Over the years, organizations have been hyper focused on designing for the Customer Experience (CX). They have been keenly aware of the fact that a branded and emotionally compelling experience for customers, will have a longer lasting and more financially rewarding impact than any advertising campaign can boast.
But what about the employee experience (EX)? How effectively have we designed for, measured, and transformed for EX? Is a strong engagement survey enough? Do Glassdoor and Indeed review sites provide a fair assessment?
Historically, EX was defined by where people worked, the tools provided to employees, the organization’s commitment to employee success and their overall wellbeing. Culture Amp Defines Employee experience as the encapsulation of what people encounter and observe over the course of their tenure at an organization.
Today, where remote, work anywhere and hybrid work models rule, branding and designing for the employee experience is more important than ever. In fact, over the last year and a half entire roles and departments are now dedicated to the employee experience. This is a smart business move if we are to heed the recent advice from Professor Anthony Klotz of Texas A&M University. Professor Klotz predicts that as organizations return to work, into the old reality of the commute, a nine-to-five job, and cubicle life, there will be a “Great Resignation”. In fact, he predicts we could see as much as 30% of the workforce resign in the coming months. The pandemic has accelerated so much transformation at work, and the employee experience cannot be relegated to the background anymore, talent destinations realize this and are making EX a priority.
If taking care of employees wasn’t enough of an incentive, the delivery of a more consistent and branded employee experience enables companies to double customer satisfaction, innovation and generate as much as 25% higher profits.
How Do You Design and Great Employee Experience?
1. Start with the EVP and Employer Brand Manifesto.
The EVP represents the primary reason that top talent joins and stays with your organization. Your Manifesto is your commitment to delivering on that EVP better than anyone in your industry. The employee experience (EX) must reinforce these pillars at each stage in the employee life cycle. Start by using your EVP research, engagement survey feedback, diversity pulse surveys and employee net promoter research, to uncover what your top three threats are in terms of delivering that EVP consistently. Focus your efforts on reducing these threats as a top priority in the next 12 months. Develop a clear action plan, communicate it with leaders and involve high performers in a grass roots co-creation effort.
2. Utilize Your Talent Persona Insights to Elevate Belonging.
There is no one size fits all perfect culture and experience strategy. Stage of life, role, and DEI all have influences on preferences and experience. Well built Talent Personas will provide a roadmap on what matters most at each stage in the employee lifecycle and provide tips on best ways to communicate with and connect. We recommend focusing on one aspect of the employee experience first, such as welcoming and onboarding. Connect all personas, customize communications to your personas, your welcome packages, first week training plans, buddy, and mentoring programs. Iterate and gather feedback from each of your segments onboarding experience, before moving on to the next stage in the lifecycle.
3. Measure, Manage and Reward.
Marcus Buckingham famously said “No matter what it is, if you measure it, and reward it, people will excel at it.” To create a culture where employees have consistently powerful experiences regardless of geography, division, or manager, you must consistently measure, and reward leaders based on how they deliver your EX. They need to understand that their leadership behaviours create proud brand ambassadors or immediately erode and threaten the reputation of your organization. A part of management and leadership development programs must focus on education of the EVP, understanding unique talent personas and how to deliver on the EX.
We suggest using quarterly pulse surveys to get valuable feedback from employees on how their managers are delivering experiences tied to each of your EVP pillars. Learn where there are gaps and provide feedback and coaching to management to enable action and continuous improvement. Look at the aggregate results to evolve your organizational programs, succession planning, and leadership development opportunities.
Branded experiences remind talent why they prefer some employers over others and reinforce company purpose, behaviours, and loyalty. When businesses offer experiences that feel generic, they miss opportunities to deepen connections with employees, and ultimately this trickles down to customers.
A branded employee experience is one of the most impactful investments your organization can make. It will lead to a preferred employer status, a bigger pool of top talent, greater productivity, and loyalty. But it is more than that. A powerful employee experience program ensures your employees act as ambassadors for your company at work, in their communities and in your customer networks.
Connect with us today to learn more about how to drive retention, ambassadorship and a powerful branded employee experience.
About Us
Blu Ivy Group is a global leader in employer branding, organizational culture, and recruitment marketing. We help organizations across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors build extraordinary employee experiences, magnetic employer brands and high-performance cultures.
From C-Suite to Employer Brand and Talent Acquisition leadership, we partner with our clients to transform their organizations and design the most compelling workplaces of the future.
For inquiries, please contact sparker@bluivygroup.com