Understanding Employee Experience Vs. Employee Engagement

by Kylee Stone Apr 18,2022
Engagedly
PODCAST

The People Strategy Leaders Podcast

with Srikant Chellappa, CEO

Employee experience is the totality of an employee’s perceptions and feelings about their work. It includes all their interactions with their employer, from the initial application process to the day they leave the company. On the other hand, employee engagement measures how connected employees feel about their work and their organization. Engaged employees are more productive and less likely to leave their jobs.

Why is employee experience necessary?

Employee experience is becoming increasingly important as companies compete for top talents. Today, employees are looking for meaningful work and a good fit with their values. They want employers who invest in their development and offer growth opportunities. Employee experience is one way to show employees you care about them and their well-being.

Difference between Employee Experience and Employee Engagement 

As we mentioned earlier, employee experience is the totality of an employee’s perceptions and feelings about their work, while employee engagement measures how connected employees feel to their work and organization. 

Employee experience is essential because it can influence employees’ engagement levels. Employee engagement is critical because it directly impacts productivity and turnover rates. 

Hence, if we talk about employee experience vs. employee engagement, improving employee experience can help you attract and retain top talent, which is essential for success in today’s competitive economy. Improving employee engagement induces loyalty and employee satisfaction among the employees, leading to a lower attrition rate. 

Employee Engagement Vs. Satisfaction

Employee Satisfaction implies employees’ level to which they are enjoying their work/job. They may or may not be engaged with their careers in this situation. Any employee leaving late after office hours and coming to the office before office hours without much-improved activity still signifies high employee satisfaction levels. 

On the other hand, Employee Engagement is related to motivating the employees to come to the office every day and helping the company succeed with their dedicated efforts. 

One of the core differences between employee engagements vs. employee satisfaction is that the engaged employee remains satisfied with their jobs, but satisfied employees are not necessarily engaged.

Also read: Benfits of employee career development program

How employee engagement relates to the employee experience:

Employee engagement and employee experience are related because engaged employees are more likely to have positive experiences at work. Conversely, employees who have negative experiences at work are less likely to be involved. 

Some ways to improve employee experience include creating a positive work environment, investing in employees through training and development opportunities, listening to employees, and responding to their feedback. These are also some of the best ways to increase employee engagement.

Employee engagement and employee experience are essential for companies because they directly impact productivity and turnover rates. Employee engagement measures how connected employees feel to their work, while employee experience measures how employees feel about their work. 

Improving employee engagement can lead to increased productivity and lower turnover rates, while improving employee experience can lead to higher levels of employee engagement.

How can you improve the employee experience?

There are many ways to improve employee experience, but some key steps include:

1. Development and training for skill enhancement

Invest in your employees by offering training and development opportunities. One of the top reasons people seek a new job is to learn new skills. Skilled employees can perform better and get high job satisfaction. A company that can follow a robust employee development plan for training and development facilities is likely to attract excellent employees.

2. Evolving as a positive work culture

Create a positive work environment that is supportive and encourages collaboration. Comfortable and productive spaces play a vital role in enhancing the employees’ experience. From temperature-regulated interiors to ergonomic furniture and well-positioned computer screens makes a considerable difference in the employee’s physical and emotional state. A disruption-free space allows your employees to perform best in their capacity.

3. Two-way communication

Listen to your employees and respond to their feedback. Employees who know that they are listened to by the companies and their immediate managers are more productive and engaged with their jobs and organization. 

A study revealed that 82% of the employees have great ideas based on their day-to-day experience for companies keen to improve. 

4. Employee Recognition 

Celebrate successes and recognize employees for their contributions. A frequent acknowledgment of ‘good jobs’ makes the employee feel more valued and further motivates them to do great work. It is a proven way of boosting your employees’ confidence and helping them be more productive in their teams. 

Organizations that do not acknowledge their employees often for their better performance are likely to lose the dedication and morale of their employees. 

5. Well-Defined Procedures and Policies

Implementing realistic policies and communicating them through formal channels is extremely important. Make sure your policies and procedures are clear and easy to follow. These procedures and policies provide a detailed roadway map to employees to execute their day-to-day operations efficiently. 

These policies include streamlining internal processes, guidance with decision making and adherence to the law and regulations. 

6. Monetary and non-monetary benefits for employees

Salary is the second most crucial factor responsible for retaining the top talents in the industry. Show employees you value them by offering competitive pay and benefits. For HRs, competitive pay refers to the offering a salary of 10% (more or less) than the average market pay rate. Competitive compensation is not just about money. It is inclusive of other bonuses and benefits that employees seek. 

7. Participation in Decision making

Allow employees to have a voice in decisions that affect them. It plays a pivotal role in building the employee’s trust, organizational development, productivity and innovation. The voice of employees in the decisions also boosts the self-confidence and job satisfaction among employees and makes them loyal to the organization. 

8. Focus on Employee Engagement

Stay up-to-date on the latest trends in employee engagement and incorporate them into your strategy. Employee satisfaction and employee engagement go hand in hand. If the employees are not happy with the given salary, they will be less motivated, and this will be visible in their performances 

Also read: Workplace Wellbeing Questionnaire: Best Practices

What is the Employee Experience Journey?

The employee experience journey is the process that employees go through when interacting with their employer. It includes all the steps from the initial application process to the day they leave the company. 

The employee experience journey aims to create a positive and memorable experience for employees that will encourage them to stay engaged and committed to their work. There are many ways to improve the employee experience journey. Still, some key steps include creating a positive work environment, investing in employees through training and development opportunities, listening to employees, and responding to their feedback. 

These are also some of the best ways to increase employee engagement. By improving the employee experience journey, you can create a more productive and engaged workforce.

How does employee experience makes a difference?

Employee experience is crucial for organizations with thoughtful and committed employees. However, retention is the primary aim of engagement spending.

A report by Workhuman and IBM suggests employees with a high score on employee experience get over three times the return on assets and twice the return on sales as those in the bottom quartile.

Employee experience may be detected and perceived in ways unrelated to traditional management. When management specifies employee roles, employees understand how to make a difference in safety. 

The Greatest Source of Engagement Is in Connections

Engaging is not a onetime event, a reward program, or a pleasant perk. While being engaged at work may feel fantastic, it isn’t a team-building exercise. It’s built daily through one’s job setting and interactions.

Managers are essential for employee engagement. Engagement comes first because it is critical to continual excellence. Even highly competent but unengaged employee may outperform their colleagues, yet they will never reach their full potential until they feel appreciated at work.

The manager accounts for 70% of the variance in employee engagement. Managers can provide the conversations, recognition, and feedback that drive employee engagement, resulting in a beautiful employee experience.

Conclusion

Employee experience and engagement are essential. The difficulty organizations face improving in each area, especially when considered against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic and social and racial upheaval.

The financial bottom line will constantly improve when you get back to basics and put your people first. It’s up to leadership to demonstrate that engagement and experience are top objectives through words and actions.


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Kylee Stone

Kylee Stone supports the professional services team as a CX intern and psychology SME. She leverages her innate creativity with extensive background in psychology to support client experience and organizational functions. Kylee is completing her master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational psychology at the University of Missouri Science and Technology emphasizing in Applied workplace psychology and Statistical Methods.

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