16 November, 2022
Why Should HRs Focus on Employee Experience
Employee experience has emerged as a salient indicator of organizational success amid global disruptions in the employee-employer markets. Often abbreviated as EX, it is the sum of interactions in an employee’s journey through all the touchpoints at a particular firm, including recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and exit. The wide-ranging nature of EX makes it a complex endeavor, but it undoubtedly plays a crucial role in propelling the employee engagement levels and shaping the organization culture.
So why should HRs focus on enhancing the EX? What’s in it for the employer? How does it contribute to the overall business success? This blog answers these titillating questions along with actionable strategies.
Why should Employee Experience be a Top HR Priority?
The EX is the HR equivalent of the customer experience. The latter has always been a primary driver of business success, but in recent times, the conversation has shifted to the former. The underlying realization is that when your employees are engaged and happy with their jobs, customers take notice. Moreover, instead of half-hearted responses and minimal effort, engaged employees are willing to go the extra mile for customers.
Apart from the apparent correlation between employee engagement and customer success, facilitating an optimal EX has numerous other benefits. Here are a few facts to shed light on why it needs to be prioritized:
1. 81% of the global firms have reported EX as a dominant topic of discussion amongst leadership
2. 44% of the employees who fall within the lowest 25% in terms of EX express intent to quit their jobs
3. Companies that invest in EX outperform the ones that don’t by 2x in terms of average profit
3 Essential Elements of Employee Experience
The memo is clear- employees are no longer satisfied with clocking in and out and receiving a paycheck in return. The transactional dynamic between an organization and its’ workforce is becoming absolute, as people now look for meaningful work amid a supportive and collaborative environment. Studies have found that the majority of employees (64%) say a role that allows them to have greater work-life balance and better personal wellbeing is “very important” to them. Thus, an employer of choice is one who comprehends employees as full-rounded human beings and demonstrates care in genuine, authentic ways.
Jacob Morgan, author of The Employee Experience Advantage, writes that “as we shift to the future of work, where organizations are focusing on the reasons why employees want to work versus need to work, it is important to understand employee experience.” In his keynote address at the People Matters EX India Conference, he suggested focusing on the below three aspects as integral parts of an equation in order to build a robust EX strategy.
Technology
To paraphrase Morgan, “Technology is the central nervous system of the organization.” A cutting-edge EX design comprises of employee-centric solutions and services that further the cause of the HR department, whilst strengthening the employees’ sense of purpose.
A digital R&R platform offers myriad features such as 360-degree social recognition, virtual group events and talent contests, gamified quizzes, and an exclusive social wall. It also doubles up as an effective feedback collection tool with dynamic surveys and polls, that can be analyzed through easy-to-read reports based on user responses.
Physical Work Environment
Physical space includes the physical environment where employees work, as well as the tools and resources available at their disposal for increased efficiency. Additionally, the advent of hybrid and flexible working models has mandated the adoption of appropriate technology to ensure smooth functioning of a diverse workforce. This is where a digital employee engagement platform comes in- it helps centralize all communications and also livens the organizational culture with vibrant engagement features and R&R tools.
Organizational Culture
The most critical indicator of EX is the organizational culture, as it takes precedence over technology and physical space. Let’s look at it this way- a warm, lively, and high-spirited work culture gets you out of bed on a rainy week day. A toxic one might make you consider calling in sick, or start exploring better job opportunities. Thus, to foster employee retention and keep your workforce’s happiness quotient in check, it is vital to embed appreciation into your cultural DNA.
Read our blog on “Humanizing Work Culture” for a detailed insight!
Turn your EX into your X factor!
Research shows that people who report having a positive EX have 16 times the engagement level of employees with a negative experience, and are 8 times more likely to want to stay at a particular firm. Thus, it is upon HR leaders to act as the guiding light, by taking a granular look at all of the interactions experienced by employees at every stage of their lifecycle.
Wondering how our digital R&R solution can help engage and motivate employees across all touchpoints in the EX? Schedule a personalized demo today!