"2018 Will Be the Year of Employee Experience."
At the start of January, Forbes contributor, Denise Lee Yohn, shared this quote, followed by its definition. She wrote, "EX is the sum of everything an employee experiences throughout his or her connection to the organization". We also wrote about employee experience as leading the focus of top HR trends for 2018. Employers will start to see a shift from "human resources" towards a fresher perspective of HR, seen as "people operations", in order to maximize employee value. It's all about your employee's experience over time - from the application process to the day they exit your business.
Think about the employee experience in four parts: value of work, culture, workspace, and technology.
What makes up the employee's experience? First, there is value of work, and whether or not your employees find meaning in the work they do. Second, there is culture, defined by the way your employees feel when they are at work and all the components that add to this - their team, the leadership, compensation and benefits, etc. Third, there is the workspace aspect. Consider the physical workspace that your employees are in and how this enables them to be productive in doing their job. Lastly, there is the technology component, and giving your employees the tools to do their job effectively. All of these components make up the employee experience that reinforces HR goals of increasing retention and decreasing turnover.
How can you win at the employee experience?
Here are five ways to help employers focus on building a stronger employee experience.
- Refresh your onboarding process: Make sure your employees feel welcomed on their first day and excited to start their employment journey with your company.
- Embrace remote working: Technology is your friend. Take advantage of the machines and devices that allow your employees to work anywhere.
- Create touch points: Check in with your employees to make them feel like they're part of the decision-making process.
- Start an EX committee: Encourage your employees to start or join a social committee and support them with it - this is a great way to build company culture.
- Celebrate milestones: Mark your calendar with your employees' key milestones and show that you recognize and appreciate them.
There are a number of ways to focus on employee experience. Our advice to employers is to start by thinking about the four parts that make up the employee experience and what will be the most cost-effective and rewarding to both your staff and to your business.
