Your Guide to Critical Elements of Employee Experience

Improving employee experience (EX) and increasing retention rate is one of the most talked about subjects lately. This is because it helps companies develop a skilled workforce which, in turn, strongly impacts their customer experience. Implementing employee engagement policies is simply not enough to make a noticeable difference in your organization’s profits anymore. You need a comprehensive strategy that includes all critical elements of employee experience. 

But, before we discuss some of these critical employee experience elements, let’s look at the benefits of EX.  

Benefits of positive employee experience 

• Increased retention: When employees have a positive experience, they are more likely to stay with the company for a longer period of time. This reduces turnover and saves the company money on recruitment and training costs.
• Improved productivity: Positive employee experiences lead to increased motivation, engagement, and productivity. This results in higher quality work and increased efficiency.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction: Employees who have positive experiences are more likely to provide excellent customer service, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Attract top talent: Companies that prioritize employee experience are more likely to attract and retain top talent. This is because employees want to work for companies that value their well-being and offer a positive work environment.
• Better brand reputation: Companies that prioritize employee experience are viewed more favorably by customers and potential employees. This can lead to increased brand loyalty and improved brand reputation.
• Innovation and creativity: When employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to be innovative and creative. This can lead to new products and services, improved processes, and increased revenue.

Now that you understand how effective implementing employee experience strategies can be, let’s discuss the critical elements. 

Employer-centric elements 

Candidacy 

The first stage of an employee’s journey begins with their candidacy. This stage is the foundation ground for building a positive employee experience. The way you introduce your organization to prospective employees will leave a lasting impression on them. Here’s how you can ensure they have a positive experience during their candidacy:

• Inform them about your organization’s hiring process and update them on the next steps in advance. 
• Mutually select time slots for the interviews instead of directly scheduling them at a time slot that works for you. 
• Inform them if they are not selected for the role they had applied for. 
• Ask for feedback about your hiring process. 

Onboarding 

You must already have an onboarding process in place; however, are you sure it works well for your new hires? Does it include all the essential touchpoints to facilitate a good employee onboarding experience? If you’re in doubt, here’s what you need to do:

• Complete administrative tasks during preboarding instead of day 1 of their joining. 
• Inform them about the onboarding schedule and what they can expect from the process. 
• Arrange a team/manager hangout to introduce them. 
• Offer instructional videos to operate various platforms your organization uses. 
• Do not overwhelm them with training and other onboarding activities early on. Take it light initially and determine a healthy pace for them through mutual discussions. 

Performance 

It has been well-established that organizations with empowered leaders and managers thrive. Now, the focus has shifted to empowering employees and encouraging them to be the enablers of the company’s success. Facilitating positive employee experience increases employee engagement, performance, and motivation manifold. Here’s what you can do to boost performance in your organization: 

• Ensure they are getting actionable feedback from their manager. 
• Develop a communication plan for the managers and employees and ensure every employee gets 1:1 time with their line manager. 
• Check with your employees if they have the resources and support they need to perform their job roles. 
• Ask managers to encourage employees to contribute to team/organizational growth. 
• Build role-specific metrics and reporting structures instead of using general metrics for all employees. 

Growth 

Employee growth is a significant part of the employee life cycle and is heavily impacted by employees’ personal goals. The term “growth” may hold different meanings for different employees and this can make it challenging for organizations to find the right means to cater to them. Therefore, it is essential to have comprehensive development opportunities and employee experience strategies that allow employees to grow in all aspects of their life. Here are some suggestions that you can implement in your organization: 

• Ensure your employees are engaged in learning not just professional skills but also focus on personal development.
• Give them a competent platform like an LMS to learn and train. Allow them to access self-paced learning and facilitate a comfortable learning experience for them. 
• Organize webinars or informational events for your employees. 
• Ensure your managers allow employees to contribute and share their ideas freely. 

Exit 

Employees switch jobs due to several reasons, and the timing may not always be comfortable for the employer; however, it is important to treat them with respect and ensure they have a smooth transition. Here’s how you can offer a positive employee experience during an employee’s exit from your organization: 

• Ask for feedback regarding how comfortable they were with performing their job roles and if they were provided with sufficient means to complete their objectives. 
• If an employee has chosen to move on from the organization, ask them if they will be willing to rejoin the organization further down their career path. 
• If an employee has been asked to leave the organization, ask them about the struggles they have faced and take note of them. 
• Check with your employees if they were treated fairly throughout their professional journey with the organization.

Employee-centric elements

Employees approach employee experience quite differently compared to their employers. Apart from the employee experience elements mentioned above, here are a few more employee-centric elements that organizations need to consider to offer a positive employee experience. 

Meaningful work 

When employees look at aspects that make their work meaningful, the first thing that comes to mind is autonomy. Organizations that support micromanagement impact employee productivity and performance negatively. Instead, you should share responsibility and make them feel accountable for their work. Another key aspect is team strength and management. Having smaller, more empowered teams will help create a healthier dynamic between the team members. 

Supportive management 

• The management must be highly supportive of their employees. 
• They should set clear goals and communicate expectations well in advance so that employees can create a thought-out work plan. 
• The management should invest in the development of managers and maintain a coaching approach when it comes to operations. 
• Performance management is a critical aspect that concerns a lot of employees. The tracking metrics will not align well for all teams if the organization has a standard performance review and management setup. Instead, you should have a separate performance review and management plan for each department. 

Flexible workplace 

A flexible work environment is every employee’s dream; however, very few organizations are able to facilitate such an environment. There can be several reasons why organizations fail at providing a flexible work environment and the top reason is that some roles do not support such a work setup. In that case, you must analyze job roles carefully and determine a convenient setup for that specific role. Making your employees comfortable is the key!  

If you are looking for a comprehensive solution that targets your specific pain points and helps you facilitate the perfect employee experience, we can help! Check out Auzmor Office, an employee experience platform packed with many features like a social intranet, people hub, channels, analytics, and much more. Get in touch with our team to book a free demo.