As a business, I’m sure you’ve been told that having a “customer-centric” approach is the key to workplace profits and exponential growth.
But what if I told you that the best way to be customer-centric is to be employee-centric?
As of late, many organizations are realizing that to achieve sustainable success, they need to focus less on a customer-centric approach despite the employee, and focus more on an employee-centric approach that is driven by employees.
Whether you’ve realized it or not, the well-being and satisfaction of your employees directly affect your business outcomes.
In fact, a study by Glassdoor showed that employee experience (culture) is one of the top three factors that influence employee satisfaction in the workplace.
So how do we know if we need to improve our employee experience? Is there a way we can evaluate it? In what ways can we enhance our employee experience model?
We’ve got all the answers for you in this article, so keep on reading to find out more!
What do we Mean by “Employee Experience”?
Employee experience refers to the employee’s perception of their interactions with an organization. This includes all aspects of the employee’s journey, from recruitment, to retirement.
Employee experience directly impacts employee engagement and retention, so organizations need to create positive employee experiences if they want to keep their top talent.
Many factors contribute to the employee experience, such as work/life balance, employee development opportunities, compensation and benefits, job satisfaction, how you handle discipline, and more. The culmination of these experiences makes up your company culture.
Creating a positive employee experience requires an understanding of what employees value and a commitment to meeting those needs. When done well, employee experience can be a major differentiator for an organization.
At Wizard of Sales®, our team of experts can help you develop employee development programs, improve your benefits and compensation packages, and provide guidance on how to effectively communicate with your employees.
Book a call with us today to learn more!
How Does Employee Experience Impact Your Company?
Employee experience is critical to your company’s success. Your employees are your most important asset, and their experience with your company can make or break your business.
Investing in a healthy and positive work culture can improve employee satisfaction and retention, increase productivity, and boost your bottom line.
A recent study from Gallup that compares engaged vs. disengaged work units has shown that those who were engaged in the workplace had significantly outperformed those who weren’t.
Work units with a great employee experience had an average of 41.5 percent less turnover, 17 percent higher productivity, 10 percent higher customer ratings, 20 percent higher sales, and 21 percent higher profitability.
As the data has shown, engaged employees provide their companies with a significant competitive advantage. If you want to improve your company’s performance, invest in your employees and create a work environment where they can thrive.
Measuring the Impact of Employee Experience
Given the clear connection between employee experience and business success, organizations must measure the impact of employee experience management initiatives. However, many organizations struggle to do so effectively.
There are several key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to measure and evaluate employee experience:
Employee engagement
This KPI measures how motivated and committed employees are to their work. It’s typically measured through surveys that ask questions about employees’ satisfaction with their job, their level of motivation, and their willingness to recommend their employer to others.
Employee sentiments
Employee sentimentsThis KPI captures employees’ attitudes and opinions about their work and workplace. It can be measured through surveys, social media monitoring, focus groups, or one-on-one interviews.
Employee response to changes and initiatives
This KPI quantifies how employees react to changes in the workplace, such as new policies or procedures, or leadership changes. It can be measured through surveys, focus groups, or interviews.
Employee software and tools usage
This KPI analyzes how employees use the tools and software provided to them by their employer. This can be measured by looking at usage data, or through surveys or interviews.
Employee retention
How long the average employee stays before quitting or getting fired is a strong indication of the quality of your employee experience. Are you hiring people who hold the same values as your company? Is the training sufficiently robust for employees to do their jobs well? Are you taking an active role in curating positive employee experiences?
Once you have accurately measured employee experience, you can then make data-driven decisions to improve it. This, in turn, can lead to increased retention, engagement, and productivity.
How To Improve and Create Positive Employee Experience
There are several different things you can do to improve your employee experience strategy, but it’s important to tailor your approach to the specific needs of your organization. After all, what works for one company may not work for another.
With that in mind, here are a few general tips to get you started:
1. Pay attention to your employees
As an employer, your responsibility is to pay attention to your employees to make sure that their performance quality, engagement, morale, and overall experience at work are in good standing.
Being more in tune with the state of your team members will allow you to pick up on any potential issues early and work to resolve them before they develop into bigger problems.
There are a few key things you can do to make sure you are paying attention to your employees’ experiences:
- Set up regular one-on-one check-ins.
- Encourage open communication.
- Seek feedback and eliminate retaliation from negative feedback.
- Pay attention to body language and other nonverbal cues.
- Keep an open mind. Be willing to be wrong.
If you make a concerted effort to stay attuned to your employees’ experiences, you can create a positive work environment that leads to improved performance and engagement.
2. Create an employee experience framework
Having a framework can help create and maintain a positive employee experience. For one, it provides a resource that can be used to identify problem areas and potential improvements.
Additionally, it ensures that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of what the employee experience entails and can serve as a roadmap for change. This will help to focus and guide initiatives that aim to improve the employee experience.
Here are some elements of a positive employee experience framework:
- Communication: Clear and regular communication from leadership to employees
- Connection: Feeling connected to the organization’s mission and purpose
- Community: Feeling a sense of community within the organization
- Compensation: Fair and competitive compensation
- Career development: Opportunities for career growth and development
- Work/life balance: Policies and practices that support a healthy work/life balance
- Wellness: Programs and resources to support employee wellness
- Diversity and inclusion: Feeling valued and respected for who you are as an individual, and feeling like you belong in the organization
Incorporating these segments in your employee experience program will create a framework for positive work culture and show your team that you are putting them first – over your profits, your clients, everything.
3. Promote transparency
Transparency is integral to creating a positive experience for your employees.
When you are open and honest with your employees, it builds trust and creates a feeling of mutual respect. Employees who feel respected are more likely to want to grow and develop within your company.
Transparency also opens the door for your employees to be transparent as well. If employees feel like they can comfortably communicate with you and give honest feedback, they will be more likely to do so.
This avoids misunderstandings and prevents bottlenecks from occurring in the workplace due to someone being afraid to share their barriers or concerns.
Another way that transparency creates a positive employee experience is by helping to build a culture of collaboration and innovation.
If employees feel like their voices are being heard and that their suggestions are being taken into consideration, they will be more likely to come up with new and innovative ideas.
A company that values its employee’s insight is more likely to succeed in the long term.
4. Offer support to your team
4. Offer support to your teamOffering support helps your team members feel valued and appreciated, and you can also encourage them to work together more effectively.
There are a few different ways that you can offer support to your team:
- Show appreciation: Let your team members know that you appreciate their hard work. A simple “thank you” can go a long way in making someone feel valued.
- Be available: Make sure that you’re available to answer questions and provide assistance when needed. This can help your team members feel more comfortable coming to you for help.
- Encourage collaboration: Work with your team members to encourage collaboration. This can help to improve the overall employee experience.
- Offer training and development opportunities: Offer your team members opportunities to learn and grow. This can help to improve the employee experience by providing them with the opportunity to develop new skills.
When you show your team appreciation, are regularly available and encourage collaboration, you can help your team members feel valued and a part of something special.
5. Maintain an open line of communication
As we’ve touched on earlier, our employees want to feel valued, heard, and have a solid understanding of the company’s direction.
Furthermore, open communication can help prevent misunderstandings and provide employees with the opportunity to give feedback, which is important for you to be able to improve the workplace.
But how do we remain communicative with our team? There are a few ways:
- Encourage feedback: Encourage employees to come to you with their questions, concerns, and suggestions. Make it easy for employees to give feedback by setting up an anonymous suggestion box or conducting regular surveys.
- Have regular check-ins: Whether it’s a one-on-one meeting or a team meeting, regular check-ins provide an opportunity for employees to stay updated on company news and give their input.
- Be transparent: Be open about the company’s direction and decision-making process. If changes are being made, be sure to communicate why these changes are being made and how they will affect employees.
Open communication is key to maintaining a positive employee experience. By encouraging feedback, having regular check-ins, and being transparent, you can create an environment where employees feel valued and heard.
Are You a Truly Fun Place To Work?
If you want to be a truly fun place to work, you need to have more than just a fancy espresso machine or a fun virtual assistant. You need to create an environment that people enjoy coming into every day.
Here are just a few things you can do to make your workplace more fun:
- Make sure there are plenty of activities and events going on throughout the year.
- Offer regular opportunities for employees to bond with each other, such as team-building exercises or outings.
- Encourage a healthy lifestyle by providing amenities like a gym or fitness classes.
- Offer flexible work hours or the ability to work from home occasionally.
- Encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day to relax and recharge.
- Make sure your benefits package is competitive and meets the needs of your employees.
Any of these things will make your workplace more fun and enjoyable for everyone. By making your workplace more fun, you’ll not only improve morale, but you’ll also increase productivity and retention.
Revolutionize Your Employee Experience
It’s time for a change. A change in the way we think about work, and the way we treat our employees.
We can start by making small changes in our workplaces that will have a ripple effect on not just employee satisfaction but also productivity, innovation, and creativity.
Are you ready to make a change? Let us help you get started!
At Wizard of Sales®, we want to help you create an amazing work-life balance that will benefit both you and your team. We are passionate about helping businesses create sustainable, satisfying, and successful work environments.
Book a demo with us today to discuss how we can revolutionize your workplace.