After a surreal employee experience in 2020 and an uncertain one in 2021, everyone wants a better employee experience this year, especially HR professionals. In fact, according to research, more than 90% of employers plan to make ‘enhancing the employee experience’ a top priority. Many companies think they’re doing a great job at employee experience just by offering basic benefits like PTO and health insurance to their team. However, if you want to provide your employees with a great experience in the workplace, you must go above and beyond.
Before you can improve your employee experience, you first have to understand what it is beyond it being just another HR buzzword. Employee experience is the combination of everything that occurs in an employee’s lifecycle. It starts from the day an employee applies for the job and joins until their last working day. In summary, it’s the overall perception an employee has working at a company.
Employee experience includes everything an employee learns, feels, and goes through at work. With that said, it is more than just receiving a paycheck. Employees want to contribute to your organization’s success, but at the same time, they want a meaningful experience in return.
Organizations that prioritize employee experience achieve:
In addition to the statistics above, research has also found that employee experience is positively linked to improved work performance. Creating a great experience for your team will result in satisfied employees who work harder and more effectively.
Here are five simple ways you can improve your employee experience:
Employee experience begins the moment your new employees come into your office on their first employment day. First impressions are important, so you need to do your best to provide an exceptional onboarding experience for your new hires, which will set the tone for the beginning of their new journey with you. Unfortunately, according to a Gallup study, only 12% of employees think their organization does a great job of onboarding new employees. That’s why it comes as no surprise that 33% of new hires look for a new job within their first six months on the job, and this can be largely attributed to their employee onboarding experience. However, when onboarding is done right, it helps new employees feel welcome and easily integrate into your existing team and company culture.
Internal communication is much more than just sending emails and sending company information. Good communication channels can foster a sense of community, encourage employees to work together, and create a positive and cohesive company culture. Internal communication is essential for maintaining connections with your employees, especially with team members working remotely.
Employees spend 8-9 hours every day at their workplace, if not more. It only makes sense that employers provide a decent working environment where they feel comfortable and taken care of. Every employee needs to be provided with a clean, well-lit, safe, and comfortable workstation in order to be productive and get things done. However, a resourceful and nice work environment can heavily influence employees’ motivation and work performance. By investing in a functional office environment, having decorations, and comfy chairs, to having a game room, and catering lunch at work, you can elevate your employee experience.
Employees are more likely to stay at your company if they know there’s room for career advancement. By putting programs in place to train up your next set of leaders, you’ll gain loyal employees who understand you’re investing in them. Managers should have an individual development plan for their employees and discuss long-term career goals with their team. Employees can also be assigned mentors who can coach them in something they’re interested in learning and receive feedback. This will enhance your employees’ experience at your company and increase engagement and widen your internal talent pool.
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. It’s essential to implement employee engagement and feedback surveys to understand what your employees are thinking, but it’s even more important to act on that feedback. Not acting on employee feedback can backfire and can cause a loss of trust. Employees are more likely to share their opinion and engage if they feel like they’re being listened to and may stop giving feedback if they know they won’t be heard. So it’s crucial to get feedback, set an action plan, and show your team you’re actually working on implementing changes.