Employee Experience (EX) is at the forefront when it comes to delivering a great workplace experience for the modern workforce—and for good reason. This area is considered by many to be a key differentiator to attracting, engaging and retaining employees. The time has come when businesses need to focus on making changes that bring together their people strategy with their customer strategy in a more cohesive way.
Whether the economy is up or down, the best way to retain employees is to pay attention to their experience. The bottom line is simple: Happy employees equal productive employees.
" No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it. " – Jack Welch, former CEO of GE
Employees who understand what's expected of them are more likely to succeed. That's why being transparent about expectations is so important. It may be as simple as making sure employees know what the company does, how it does it and why it does it.
When an employee has a clear idea of what's expected, they're more likely to deliver a good experience for their customers.
"Organizations with a strong sense of purpose outperform their competitors by significant margins," according to author Jim Collins in his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't. This has been demonstrated across industries and time periods, and it makes perfect sense: If people feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, they will be more willing to go above and beyond their normal duties in order to make that purpose a reality.
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Today's knowledge workers need help collaborating across departments, geographies and time zones. Organizations need to invest in tools that help employees collaborate across the organization, as well as have an understanding of how their workforce uses technology.
However, companies can’t just invest in the latest apps or technologies — they need to make sure those investments are aligned with their company’s culture and goals. In other words, it’s important to consider what type of ROI you expect from your technology investments before making them.
For example, if you want to increase employee engagement and productivity by providing employees with remote access to their work tools, then investing in a solution such as Microsoft Office 365 for Business or VMware Horizon View will allow you to do exactly that.
It's important for organizations to make sure they're creating an environment where employees feel valued. One way to do this is by showing your appreciation for the work employees put in each day.
Employees need to know that they're making a difference at work — and it's up to you as a manager or business owner to show them how much you appreciate their work. That could mean complimenting them on something they did well or sending an email thanking them for their hard work over the past month. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate; simple gestures like these can go a long way toward boosting morale among your team members.
This is a great way to keep track of how your initiatives are working and how you can improve them in the future.
Measurement tools can include surveys, interviews and focus groups. You can also use employee feedback platforms like MyOpinion or CultureAmp to collect data from a large number of employees in real time.
When you're measuring employee experience, it's important to look at both quantitative and qualitative data points. For example, if you're looking at a survey question about whether an employee feels like they have a good work-life balance, you'll want to see what percentage of respondents answered "yes" —but also how many respondents answered "no."
The next step is communicating these results to your organization. You might do this by sharing them with everyone in person or over email, or by displaying them on screens throughout your office so that everyone can see them.
Employee experience is built on the combination of how satisfied employees are with their jobs, how well they’re paid and how they feel about working at your company. But this is only a starting point. To get a real picture of what makes your employees tick, you need to know what they think of the work environment and culture.
And don’t just ask for employee feedback once or twice a year; ask for it regularly — ideally every week or two weeks — so you can act quickly on any issues that arise.
Offering opportunities for professional development can help you retain top talent and attract new talent as well.This can be done by offering employees the chance to work on cross-functional teams, or by allowing them to work remotely.
By allowing your employees to work on other projects and tasks, they are more likely to feel valued and appreciated by their employers. They will also feel more engaged with their roles, as they will feel like they have a wider range of responsibilities within the organization.
In an effort to be more productive and efficient, many companies are shifting away from the traditional annual performance review. While this shift can be a good thing for many employees, it can also mean that they miss out on opportunities to be recognized for their contributions and develop their strengths.
A well-designed employee experience program can help organizations support employees by giving them a platform for self-improvement and recognition. By using an employee experience platform, employers can create a system of rewards that aligns with their business goals while also offering personalized experiences that keep employees motivated and engaged.
A trusting workplace culture helps employees feel confident about their contributions. Transparency builds trust within an organization by fostering open communication. When employees know their work is valued, they are more likely to stay with the company for longer periods of time.*
Managers should encourage open communication between them and their employees by holding regular meetings where both sides can discuss their progress and any concerns they have about their projects or careers. This also gives managers an opportunity to provide feedback on how well their team members are doing so it's not just one-sided feedback all the time.
It's also important for managers not to shy away from difficult conversations when necessary because avoiding them could lead to problems in the future.
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People usually join an organization because they want to grow and develop themselves professionally. Therefore, it’s important that you provide opportunities for learning and development at work. This way, you will keep your employees motivated and engaged with the organization longer term.
The best way to do this is by showing them how their work impacts the company as a whole. Use your annual employee engagement survey as an opportunity to ask about what kind of training or development opportunities would make them feel more engaged with their jobs. You may also want to consider offering benefits like tuition reimbursement or professional development funds so that employees can continue learning on their own time.
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To sum up
Employee experience is not a single job function, but an umbrella which involves several factors and a host of activities. To create a comprehensive employee experience strategy, companies must identify and align all their seemingly unconnected initiatives including customer experience, brand and culture, HR practices, employee communications and training.
Bonus: Making regular team building activities part of your work culture is one of the greatest ways to improve employee experience and create cohesive teams. Partner with us to unleash the fullest potential of your team with the help of fun and engaging experiences
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