As humans, we thrive on emotions. The same applies to the employee-workplace relationship.
Employees will feel energized, dull, valued, productive, or motivated depending on the kind of work environment you offer. This is why a great employee experience can become your greatest ally.
If the Great Reshuffle is any clue, organizations that are actively addressing employee needs are more likely to retain employees and improve performance.
Where inclusive, transparent, and flexible workspaces thrive with more engaged and satisfied employees, rigid and bureaucratic workspaces suffer from higher churn rates. Because many fail to see employee experience as a competitive advantage.
In truth, the entire employee lifecycle, from the job postings to the employee exit, defines who will stay and for how long.
Want a foolproof way to boost employee experience? Start with the five tactics mentioned below.
- Flexibility is the Key
The pandemic may have forced organizations to switch to remote work, but post-pandemic employees are reluctant to switch gears now.
After a productive stint of two years, returning to a 9-to-5, physical office space is no longer inviting. Or even suitable for the employee experience. The same is happening across big techs like Apple and Google. It is clear workers want more flexibility to work from anywhere without running on a fixed clock. And the claim is not without evidence. According to a LinkedIn Research, employees who have the flexibility to choose workspaces and work schedules are 2.1 times more likely to recommend working at a company.
At a time when employees are ready to quit on the fly, no matter how good the compensation, employee experience can become the decisive factor in making the call to quit. But with flex-working, you have a chance to boost employee satisfaction and retention.
After all, employees who have the autonomy to work from anywhere tend to have a more positive employee experience. They are relatively more productive, engaged, and readily take ownership of their work.
- Foster Open Communication
Open two-way communication is the cornerstone of a positive employee experience.
Unless you present yourself as approachable and accessible, your employees are highly likely to evade conversations with you. Or, at the very least, only communicate what is asked of them.
On the contrary, if you communicate with your employees in a transparent and honest manner, they will reciprocate similarly. Whether seeking guidance or conveying a concern, they will find you first. This rings true for a hybrid workforce where visibility is low, and employee experience is virtual.
By providing secure communication channels to employees, you can encourage a free flow of ideas, opinions, suggestions, and questions. Your employees will feel more engaged, valued, and satisfied in the workplace when you listen. After all, clear communication is a sure-fire way to improve the employee experience.
- Promote Inclusivity
Inclusive workspaces offer some of the best employee experiences. Because they make employees feel valued and accepted no matter their background or identity. This, in turn, makes employees feel more engaged.
To foster a culture of diversity and inclusivity at your workplace, use the methods below.
- Hire for diversity: That is not to say don’t recruit candidates based on merit. But simply to add one more criterion to your selection process. Use neutral language for job postings, encourage diverse people to apply, and recruit candidates from underrepresented groups. Diversify intentionally.
- Allow equitable access: Give your employees equitable access to resources, leadership, software, tools, and workspaces they prefer. Doing so will foster a fair work environment and boost employee experience naturally.
- Offer implicit bias training: Biases are as common as joint pain. However, they must not go unchecked. Offering implicit bias training is a good way to sensitize management and employees alike. It can help weed out bias and eliminate discriminatory behaviors to improve your employee experience.
- Offer Career Development
Employees like employers who help them climb up and achieve more. Not just for the company but for their own growth as well. It is actually that simple, as the numbers will tell you.
According to a survey by Springworks:
- 73% of the employees said they’d stay at their company if there were more skill-building opportunities.
- 22% of employees mentioned leaving their previous jobs for professional development.
So, consider career development initiatives and job-specific training integral to employee experience. Offer mentoring programs for new hires, tuition reimbursements for advanced courses, or rotate jobs to let employees work in a variety of roles.
You can also offer growth opportunities by offering more meaningful work, a pay raise, or a promotion to a better work profile. This is a sure-shot way of enhancing employee loyalty and boosting employee experience. After all, human resource is the most important asset for any organization.
- Solicit Feedback Consistently
Nothing says “your opinions matter” better than asking employees for feedback.
Soliciting feedback routinely fosters an employee-first culture. It could be something as simple as a survey form or monthly meetings to understand your staff’s employee experiences. Mentor programs and focus groups are other ways to make sure employee needs are heard in time.
After all, employees no longer want to be at the receiving end. They want a say in every policy affecting them. But feedback has to flow from both ends. When reviewing employee performance, make sure you iterate how valuable they are to your company. Express your thankfulness and praise openly. A supportive work atmosphere will pave the way for a positive employee experience.
Employee exit surveys are another means to get rich feedback. And they can tell you a lot about where you are going right and wrong with your employee experience.
In Conclusion
A great employee experience is a cornerstone for a good employee-employer relationship. So, if you are clueless about where to begin with employee experience, start with the five tactics mentioned above.
WorkInSync is a comprehensive hybrid workplace solution that allows organizations to improve employee experience. Opt for a demo today to learn more about the solution and the array of features it offers.