Employee Experience is becoming trending topic for HR Departments as well as for leaders and business owners. The pandemic has changed the way we work and what employees expect from their workplace. If we want to create a positive employee experience, first we need to know, what we are talking about.
There were a lot of terms thrown around in the last years, terms like Employee Engagement, Employee Well-being, Employee Retention…etc. Employee Experience is the whole package. It is the sum of all human interactions based on a business level. EX is also the creation of positive work experience and the perception of such from the workers perspective. To say it in a few words: In Employee Experience we work with feelings and hopefully most of the time they are positive.
So when it comes to the creation of a positive employee experience, there are some keys you should be aware of. Use them the right way and you will see great results.
Trust : Nothing goes without trust. As a leader, manager or supervisor you have to trust your people. You need to show them, you believe in them and they are capable to do their job. Every act of micromanaging can ruin it for the team. Only if trust comes from the management, employees will trust in the company.
Communication : The internal communication inside an organization is very important. If employees feel left out, if they are missing information, they will loose interest in their work and in the company. Newsletters on a regular basis, one-by-ones with team members, feedback sessions (two ways) are mandatory. Share data with your people, tell them about the KPIs, about goals and very important: Share your vision with them.
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Honesty : Only honest leaders will have loyal employees. Never promise anything you can´t keep. Make sure you check every information before presenting to your staff. Your employees will thank you your honesty with good work and commitment.
Empathy : To connect with your people, to create a positive company culture empathy is needed. Talk to your co-workers and also listen to them. Find out what matters to them, only then you can create a workplace they don´t want to leave.
Appreciation : A simple “Thank you” every now and then can do wonders. But also: Celebrate a job well done, an achieved milestone, a special work anniversary etc. Employees need appreciation to see their value for the company.
Development : Being stuck in a position can be frustrating for many people. We want a challenge, a purpose and a bit of adventure. Personal development is very important, meaning training sessions, workshops, participating in conferences or reaching special certificates. The best: You can combine appreciation with development, when celebrating an employee, give this person a special budget he or she can use for personal development. You will see, your employee will choose something which will also benefit the company.
Onboarding : The onboarding process is a very important step for every organization. It´s the first impression your new starter will get. It will decide as well the turnover rate. If your turnover rate is low, this gives confidence as well to your existing staff. Create an extraordinary onboarding process, make it an experience. Your people will talk about it and become your brand advocates.
Creating a positive employee experience has a lot to do with leadership, but also giving employees the voice they want to have. It´s not about fulfilling every wish of your people, but about respect and listen to what matters to them. Treat your employees as humans, people with feelings who have a bad day sometimes. Give them limits but also give them wings. You will see, they will fly back to you.
