The employee experience strategy and workplace culture are the subjects of this article, the last in a series. The three M’s of EX strategy were explained at the start of the series, and several articles on the critical junctures in an employee’s career that shape how they feel about what they do and for whom they do it were then published. The five Ps of EX strategy—product, place, process, pay, and perks—are covered in this last article.
What a business offers is the first of the five Ps. e. , product/service). There is no denying that some jobs offer superior goods and services to others. My observation is that motivated employees are more likely to work hard when they enjoy what they are doing. However, even if the good or service a worker is in charge of isn’t exactly “cool,” that doesn’t mean they’re not driven or engaged.
Numerous other factors have an effect on how a person feels about their work experience, as we have emphasized throughout this series. I do have one significant piece of advice for businesses that offer enjoyable, meaningful, exciting, or high-end goods or services, though: Don’t get comfortable. Despite the fact that your employees have the opportunity to design, make, market, serve, or represent a prestigious brand or product, you still need to take into account all the other phases of the employee journey. Don’t assume that just because an employee enjoys the product or service they promote, you can ignore other factors that contribute to a positive employee experience.
The second P refers to the location where work occurs. Over the past few years, this situation has changed from the viewpoint of the employees to become a factor in where they work best. For the majority of people, the only work settings available were offices or construction sites. Gig workers and younger employees already believed that the workplace was less significant and less necessary for completing work, even before the pandemic made it clear that people could work from anywhere. Many workers have now discovered how to work from home productively and better balance their other priorities. Managers can support remote workers in a number of ways. MORE FROM.
Meanwhile, maintaining a workplace where employees can perform their best work is probably even more of a responsibility. You must take into account what matters to people at home if you want to live up to expectations. When designing workspaces, make sure to keep in mind the importance of color, design, temperature, comfortable furniture, relaxing areas, accessibility to favorite beverages and snacks, and personal memorabilia.
The third P establishes whether an employee will find it simple to work with you. This also pertains to how simple it is to commute to work. More employees are reluctant to commute or spend a lot of time getting to and from work. As a result, hiring practices are emphasizing the ability to employ or house workers close to their places of employment.
This instance also exemplifies how simple it is for an employee to receive payment, access and update their personal information, take advantage of benefits, and comprehend and adhere to the organization’s employee policies and procedures. Too frequently, we have evaluated businesses that overcomplicate matters, causing unneeded stress and frustration for workers. Consider how you can ease each employee’s work-life, just as you would with your customers, and start by making work-related procedures and rules simpler.
The fourth P is pay. Mostly, this means that the worker is now compensated fairly and competitively for their position, level of experience, and industry. While increasing short-term profits by paying employees less than their market value is possible, there are numerous hidden costs because disengaged, underproductive, and more likely to leave workers. With higher turnover, you have to train new employees. While it is important to reward performance with incentives, bonuses, raises, and promotions, a competitive salary for the sector is a crucial foundation for any positive employee experience. Make sure to evaluate your pay every year to make sure it’s competitive and to make any necessary adjustments.
The final P refers to perks or employee benefits. In the past, benefits for working for a particular company have typically focused on needs related to health and retirement, such as medical insurance and pension contributions. While still crucial, the modern employee is now more concerned with benefits that matter to them and their family. They seek advancement in their careers, help with childcare, financial aid for education, work flexibility, housing, transportation, or parking, as well as anything else that will improve their current standard of living. There is no longer a set list of benefits that every employer must offer. Based on employee feedback and current needs, the benefits menu should continue to change.
Please be sure to take into account the moments that matter most to employees as you develop your EX strategy because these moments are defined by the questions that employees ask themselves throughout their time working for you. Once you have located these moments, decide whether the proper amount of emotional intent was delivered by a mechanism, a manager, or both. Depending on who is in charge, make an investment in developing your systems or training your managers in the behaviors they should adopt to provide a memorable, inspiring, and productive employee experience.
How to Create a Better Employee Experience [3 Steps] | AIHR Learning Bite
How to build an employee experience strategy
The three main components of employee experience are typically company culture, technology, and work environment. It’s helpful to start by taking into account your staff’s needs and abilities in relation to these three areas in order to determine how to optimize your business’s employee experience:
1. Evaluate your company culture
2. Assess your tech needs and systems
The technology infrastructure, tools, and systems that your company employs can have a significant impact on employee satisfaction. Depending on your industry and current technology structures, your organization’s precise technology requirements may change, but equipping your staff with the tools they require can improve their performance on the job.
3. Analyze your work environment
How employees perceive your business may be impacted by workplace factors like lighting, workstations, air conditioning or heating systems, and furniture. When workplaces promote efficiency and contentment, workers may be more productive and engaged in their work.
What is employee experience strategy?
A comprehensive strategy called an employee experience strategy (also known as EX) can be used by businesses to persuade their staff to think favorably of their organization. The term “employee experience” describes how your employees feel about your business and the various interactions they have there. These interactions may take place during the hiring process, training, or when they are working as full-time employees.
Employee performance with your company can be impacted by almost all factors, including productivity, engagement, and loyalty. Employers create plans and tactics with an EX strategy to strengthen the bond between their staff and the business.
17 employee experience strategies
The following 17 tactics could help your business’s employee experience:
1. Ask employees for feedback
Encourage your staff to provide you with feedback as they encounter your business. You can gain a variety of perspectives on how employees feel about their relationships with your company outside of company management by regularly asking for feedback from your staff. You can solicit general feedback from your staff members or specific topics or inquiries, such as how satisfied they are with their work or how likely they are to recommend your business to others.
2. Evaluate organizational data
Analyze your company’s information, such as figures on attrition, participation, and morale. How satisfied your staff is with their employment experience may be correlated with high rates of retention, engagement, and other important metrics. You can gain a more objective perspective on some aspects of your company’s employee experience by analyzing your numerical data. Think about utilizing organizational data along with the feedback you get from your staff to view the experience from various angles.
3. Map the employee journey
Make a map of the typical employee journey in your organization, including their experiences during hiring, training, and career advancement. You can determine the areas you need to invest in or concentrate your attention on most to improve the employee experience by mapping out the journey of your staff members. For instance, you might come to the realization that you need to improve the onboarding procedure so that employees can benefit the most from their training.
4. Communicate regularly
Make frequent contact with your staff to check in and ask if they have any questions. Open lines of communication between managers and employees can ensure that potential problems are addressed before they grow more serious or complex. You can also urge your staff to get in touch with you or the designated manager whenever they need Ensure that staff members are aware of the most effective methods for sharing different types of information. For instance, your organization’s channels for communicating absences might be distinct from those for posing inquiries.
5. Optimize recruitment processes
Candidates’ first impressions of your business are shaped by their recruitment-period experiences, which may have an impact on whether they decide to work for you. Check to see if you can improve any aspects of your hiring procedure to enhance candidates’ initial interactions with your business. For instance, if your business has a dedicated online job board, check that the online application is compatible with both desktop and mobile computers.
6. Develop thorough onboarding
Make sure your onboarding procedure assists in preparing your staff for success in their new positions. Employees need to know important information about your company and the requirements for their new role, which a great onboarding process provides. Examine your current onboarding procedure to identify any areas for improvement. Depending on factors like your company culture, the best onboarding strategies may differ, but they may include getting paperwork signed before an employee starts work, assigning them a buddy or contact person, giving them questionnaires to introduce them to team members, or helping them set goals.
7. Recognize employee contributions
Recognize your staff for their efforts, successes, and other work-related qualities. The level of appreciation that an employee experiences can have a significant impact on their overall EX with your business. You can acknowledge your staff informally or publicly using tools like a company newsletter or an employee message board. You might also think about creating an incentive program that rewards employees for excellent job performance with benefits like additional paid time off or catered lunches.
8. Implement a mentorship program
Establish a mentoring program so that workers can benefit from one another’s knowledge. Some businesses run a mentoring program where employees with less experience are paired with experts in the same position or industry who have more experience. This kind of mentoring program can give new hires insights into how to advance their careers or develop their skill set. Other organizations favor creating small mentoring groups of three to four individuals from various departments or fields. The main benefits of this kind of mentoring program are that businesses might create more cross-functional teams and a more robust corporate culture.
Regardless of the mentorship model your company selects, a mentorship program offers employees the chance to create and forge distinctive connections within their company. Collaboration efforts can be boosted, communication channels can be optimized, and employee engagement can be raised by stronger staff relationships.
9. Prioritize your improvements
Choose one or two areas of the employee experience that you want to change at a time. Focusing on one or two aspects of your EX at a time can help reduce stress and enhance your ability to optimize that aspect, even though your company may decide to change multiple aspects of your EX in the long run.
Take into account both organizational data and employee feedback when determining your priorities. As an illustration, your top priority might be to facilitate team-building exercises, a cross-functional mentorship program, or another initiative that fosters internal employee relationships if you want to increase engagement rates and pay attention to staff feedback requests for greater collaboration.
10. Give employees feedback
Consider employee and manager feedback as a process that benefits both parties. Give regular feedback to your employees in addition to asking them to provide it. Consistently providing staff with constructive criticism can assist them in identifying areas of professional weakness and help them feel appreciated by the company. There are many ways you can provide feedback to your staff, including through written reports or performance reviews.
11. Provide career development opportunities
Provide your staff with opportunities to develop their skills, acquire worthwhile professional experience, enlarge their knowledge of the industry, or advance their careers. Career development opportunities may include:
12. Conduct exit interviews
Conduct exit interviews with workers just before they leave your business. Staff turnover is a natural part of any company. But conducting exit interviews can aid in your evaluation of future retention rate improvements. You might, for instance, think about sending your current employees to more conventions or developing an internal training program if a departing employee mentions opportunities for career development during their exit interview.
13. Run team-building exercises
Run regular team-building activities to help employees improve their interpersonal and collaborative skills. Team-building activities can range from simple challenges or games to questions that help coworkers get to know one another. Choose team-building activities that can help your employees gain the abilities they need to effectively collaborate on their regular work tasks as well. For instance, if you want your staff to improve their capacity for creative thought, choose a task that will push them to consider novel ideas that they might not otherwise consider while carrying out their regular duties.
14. Upgrade technology
Consider upgrading or purchasing new technology systems or devices. Analyze the extent to which your current technology infrastructure enables employees to perform their jobs, and determine whether there are any particular aspects you could improve. It may be advantageous to invest in laptops that employees can use both in the office and at home if, for instance, your business has a large number of part-time teleworkers. As another illustration, updating your cybersecurity systems may be a crucial component of improving the employee experience if your business deals with sensitive or confidential data.
15. Improve the work environment
Consider how you could improve the workspaces for your employees or the environment in general to promote productivity. This could entail putting in more windows, cozy furniture, ergonomic equipment, or bigger workstations. You can assist your staff in setting up workspaces that maximize their productivity even if they work remotely. For instance, you could pay for an employee’s coworking space membership or provide them with a stipend for home office furniture.
16. Consider compensation packages
Consider improving employee compensation if your company has the resources to do so. Along with a salary, compensation packages may also include other perks like paid time off or insurance. Look for ways to reduce your operating expenses while boosting pay, like by bundling dental or disability insurance with other types of policies.
17. Look at other companies
Evaluate what companies do to provide great employee experiences. You can get practical and useful ideas for improving your EX by researching how companies like yours maximize their employee experience. For instance, you may observe that businesses like yours offer flexible work schedules that your business could adopt as well.
FAQ
How can you improve employee experience?
Evaluation of each stage of an employee’s journey and identification of moments, events, and interactions that occur throughout an employee’s employment journey constitute an employee experience strategy. The design of these moments must then take into account the beliefs, preferences, needs, and motivations of the employees.
What are the 5 factors impacting the employee experience?
- Deliver Excellent Communication.
- Respond to Feedback.
- Focus on Employees.
- Promote Diversity and Inclusion (D&I)
- Provide Meaningful Work.
- Make Management Supportive.
- Create a Positive Work Environment.
- Offer Growth Opportunities.
What does employee experience include?
- Value Propositions. We’re not only referring to the employee value proposition (EVP).
- Recognition. There’s a difference between appreciation and recognition. …
- Special Projects. …
- Continuous Performance Management. …
- Wellness and Wellbeing.
