Employee experience is much more than whether an employee enjoys their job. Employee experience encompasses every moment that employees share with an organization, including interactions with leadership and peers, the mental and emotional load associated with the workplace, and the sense of accomplishment and purpose an employee may or may not feel in their role.
The focus on employee experience in the workplace has dramatically grown in importance over the course of the pandemic. A Willis Towers Watson global survey taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns found that 52% of employers made enhancing employee experience a priority. Now, post-pandemic, a whopping 92% of employers report that they have plans to improve employee experience over the next three years.
Although employee experience is frequently praised as a main driver of retention (which is true), positive employee experience has many additional benefits, including higher revenue, better client or customer experience, and increased creativity and innovation. However, despite statistics pointing toward the benefits associated with employee experience, only 20% of executives believe that their employee experience is excellent.
One of the best ways that leaders can make their company stand out is to emphasize their focus on employee experience. And although the journey to an improved employee experience is a lengthy one, there are three key areas where leaders can improve to make positive changes today.
Increase workplace flexibility.
There is no denying that employees post-pandemic crave more workplace flexibility. In fact, employees who work in the office full-time have significantly lower employee experience scores than hybrid and remote workers (Future Forum). And when employees have the opportunity to work flexibly, 87 percent of them take it (McKinsey).
Increase employee recognition.
Approximately 1 in 3 employees name recognition as a way that their place of work could support them. In addition, 40% of employees believe that receiving recognition a few times a week is the right amount. Recognition of successes, important dates, and achievements in both work and personal life play into a more positive employee experience for team members.
Increase challenges and decision-making opportunities.
A lack of mental stimulation is connected to anxiety, stress, restlessness, and even depression, which all make for a very poor employee experience. And statistically, workers are 3x more likely to stay with their company if their tasks are motivated by passion and purpose. By providing opportunities for employees to share input and make decisions, as well as challenging them to help reach company objectives in specific ways, employees will gain a bigger sense of purpose as well as ongoing mental stimulation. This is a win-win for both employees and employers.
Improving in just these three areas can make a huge difference in your employees’ work experience. However, if you’re interested in completely revamping and revitalizing your employee experience for the better, We Optimize Work can help!
We Optimize Work partners with leaders to create processes that increase engagement, performance and satisfaction for teams in hybrid work environments. Let’s connect! Email Domonique Townsend at dtownsend@weoptimizework.com.
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