Welcome to the employee revolution.
In the past, many organisations focused on delivering business outcomes with minimal thought for the wellbeing of employees. It is now clear, however, that proactive management of employee experience not only minimises staff churn but positively impacts profitability.
“Companies in the top quartile for employee experience are typically 25% more profitable than competitors in the bottom quartile.”
Deloitte
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Building Human Connection in the Hybrid Workplace
What is Employee Experience
Employee experience (EX) encompasses every interaction that an employee has with an organisation from onboarding to the exit interview. Organisations are becoming increasingly focused on employee experience, with dedicated departments and roles tasked with optimising every workplace touchpoint.
While EX leaders in the recent past offered nap pods, free snacks and massages, technology has become the focus to prioritise a superior digital employee experience (DEX). Organisations that do not optimise digital interactions as a priority will find it difficult to compete for talent.
“88% of employees have re-defined what’s important to them,
with work-life balance, mental health, growth, and flexibility as top priorities ”
Oracle
Why is Employee Experience Important?
According to a Gartner survey, only 13% of employees are fully satisfied with their experience at work.
Productivity
Countless studies show that unhappy employees are likely to be less productive. Research by Oxford University, found a conclusive link between happiness and productivity, determining that workers are 13% more productive when happy. According to one report, more engaged employees resulted in a 41% reduction in absenteeism and a 17% increase in productivity.
Retention
Poor employee retention can be an expensive exercise: costing up to 33% of a worker’s annual salary to replace them. Not only can it be costly for an organisation to replace an employee, but the process friction can also negatively affect other employees, causing further resignations. A good employee experience program will keep staff actively engaged and either prevent or address grievances before a resignation.
Attracting Talent
Organisations that are committed to delivering top notch employee experience are likely to attract the best talent. A potential employee’s experience can begin before there’s even a position available. Brand awareness and reputation are critical factors in securing the best talent. Happy employees are likely to share positive feedback and feel confident referring their friends.
Benefits of Strong Employee Experience
WELL BEING
REDUCED TURNOVER
PRODUCTIVITY
GREATER INNOVATION
STRONG ROI
Making Employee Experience a Priority
To create a positive employee experience, every interaction should be thoroughly mapped out and optimised. These might include:
- Hiring and firing
- Remuneration
- Onboarding
- HR requests and approvals such as leave or training support
- Performance feedback, coaching and reviews
- Timesheet tracking
- KPI reporting and performance management
Employee Communication
Communication is key to keeping employees happy and engaged. New starters should complete a comprehensive onboarding program that arms them with necessary information about their role, the organisation’s values and key policies. Automating onboarding spares managers from repetitive processes and ensures none of the steps are missed.
Regularly updating employees via an intranet on company updates, policy changes and any other important news and announcements ensures they feel connected and informed.
Collaboration
Using their intranet, employees should be able to easily find and connect with their colleagues, via a powerful and up to date staff directory. The staff directory can also be used as a part of a mentorship program to connect employees from different departments and at various levels of the hierarchy.
To build collaboration culture within departments, individual hub sites can be set up where employees can customise the team space, interact with their colleagues and share information. This is likely to create a greater connection and sense of ownership between the employee and their team.
Engagement
Employee recognition is a powerful tool for making employees feel seen and acknowledged, particularly in hybrid and remote work environments. You need a system to call out and celebrate great work.
Another way to keep employees engaged is with regular performance appraisals. Using an intranet and automated flows can ensure that employees are meeting with their managers, sharing feedback and keeping KPIs front of mind. Frequent pulse surveys are a great way to gain insight into employee sentiment, while also giving them a channel to express any concerns. Any red flags can be seen and addressed swiftly.
Productivity
Most people want to do their job with as little friction and difficulty as possible. Having the right tools and processes in place results in happier and more productive staff. A comprehensive document management strategy ensures correct document versions are easily located. Automated flows for request forms and approvals such as annual leave and training are great for streamlining and improving processes that can often be time consuming and error-prone.
Flexibility
Organisations must give employees more than just the option to work from home.
Remote employees must be given the same opportunities to communicate, collaborate and learn as those in the office. Effectively supporting remote work means that people can securely access documents, people, systems and information.
