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Employee Engagement

Is Improving Employee Experience the Key to Better Engagement?

January 27, 2021
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5 min read
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This article discussing the importance of focusing on employee experience was originally published in April 2018. All relevant statistics and copy have been updated as of January 2021.

Employee experience and your employees’ satisfaction levels are more crucial to the success of your business than you may realize. While the term employee experience may seem generalized, how they are both identified and later improved upon within your organization can be easily defined and customized to fit your company. Below we break down the importance of employee experience and highlight strategies to improve the experience in your organization.

No two organizations have the same values, so no two #employee #experiences are alike. @ClearCompany discusses the need to improve your employee experience to fit your organization and its values:

What is Employee Experience?

Employee experience is the environment organizations provide their workforce and the perception of the workforce as a result. Consider candidate experience and how valuable it is to the overall employer and recruitment brand. Employee experience is the extension of that process, only more focused on keeping employees engaged and satisfied. Just like candidate experience, the employee experience is affected by various factors: 

  • The physical environment

  • The tools and technologies employers provide

  • How employers demonstrate a commitment to the health and success of employees

These elements have long been on the minds of leaders, which is why the term “employee experience” isn’t one that will fade. It is the title of a subject that the HR and recruiting industry builds best practices around every single day.

Bonus Material: Are you trying to improve your employee experience and engagement while working remotely? Take a look at these 4 strategies that can help.

Why You Should Focus on Employee Experience

Work is a fundamental aspect of people’s lives. Not only are jobs fulfilling the needs of a business, but the needs of an individual. It takes up most of their time, it provides for their families, and it’s a significant motivator behind an individual’s passion. We’ve entered a stage where people aren’t just working because they have to, but because they want to and because they enjoy it. Now, more than ever, applicants are more reluctant to take jobs if employee experience is not a priority and is not great from day one of the process.

People are changing, jobs are shifting, and organizations should shift too,  starting with the employee experience. Without employees, businesses wouldn’t be able to grow and make the impact their goals point towards. So, why should you focus on employee experience? Because employees are the driving force behind a business’s operations - and they make working a lot more fun.

Tip: Utilize employee engagement surveys to gather quick insight into the sentiment of your team.

Why Does Employee Experience Matter?

It is well understood that retaining your current employees is much more cost-effective than dealing with employee turnover. In today’s current workforce, 66% of employees seek new employment opportunities within six months of starting a role. When turnover can cost as high as 2x the annual salary of a given employee, that quickly adds up and eats away at your bottom line. One way to help combat high turnover rates is by providing an outstanding employee experience and creating positive workplace relationships.  HR takes many approaches and strategies to build those positive relationships, most of which fall under the three influences of employee experience, listed above. 

When organizations set goals to increase workplace productivity or engagement, they should analyze their current employee experience. By taking measures to expand upon their employee experience and foster a healthy, positive culture, organizations can directly influence the quality of work and satisfaction of their teams. In other words, employee engagement (and its benefits) results from an organization’s employee experience.

Bonus Material: Supercharge engagement in your employees with these tips.

What Makes Up Employee Experience?

Unfortunately, the answer to this one isn’t simple. No two organizations have the same values, mission, and overall priorities, so no two employee experiences are alike. However, as much as this complicates things, it also eases some of the pressure. You shouldn’t be attempting to mirror the same experience and processes of your competitors or any other company, but rather, you should be identifying what makes your organization unique in order to customize your employee experience around your values. 

An employee’s experience is the culmination of many small factors and elements that contribute to the overall culture of a team. Transparent business practices, goal alignment, and defined career progression are all attributes of employee experience. For leaders to truly analyze the employee experience, they need to note any daily tasks or motivations that play a part in their employees’ roles.  When issues arise, such as a lack of sufficient planning or tools, or when employees face troubles with technology that keep them from achieving their goals and tasks, their employee experience suffers.

Need some help improving the #employee #experience in your organization? @ClearCompany says the first step might be to tackle employee engagement. See why:

Questions leaders can ask to facilitate a discussion about employee experience in your organization include:

  • Does your company have an effective onboarding program that supports remote onboarding?

  • Is performance management tracked and discussed in a transparent and accessible way?

  • What challenges do your employees face, and are they provided the tools they need to overcome them?

  • Do your employees feel they have a good work-life balance?

  • Does your company utilize a frequent and timely recognition and feedback system?

Your company’s mission, values, and goals all play a role in how your workforce is managed, meaning they influence the employee experience as well. From the moment a candidate applies to an open position to the time they leave your company, everyone should feel welcomed, included, and connected to your organization’s goals. So, it is crucial that leaders create a talent management program that fosters a culture of support and success.

How do you start? ClearCompany can help in creating a successful onboarding program that is customized to your employees’ needs. When employees have an outstanding experience from the start, they are more likely to remain in their roles. Additionally, ClearCompany’s Employee Engagement Suite offers organizations the tools they need to survey employee sentiment, track and measure employee performance, and engage their workforce through frequent feedback and recognition. To see how our fully-integrated product suites can transform your organization, reach out to one of our experts, or schedule your free demo today.

Integrate new hires into your culture and set them up to have a great employee experience by getting your onboarding process in check.

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