3 Things That Shape Employee Experience

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3 Things That Shape Employee Experience

In the new world of work, there are 3 things that shape employee experience. Employee experience is one of the buzzwords that have become part of our vocabulary now, more than ever before.

Most employers across various industries are paying more attention to employee experience. The COVID pandemic has indeed amplified its’ importance.

What is employee experience?

Employee experience equals everything an employee learns, does, sees and feels at each stage of the employee lifecycle.

The 5 main stages of the employee lifecycle are

Recruitment
Onboarding
Learning & development
Retention
Exit

Hence, it is crucial that companies assess and evaluate what employees learn, do, see and feel at each of these stages during their time at the organization.

Why is employee experience important?

The employee experience is foundational to business performance. Sustaining customer experience efforts, improving products, and building a strong and reputable brand all require the help of your employees. Ultimately, it is their experiences – positive and negative – that will impact how hard they work and how much they engage and collaborate. Also, whether they are invested in improving operational performance.

Therefore, business leaders need to know how to improve employee experience. Because, an exceptional employee experience leads to higher employee engagement. In turn, increased employee engagement leads to increased productivity. This has a direct positive effect on business profits.

3 Things that shape employee experience

According to author and futurist, Jacob Morgan, employee experience is, at its’ core, a combination of 3 things you can control: culture, technology and physical space.

No matter how large or small your organization, these 3 things shape employee experience.

Culture shapes employee experience

Every company has a culture, regardless of whether or not they intentionally created it. The culture is what it feels like to work at an organization. Moreover, it includes its purpose, values, attitudes and business practices.

Culture can be felt as soon as someone walks into the office or interacts with employees online. Furthermore, culture is what energizes or drains employees, motivates or discourages them, empowers or suffocates them. Even though culture is mostly set by the example and words of leaders, employees play an important role in shaping the culture of a company to create a place where they want to work.

Questions for business leaders:

Why do your employees choose to work for your company? What motivates them to come to work each day?
Does your organization have a purpose and value statement that is regularly shared with employees?
How does a potential employee or customer feel when they walk into your office or connect with employees online?
How do people actually FEEL working with and for your organization?

Technology shapes employee experience

Technology can be described as the central nervous system of the organization.

The technological environment is all about the tools employees use to get their work done, including everything from the devices to the internal social network and video conferencing tools. Moreover, technology also includes any apps, software, e-learning tools, and design elements that impact how employees work.

When employees are stuck with outdated or poorly designed technology, it makes it difficult for them to do their jobs at the best level, communicate, and collaborate. Hence, clunky technology can severely impact productivity and efficiency and be disheartening and frustrating. On the other hand, when employees have the tools they need to succeed, they can deliver high-quality work and be productive. In addition, they are more likely to innovate and create.

Technology is continually evolving and improving. Besides, many organizations are moving towards using consumer-grade technology that employees are familiar with and already use in their personal lives.

Questions for business leaders:

When was the last time you evaluated your technology, including both devices and software, to ensure it meets the needs of employees? Have you assessed your video conferencing and virtual collaboration tools since the pandemic?
What feedback systems do you have in place to learn what technology employees need? What happens when an employee makes a comment or suggestion about workplace technology?
Where are the bottlenecks in common workplace practices and processes? How could new or different technology lessen roadblocks and create a more efficient and enjoyable work experience?
Are the tools that employees use similar to the tools they would use in their personal life in terms of ease of use and functionality?

Physical space shapes employee experience

The physical environment is the physical space in which employees work. Furthermore, it’s the layout of the office, the art on the walls, even the smell of the room.

The physical space includes things like the demographics of the workforce and any physical perks employees might get on-site. In addition, it sets the tone for the organization and often determines if employees are excited and energized to come to work.

However, what about remote or hybrid work schedules? Just because employees may not always be in the office anymore doesn’t mean the physical environment isn’t still important. Even if employees aren’t together in a single office, they are still working in some sort of physical environment. How they design their own workspaces and how much the company helps them impacts the remote physical experience, as do the benefits and off-site perks. Many companies provide tools and resources for remote employees, including webcams, microphones, and other tools. Besides, a remote physical environment also includes the support and guidance organizations give to employees as they set up their WFH spaces and learn to be productive when working remotely.

If organizations can’t control the space in virtual environments, they should provide education on how employees can make the most of what they have.

Questions for business leaders:

Does the layout of your physical space support your organization’s purpose? Do employees have space to collaborate, share information, work privately, and communicate with customers?
What tools, resources, and perks are available in your office? What energy are they creating for employees? Do they help employees feel engaged and empowered to do their jobs better?
How is your company supporting the physical environment for remote employees?
Are your values manifested in the spaces in which employees work?

CoLAB Talent contributes to your employee experience

CoLAB Talent is an execution capacity provider. We provide high-performing contract resources that will contribute to your culture, because character and chemistry are 2 of the most important traits we recruit for. In addition, they are highly competent resources that will add value to the technology in your company, as many of our resources specialize in IT projects.

Adding to that, our resources are off-payroll, giving you a flexible, contracted workforce to scale with your needs. Moreover, CoLAB lightens your recruitment burden, as we take the pile of CVs off your desk, onto ours. We also pride ourselves in accurate matching, therefore reducing mis-hires, and adding to your ability to pursue temp-to-perm journeys.

At CoLAB, our own employee experience is of utmost importance. We strive to make every stage of the employee lifecycle at CoLAB an unforgettable experience. Our culture is steered by our core values, being

Satisfied customers – Our customers feel heard, understood and served with excellence
People – Authentic care for all relationships
Ownership – We take accountability for the result, not just the activity
Transparency – Open motives [vulnerability] builds trusted relationships

Are you a business leader

In need of high performing resources, right now, but you can’t add them to your payroll;
Struggling to develop high potential resources in your organisation; or
In need of a flexible workforce, to scale as your demand increases?

Stop looking. Talk to us.

We’ll enable you to scale your execution capacity with high-performing individuals, so that you can focus on driving strategic results and growing your business, without employing permanent resources.

This is the future of work.

Book a free 20-min call with Barend, to explore solutions for your needs, and to kickstart your journey towards the successful future of your business.

Book the call HERE.