ERGs were leaned on heavily in 2025. As executive orders and a shifting legal landscape reshaped how organizations approached DEI, many leaders turned to ERGs as a way to keep inclusion work moving forward. ERGs felt accessible, employee-led, and comparatively low-risk, able to maintain momentum at a moment when other initiatives were paused, scaled back, or reconsidered.
In 2026, organizations need to be far more intentional about how ERGs are used, supported, and positioned. Treating ERGs as a default solution or assuming yesterday’s approach will continue to work creates real risk for both the groups and the people leading them. As leaders build their ERG strategies for the year ahead, a few critical decisions will shape whether ERGs remain effective as expectations continue to rise.
Don’t: Treat ERGs as a Catchall for Inclusion
In the wake of heightened scrutiny, many organizations quietly expanded the role of ERGs, asking them to carry work that once lived within inclusion teams. While ERGs helped keep inclusion efforts visible, this shift blurred an important line.
ERGs were never meant to replace formal inclusion infrastructure or absorb responsibility for everything that feels risky or unresolved. When they become the default solution, the work quickly outpaces what employee-led groups can realistically sustain, creating strain that undermines both impact and credibility.
Do: Right-Size ERGs for the Impact You Actually Need
If ERGs can’t be everything, the priority in 2026 is to be clear about what you actually expect them to deliver. That means stepping back and asking whether your ERGs are structured to meet the goals you’ve put in front of them or whether expectations have grown beyond what the structure supports.
SeramountEmployee Group Maturity Assessment (SEGMA)gives leaders a practical way to carry out those evaluations. SEGMA helps organizations accurately assess where their ERGs stand today and identify the most critical changes needed to strengthen operations and impact. That kind of intentional assessment makes it possible to chart a path forward, strengthening ERGs so they can meet shared goals rather than continuing to operate on assumptions.
Don’t: Keep ERGs Simply Because They Exist
When engagement is declining, leadership benches are thin, or groups no longer have a clear connection to the organization’s priorities, maintaining ERGs can do more harm than good. Yet many organizations hesitate to make changes, continuing to support ERGs simply because they’ve always been there.
Holding onto groups that no longer have momentum or purpose doesn’t protect inclusion; it drains energy from the ERGs that are positioned to make an impact and makes it harder to recruit leaders and members where it matters most.
Do: Sunset Groups That No Longer Serve a Clear Purpose
Sunsetting an ERG might be misunderstood as “a retreat from inclusion” or “dilution of DEI,” but it’s far from that. Rather, it’s a strategic decision to focus time and resources where they can drive the greatest impact. In some cases, that may mean formally dissolving a group; in others, it may mean consolidating with another ERG or evolving the group’s mission to better reflect current needs.
[Sunsetting ERGs] is a strategic decision to focus time and resources where they can drive the greatest impact.
Done well, sunsetting can actually rebuild trust. Involving members in the decision through listening sessions or town halls creates space to acknowledge the group’s contributions while shaping what comes next. When people understand why a change is happening and how it connects to broader goals, they’re more likely to stay engaged rather than disengage quietly.
Wondering whether an ERG in your organization may be ready for sunsetting or consolidation? Review Seramount’s four-step framework to determine the right path forward.
Don’t: Assume Passion Equals Leadership Readiness
Most people step into ERG leadership roles because they care deeply about the community or the change they want to see. That passion is not the same thing as leadership readiness.
As ERG roles become more visible, assuming that enthusiasm is the only requirement of effective leadership becomes a real risk. ERG leadership today requires skills that go well beyond enthusiasm: influencing stakeholders, navigating organizational dynamics, and communicating with credibility across levels. When organizations expand expectations of ERG leaders without being intentional about how those leaders are selected, prepared, and supported, impact can stall at precisely the moment ERGs are being asked to deliver more.
Do: Treat ERGs as Leadership Accelerators, Not Side Projects
If ERG leaders are expected to operate as leaders, they need to be developed as leaders. That means investing in real skill-building, i.e., not assuming leadership capability will emerge on its own. Programs such as Seramount’s ERG Leader Certificationgive ERG leaders practical tools to plan strategically, manage stakeholders, and communicate impact, skills they are already being asked to use in the role.
This matters even more as organizations face a broader leadership challenge. With trends such as “conscious unbossing” and declining interest in formal people-management roles, organizations need more ways to build leadership capability outside the traditional manager track. When supported intentionally, ERG leadership can be one of those pathways.
With trends such as “conscious unbossing” and declining interest in formal people-management roles, organizations need more ways to build leadership capability outside the traditional manager track. When supported intentionally, ERG leadership can be one of those pathways.
The return is tangible. ERG leadership develops the same capabilities organizations depend on in most roles: cross-functional collaboration, project management, inclusive leadership, and executive communication. When those skills are developed intentionally, ERGs become a proving ground for future leaders, not a side project that competes with real career growth.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, ERGs still play an important role in how organizations approach culture, inclusion, and belonging, but enthusiasm alone won’t be enough to sustain them. Their impact will hinge on clear expectations, intentional design, and leadership support that matches what the role now requires.
If you’re thinking about how to evolve your ERG strategy for the year ahead, The 2026 ERG Survival Guide dives deeper into the risks ERGs are facing and the concrete steps organizations can take to strengthen them for what’s next. Get your copy.
Kayla Haskins is an Associate Director, Product Marketing at Seramount. In this role, she supports DEI Practitioners and Talent Leaders in creating more inclusive workplaces by providing valuable insights and resources through webinars, blog posts, guides, infographics, and more.
With nearly a decade of experience in the technology and non-profit sectors,
Kayla Haskins is an Associate Director, Product Marketing at Seramount. In this role, she supports DEI Practitioners and Talent Leaders in creating more inclusive workplaces by providing valuable insights and resources through webinars, blog posts, guides, infographics, and more.
With nearly a decade of experience in the technology and non-profit sectors, Kayla excels in translating complex ideas into clear, actionable concepts. She is passionate about storytelling and is dedicated to addressing today’s most pressing workplace issues to drive meaningful impact.
Kayla holds a degree in English and Creative Writing from Dickinson College. She lives in Silver Spring, MD with her partner, Nick, and their dog, Zero. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
