What’s in it for me? (WIIFM)
Copyright by Stephan Klaschka 2010-2024
From my series on how to build a successful BRG.1
Members are key
What every new business resource group (BRG) requires most are people: the lifeblood of ideas and activities! (see also post The blind side of HR? –or- A case for talent retention!) - But how do you reach out to employees, help them understand the value of the BRG, and get them involved to engage actively?
You will have to communicate the unique benefits they will have from joining the BRG and becoming an active member. They want solid answers to their most pressing question: “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM).
From my experience, there are people in every organization who actively seek an opportunity to challenge and prove themselves, who want to develop new or apply acquired skills, make a significant difference even outside their immediate job environment, impact the business results, going the ‘extra-mile’ and being recognized for it.
Take a look at the volunteers, the activists, the silent experts, and the social connectors around you that show positive ‘organizational citizenship behavior’ within your organization. What are they interested in, what troubles them, what makes them ‘tick’? What opportunities does your BRG provide for them exactly?
Benefits a BRG can offer members
BRGs may offer different benefits to their members. In general, fulfilling motivators can include:
Exposure to other business areas and insight into departments outside their day-to-day job
Doing meaningful, interesting, and business-relevant work
Solving a problem that many people share
Making a difference - directly, here and now
Personal growth and professional experience and development opportunities
Developing skills such as presentation, organization, negotiation, etc.
Meeting like-minded people to connect and network with
Visibility to management, leaders, and decision-makers within the company and possibly also outside the company
Receiving appreciation and recognition for achievements
Aiming for new career opportunities.
Find the driver and aim to form a symbiosis between the member and BRG for the better of the organization, the individual member, and the BRG.
A business-focused BRG may even serve as a real-life ‘leadership development pipeline’ for the company where more experienced members support and coach the less experienced ones to reach a shared goal. This way an ambitious BRG member can gain hands-on experience in relevant business projects, lead increasingly larger projects, and take on more responsibility over time while establishing a credible and professional track record for themselves.
Now, those are achievements an employee can proudly point out in their next job interview, while the company and the BRG benefit from unleashing the employees’ full potential!
What are your ideas to attract employees to the BRG - what is in it for them?
Stay tuned for my next post on: Driving the ROI – where to start your projecs metrics?
From my series on how to build a successful BRG (=Business Resource Group) group, i.e. a business-focused ERG (=Employee Resource Group) first published on OrgChanger.com.