ERG Engagement: How to Grow and Activate Your ERG in 2025

ERG engagement is what takes a group from an idea into a movement. When people feel connected, valued, and energized, your ERG becomes a space they want to return to — not just a calendar invite they attend. Whether it started as a casual Slack message or a water-cooler chat, it started with just a few employees who wanted to create a more welcoming space at work. Within weeks, that informal chat grew into a full-blown ERG with monthly meetups, mentorship sessions, and company-wide events. What began as a conversation became a movement.

That’s what makes Employee Resource Groups so powerful. Having worked with quite a few organizations, we have seen firsthand how a few passionate employees can create something that changes the culture of an entire company. When ERGs are truly supported and people feel heard, these groups become so much more than internal communities. They start influencing policies, creating safer spaces, and making the workplace better for everyone.

But here’s the catch: starting an ERG is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in keeping it active, meaningful, and impactful over time.

In this blog, we will explore:

• Proven strategies to grow your ERG
• How to boost ERG engagement
• Fresh activity ideas, thoughtful programs, and success metrics

What is ERG Engagement, and Why Does It Matter?

ERG engagement shows up in small things—the conversations that continue after an event, the trust built over time, and the way people start looking out for one another. It’s shaped by how members feel when they’re in the room, and whether they leave feeling seen, heard, or connected.

Strong engagement doesn’t rely on big gestures. It grows from consistency, from shared experiences, and from knowing that this group adds something meaningful to the workday.

ERG Groups: How to Activate and Grow Them

You don’t need a big budget or a hundred members to grow a thriving ERG group. What you need is momentum–small wins that build trust, visibility, and a sense of purpose. Growth happens when people feel seen, valued, and excited to be part of something that matters.

Here’s how to spark that kind of energy and keep it going:

1. Make it Easy to Join and Even Easier to Participate

If you want your ERG to grow, start by removing friction. The easier it is for employees to join and engage, the more likely they are to show up.

That means offering multiple ways to get involved, not just one big monthly meeting. Some people might prefer dropping into a Slack channel to observe, while others might want to vote in a quick poll or help plan a small event. The key is to meet people where they are.

Here are a few ways to lower the barrier to entry:

• Digital touchpoints: Create a dedicated Slack or Teams channel and keep it active with polls, shoutouts, and updates.
  
  
• Visible sign-ups: Add ERG sign-up links to onboarding materials, internal newsletters, and the company intranet.
  
  
• Flexible formats: Offer both live and async ways to engage—like attending a virtual event, reading a recap, or responding to a survey.
  
  
• Micro-engagements: Invite employees to contribute without a big time commitment—such as suggesting themes for upcoming events, helping with outreach, or joining a casual coffee chat.

📌 Pro tip: Use anonymous suggestion boxes to help new or introverted employees share ideas safely. It’s a small gesture that can lead to big insights.

When people feel they can engage in a way that suits their schedule, personality, or comfort level, your ERG becomes more inclusive, driving momentum and change.

2. Give your ERG Visibility and Leadership Support

Visibility helps your ERG grow. Mention it in all-hands meetings, include it in internal newsletters, and make it part of how you welcome new hires. When leaders actively support the group, it shows that the ERG has a real place in the company, not just a checkbox on a slide.

Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), for example, set a great example with their Women in Supply Chain ERG. They hosted a networking event in the UK with women from companies like Burberry and Coca-Cola. Around 30 women attended to connect and talk about how to grow and support more women in supply chain roles. What made it even more powerful? Senior leaders showed up and supported the event, sending a clear message: “We see you, we support you, and we’re committed to change.”

3. Create Moments of Meaning

It could be an employee's story shared during Heritage Month. A volunteering event that brings your values to life. Or a coffee chat with someone who’s walked a similar path. These moments help ERG employees feel like they’re part of something genuine and worthwhile. But before we jump into ERG activities, it’s worth clarifying what ERG programs are all about.

📌 What are ERG programs?
ERG programs are the structured efforts, events, and initiatives organized by your ERG to support its mission. These could be mentorship circles, speaker sessions, cultural celebrations, volunteer events, or even skill-building workshops. A strong program keeps things fresh, aligned, and worth showing up for.

Now that your group is growing and your purpose is clear, the next step is to keep people engaged. That’s where well-designed ERG activities come in.

ERG Activity Ideas That Are Easy to Execute

Once your ERG has found its footing, the key is to offer consistent, engaging activities that make people want to participate. Think of these as your go-to building blocks, easy to run, flexible to scale, and meaningful for members at any stage.

Here are a few ERG activity ideas that work across teams, time zones, and interests:

1. Host open sessions and events

Hosting open sessions and events helps ERGs interact with members of the organization who might be a good fit for the ERG. When employees get to witness the impact that ERG events have on the affinity groups and the benefits for employees themselves, they will be able to assess how being a part of the ERG can contribute to their well-being at the workplace. 

2. Spread Awareness of your ERG within the organization 

Use avenues like internal company newsletters, announcements at all-hands meetings, update emails to all employees, posters/flyers at company notice boards, and word of mouth to market your ERG and its activities within the organization. The more the employees are exposed to the ERG and its activities, the more members it will attract. 

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3. Inform new employees 

If someone joins your company and hears about your ERG on day one, that’s a powerful first impression. Partner with HR to include ERG sign-ups and event info in onboarding kits, new hire sessions, or welcome emails. It shows that inclusion, connection, and employee voice matter right from the start.

4. Collaborate with other ERGs 

Collaboration with other ERGs is not only a good way to share resources and avoid duplication of efforts, but is also a great way of interacting with members of other ERGs within your organization who may be the right fit for your ERG too. 

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Engaging your ERG members 

Engaging ERG members regularly is one of the struggles that ERGs face constantly. It is also the reason why many of them fizzle out. Here are some ideas that can help you continuously engage members of your ERG: 

1. Organize Regular Meetings and Reviews 

Consistency builds connection. Set up regular ERG meetings to give members a space to talk openly, share ideas, and support one another. These check-ins don’t always have to be formal; they could be structured discussions, casual lunch hangouts, or even quick virtual coffee chats.

The goal is to create a rhythm where people feel heard and included. These regular touchpoints help build trust, strengthen relationships, and keep the group aligned.

It’s also important to reflect on what’s working. Use these meetings to gather feedback, review recent activities, and adjust plans based on what members need most. A simple monthly review can go a long way in keeping your ERG relevant, responsive, and impactful.

2. Host Low-Lift, High-Impact Activities

In addition to monthly meetings and reviews, there are numerous other engaging activities that your ERG can organize that are as important as the monthly reviews. Some of these include: 

• Awareness campaigns
  Increased awareness of issues faced by affinity groups inside and outside the workplace is one of the central goals of most ERGs. Your ERG can look for fun ways to spread awareness about those issues, including organizing fun quizzes on rights and important heritage events. Another way is to make flashcards with awareness messages that can be donated to NPOs, thus creating an impact inside and outside your workplace. Discussions around famous historic leaders from the affinity group can also be exciting and fruitful for your ERG.
  
  
• Host a movie screening
  Movie screenings are a great way to engage your ERG members. Pick from a list of films that focus on issues faced by the affinity group or other themes like rights, justice, etc. Depending on the popularity of screenings at your ERG events, you can also screen informational documentaries and videos.

To make screenings more fun and impactful, be sure to hold a fun quiz about the topics covered in the film before the screening and a discussion panel after the screening.

• Organize mindfulness sessions 
  ERGs are important in workplaces because they help to reduce anxiety and create a safe workplace for employee communities. Mindfulness sessions are a great way to help employees relax in the workplace, which leads to greater productivity and concentration. Meditation, yoga sessions, mindful immersion, etc., are ways to stimulate mindfulness in the workplace. This event can be open to the broader organization or can also be organized in collaboration with other ERGs in the company to ensure greater participation and more impact. 

• Mentoring programs 
  One of the core work areas of an ERG is providing mentoring and professional guidance to members of the workforce. Therefore, mentoring programs and sessions should be an integral part of your ERG calendar. These sessions can help coach employees for executive positions and higher managerial and leadership positions in the organization.
  

Read "Top 9 Activities and Event Ideas for Employee Resource Groups" for more ideas.

3. Build an Annual Volunteering Calendar 

An activity that brings all three - awareness, engagement, and impact together - is to volunteer for a cause that uplifts members of the affinity group. Volunteering is one of the most powerful activity ideas for any ERG for multiple reasons:

• Helps raise awareness for employee volunteers, 
• Creates social impact outside the organization in affinity group communities, 
• It’s a great way to celebrate important heritage events at the workplace, 
• The number of beneficiaries, volunteering hours, and number of volunteers are all powerful quantitative metrics to track and report for the impact created by your ERG,
• It has a massive second-degree impact on workplace culture.

These volunteering sessions can be offline for close-knit teams or online for remote, hybrid, and global teams. Build an annual volunteering calendar with Goodera where you can choose from a rich catalog of purpose-driven campaigns around multiple cause areas curated for an engaging experience for your employees.

4. Report the Impact Created by Your ERG

With all the impact that your ERG activities create within and outside your organization, this impact should be regularly reported to the stakeholders, including leadership, sponsors, members, and other employees of the organization. This helps not only in maintaining the organization’s faith in your ERG but also in recruiting and retaining members.

• Build tangible awareness
  Awareness about your ERG activities can be created through multiple channels, including marketing emails and newsletters covering recent activities and their impact and posting updates about upcoming events on relevant company forums. Make sure that you reach out to employees outside of your ERG membership for these. The more visibility your ERG gains, the better.
  

• Report quantitative numbers
  Monthly, quarterly, or yearly reports sent out to stakeholders must include quantitative numbers that reflect the impact your ERG has created with its activities.
  These may include: 
  - Membership
  - Number of Meetings/activities/events 
  - Qualitative feedback and testimonials received from ERG members 
  - Volunteering numbers 

Read next: ERG Best practices

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does ERG stand for?

ERG stands for Employee Resource Group. These are voluntary, employee-led communities formed around shared identities, interests, or experiences. ERG groups are designed to foster connection, professional development, and advocacy, helping employees feel seen, supported, and heard in the workplace.

2. What is ERG activity?

An ERG activity is any initiative or event designed to bring members together and support the ERG’s mission. These activities could include mentorship sessions, cultural celebrations, speaker events, volunteering programs, or awareness campaigns. Consistent ERG activities help boost engagement, encourage participation, and strengthen your community.

3. What is an example of ERG?

Working Parents Network is a great ERG example to follow. They host monthly check-ins, run resource-sharing forums, partner with HR to shape family-friendly policies, and organize impactful back-to-school drives during August. Other examples include Women in Leadership ERGs, LGBTQIA+ employee groups, and multicultural networks.

4. What are ERG programs?

ERG programs refer to the organized set of efforts that keep your ERG running with intention. These include structured events, engagement activities, mentorship programs, and impact campaigns—all aligned with the ERG’s core purpose. A strong program helps keep participation high and ensures consistent value to members.

5. Are Employee Resource Groups effective?

Yes, when supported well, ERG groups are incredibly effective. They create safe spaces for employees, improve retention, support leadership development, and inform company-wide decisions. Studies from McKinsey and Great Place to Work show that companies with active ERG engagement report higher employee satisfaction and stronger culture.

6. What is the difference between an ERG and an affinity group?

While both ERGs and affinity groups bring people together around shared identities, ERGs are typically more formal, often with leadership support, budgets, and strategic alignment. Affinity groups may be more informal and grassroots, but both play important roles in fostering belonging.

7. What is the return on investment (ROI) with ERGs?

ERG engagement drives multiple business outcomes like improved recruitment, employee retention, brand perception, and culture. ERGs also help nurture future leaders and offer insights into employee needs, making them a valuable investment for any organization.