has many benefits.

• Clear goals and objectives prevent scope creep

• The strategy keeps everyone on the same page

• ERG leaders feel less overwhelmed

Need some guidance on writing your ERG strategy?

We coach ERG leaders on writing a clear strategy so they can achieve their goals without feeling overwhelmed through a 12-week program.

If you work in HR or Diversity and Inclusion, you can find out more by attending one of our upcoming events.