A great employee experience can start with simple gestures.
The discussion about employee experience has been amplified in the past few years. Employers recognize the need to retain talent, and team members seek more meaning and connection in their work.
The data shows why employee experience can be a game changer for a business. Having a great employee experience can lead to many positive business outcomes, including:
Increased employee engagement: Companies with engaged employees have 21% higher profitability than those with disengaged employees. Additionally, engaged employees report 41% lower absenteeism and 59% less turnover than their disengaged counterparts. (Gallup)
Higher retention: Companies with a strong employer brand had a 50% lower turnover rate than those with a weaker brand. Additionally, companies that invest in their employee experience are more likely to retain top talent. (Glassdoor)
Increased productivity: A study by the University of Warwick found that happy employees are 12% more productive than their unhappy counterparts. Additionally, companies that invest in employee experience have seen up to a 25% increase in productivity.
Higher profitability: Companies that invest in employee experience are four times more profitable than those that don't. Additionally, companies prioritizing employee experience have seen a 17% increase in revenue compared to those that don't. (Deloitte)
Building your employee experience strategy
Designing transformational employee experiences that truly make a difference in the eyes of a potential employee takes thought, resources and prioritization. Alignment from the top of the organization all the way to the front line is required to change to a people-centric culture.
However, there are some simple actions that can be done, that can start the conversation and let team members know that an organization cares about the experience its team members have.
Here are 5 ideas for how to improve employee experience immediately.
1:1 meetings with leaders - Meeting with your employees on a regular basis is a must do for employee experience. As a leader, your role is to help your team member prioritize and remove road blocks so they can be successful. Having time to connect with them to listen is essential for a workplace that cares about people
Thoughtful emails - There are people who send emails with one thought or rambling paragraphs where you aren’t sure what is being asked. These emails represent poor employee experience. You can promote a positive experience for your team members by being thoughtful and deliberate in your communications. Batch your thoughts into one email, have powerful subject lines, and make it very clear what you are asking for with a timeline or deadline. Send the kind of emails you would like to receive.
No meeting times/days (and stick to it!) – This idea has been floated and discussed in every company I’ve worked for, but unfortunately, nobody has done it (well). It has been challenging because others have not respected the boundaries and scheduled things right over blocked time. My challenge to organizations is to declare a time frame without meeting time, and have it be sacred. The number of meetings has increased exponentially, and people are exhausted. Give your employees something to look forward to.
Time and encouragement for connection (optional participation) – One of the indicators of a great place to work is that workers say they have a friend at work. Connections are much harder with virtual and remote work, but they don’t have to be. Reserve and encourage time for your teams just to talk. At the beginning of all my meetings, we just caught up with each other, and sometimes catching up was the meeting. That is OK – give people space to form friendships without it being forced.
Say thank you
One of the most simple and powerful ways to improve the experience is to have a culture of gratitude and thanks. If you appreciate your team, tell them. If someone does something above and beyond, thank them. These words of kindness go a long way in your team feeling included and valued. Don’t underestimate the power of a thank you.
Employee experience can be evident in larger gestures or smaller everyday acts. The most important thing to do for employee experience is to get started.
Employee Experience Resources
Employee onboarding is one of the moments that matters in employee experience, but it is often neglected or disjointed.
Learn how to transform your employee onboarding experience to be Brilliant!