How to know (for sure!) if you should invest in ERG software

Questions to find out if you would benefit from an ERG community solution

Sharing-Ideas-at-Work

Your employee resource group (ERG) program probably started small, but then it grew and got more complicated! Now, everything’s harder to track and you don’t have the tools you need to support your people and report on program success. Are you at the point where streamlined technology could help you scale?

Determining whether to invest in ERG software isn’t easy, so we’ve created a questionnaire to help!

ERG software mini study
We surveyed nearly 450 companies and found, on average, they’re using three tools to manage their ERG program. Investing in ERG software — monetarily and in change management — will save you time and effort in the long run, and you’ll no longer need to use multiple tools to bring your program and your people’s passions to life.

 

Almost 450 companies                          3 tools, on average

 

The ERG software questionnaire

Answer the questions below to determine whether ERG software is right for you.

Size of your program today. One of the main benefits of ERG software is it helps organize and scale programs at large or growing companies.

  • Do you have at least 1,000 team members who are eligible to participate in your ERG program?
  • Do you have three or more ERGs, or do you plan to launch three or more ERGs in the near future?
  • Do you have multiple chapters of some or all of your ERGs?
  • Do you have a mix of public and private ERGs?
  • Do you have a mix of official (or company-sponsored) ERGs and less formalized groups?

Reporting, measurement and money. Software will help you show your results and report on your spending so you can secure executive support and funding for your program.

  • Do you need a live, self-serve report that shows ERG membership and the most active ERG members and groups?
  • Do you want to see membership trends over time and be able to correlate activities and budget expenditures with membership changes?
  • Do your ERGs have a budget they are expected to manage throughout the year?
The main reason medium (30%) and large (26%) companies are looking for ERG software is they need better reporting and data.

 

Impact and momentum. Software enables your ERGs to support your people and make an impact at your company and in your communities.

  • Do your ERGs hold events (virtual or in person)?
  • Do you want to report on the number of folks participating in the events your ERGs host?
  • Do your ERGs participate in volunteering?
  • Do your ERGs have specific causes/nonprofits they support (or would like to support)?

Collaboration. ERG software helps programs thrive by breaking down silos and allowing collaboration between groups. 

  • Do your ERG leads communicate regularly and collaborate on projects (or do they wish they could)?
  • Do you think it would be beneficial to have a centralized annual plan that can be updated by each ERG lead and viewed on demand?

Participation. Software enhances the accessibility and inclusivity of ERG programs. 

  • Do you aim to make your ERG program as accessible as possible for employees?
  • Do you think your program would benefit from (or do you already have) a single catalog of groups where employees can discover and join ERGs at your company?
  • Do your ERGs regularly wish to communicate with members of other ERGs or across the business?

That’s a whole lot to think about! If you answered “yes” to five or more questions, then you will benefit from ERG software in the short term and set your program up for growth! And if you answered “yes” to 10 or more, then you’re sure to experience immediate and important improvements to your program.

 

Want to learn more about
Benevity Affinity Groups?

Learn more