Time for a New Employee Experience

Studies consistently show that happy employees lead to happy customers.

In today’s workforce, employees are no longer just looking for jobs, they are seeking workplaces that offer meaningful experiences. While competitive salaries, perks, and comfortable workspaces are important, they are no longer enough, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.

Workplace experience has become a critical factor in creating a competitive edge for employers. But what exactly does "employee experience" mean? Is it about office design, the latest gadgets, perks, or team interactions? The concept is far more nuanced and comprehensive.

Employee Experience (EX) refers to the sum of all interactions an employee has with their organization, from recruitment to exit. It encompasses three key dimensions:

1. Cultural Experience: The values, behaviors, and practices that define the organization. This includes leadership style, team dynamics, and how employees feel about their contributions and purpose.

2. Technological Experience: The tools, systems, and technologies that enable employees to perform their work. It includes access to modern, user-friendly platforms and the ability to collaborate seamlessly.

3. Physical Experience: The physical work environment, including office design, ergonomic setups, and access to amenities that support well-being and productivity.

A well-crafted employee experience integrates these dimensions to foster engagement, satisfaction, and a sense of belonging. As Jacob Morgan, author of The Employee Experience Advantage, puts it: “Employee experience is about creating an organization where people want to show up, not where they need to show up.”

Let’s see how I helped a customer define its EX strategy and create an organization where people want to show up.

First step was to understand the current context and collect the voice of the employee through a series of empathic initiatives.

Next step was to map those insights into a cultural map and employee empathy map. Together with the team we decided what we want to keep, what needs to be cut loose and what needs to be adapted.

We followed a creativity process, generated ideas which we turned into prototypes.

We invited colleagues again for discussions and to test our prototypes. After several prototyping iterations we decided what was a keeper in the EX and designed a road map of initiatives to be implemented.

Metrics, measurement solutions and a continuous system of collecting insights was put in place together with the sponsors of the initiative.

I see a very strong link between EX and CX initiatives. I dare to say that it is difficult, almost impossible to achieve an extraordinary CX without investing and desiring to create an extraordinary EX.

If Employee Experience is on your mind, let’s talk and to turn it into reality.