I’m combining Reasons #4 and #5 in this article because they’re deeply connected.

First, let’s unpack why treating ERGs like internal business consultants is risky at best and exploitative at worst. Then, we’ll zoom in on the people behind the programs — the ERG leads — and break down how pushing them to drive “business impact” flips their experience from purpose-driven to labor.

If you’ve ever wondered why ERG momentum stalls or why leads burn out, this combo is the warning sign most companies ignore. Let’s get into it.

Reason #4: ERGs Are Not Qualified Consultants

Just because someone identifies with an ERG doesn’t automatically make them the expert on that community.

Lived experience matters, but it’s not the same as subject matter expertise. If anything, when that’s the only lens someone is operating from, it often introduces bias instead of balance. You’re not getting a full picture — you’re getting their picture. And sometimes, companies forget just how narrow that lens can be.

Especially in corporate settings, there’s this strange expectation that a salaried employee from an underrepresented group can suddenly speak for the broader community — even communities they’ve been removed from for years. The irony? You’re asking the people with the most privilege within their group (corporate access, full-time jobs, salary) to somehow know what will resonate with the “general population” of that group — which often includes people in hourly roles or people with entirely different life experiences.

I’ve been in those shoes.

When I became an ERG lead, I was still in an hourly role. I didn’t go to college. I grew up very low income. Most of my family isn’t in corporate. I’ve worked “regular” jobs. My community doesn’t always look like the one I work in. So when I talk about this disconnect, I’ve lived both sides. And I’ve seen how often companies conflate “ERG = community expert” and use that to justify skipping actual research or vetting with real subject matter experts.

Take this example (that I really saw happen btw):

A fashion company’s product design team goes to their Pride ERG(two leads) and asks, “Does this design work?”
The leads say no. The team changes the design.
The team launches the new design.
It flops.
Now the ERG is getting side-eyed, trust is broken, and nobody wants to be involved next time.

That happens more often than folks want to admit.

Why? Because ERG leads are usually passionate employees — not trained, resourced, or paid to act as consultants.

They’re not:

• Certified

• Insured (!)

• Scoped for that responsibility

Meanwhile, actual subject matter experts do exist. They have cultural fluency and market data. They can tell you whether to say “API” or “AAPI” based on your external audience. They don’t just give gut reactions — they give you facts, frameworks, and context.

So when you ask one ERG lead if the term “Latine” should be used and they say yes, and another says “Please say Latino,” that’s not a contradiction — that’s a sign you’re sourcing opinion, not expertise.

One LGBTQ+ lead says “add glitter.” Another says “this is pandering.”

One Black ERG lead says “that ad is funny.” Another says “that’s offensive.”

And none of the opinions are wrong — they’re just not all right for your strategy.

Because ERGs were never meant to be a replacement for market research or cultural strategy teams. And when you treat them like that — especially when they’re unpaid volunteers — it’s a recipe for resentment.

Let ERGs be what they’re meant to be:

• Spaces for connection, growth, and internal belonging.

Not unpaid, unqualified consulting teams with no safety net.

Reason #5 ERG Leads ALSO Aren’t Interested (at least most aren’t)

Most ERG leads don’t step into these roles because they’re passionate about making the company more money. They already have full-time jobs for that. They step up because they care about creating belonging for their peers, sharing resources, and designing meaningful volunteer or community experiences that reflect their group’s identity. They join to build something human inside a corporate structure — not to double as an unpaid extension of Sales or Marketing.

There’s even a sense of escapism in this work. For many employees, ERG leadership feels like a break from the grind of their day job — a place where they can build community, mentor others, or shape initiatives that matter personally. It’s one of the few spaces where their identity and expertise intersect in a way that feels restorative rather than extractive. But when “business impact” becomes the yardstick, that sense of purpose gets stripped away.

Suddenly, what was a volunteer role becomes an unpaid consulting gig. What felt like leadership development now feels like labor. And can you blame them for feeling used? This isn’t what most ERG leads thought they were signing up for.

They joined to:

• Build belonging for members.

• Share resources that improve people’s experience at work.

• Offer relevant external volunteerism opportunities tied to the ERG’s mission.

They did not join to:

• Pitch revenue campaigns.

• Advise on product launches without training or protection.

• Hit ROI targets for executives.

When you start demanding that ERG leads deliver “business impact” on top of their existing jobs, you’re not empowering them — you’re diluting the very reason they stepped up in the first place. The work shifts from meaningful to transactional. From energizing to exhausting. From a proud volunteer gig to unpaid labor.

This is the point where a lot of ERG leads’ thinking changes. “I’m building something meaningful” becomes “I’m being used for free.” And that’s a hard bell to unring (also when the deep demand for compensation often become a topic).

Ever since I started speaking on this topic years ago, I’ve had countless ERG leads reach out and thank me—many of them specifically after watching this series. And it’s not just individuals. The companies I’ve supported around this shift toward revenue generation and consulting are filled with ERG leaders who’ve been confused and discouraged at the idea that their volunteer work needs to be commercialized to be seen as valuable. They come in wanting to focus on building community and thought the business cared about that—not on proving their worth through profit margins.

4 more reasons to go.