What your employees say about your brand will be a critical differentiator when it comes to recruiting talent in future
Some 80% of executives say employee experience is either important, or very important, according to a Deloitte survey. Yet, only 22% felt their organisation was taking enough action to cultivate a differentiated employee experience. To put employee experience at the forefront of your growth strategy, define and communicate what sets your organisation apart and integrate it into all aspects of the workplace. Ensure that employee wellness and wellbeing initiatives feature prominently in your strategy — start by encouraging proper breaks or cycle-to-work schemes.
Keep on the pulse of what is important to your employees. Don’t leave this to annual reviews or engagement surveys — get feedback from candidates, talk to your employees regularly and conduct exit interviews. You can then build a complete picture of the issues that your employees face at every stage of the process. Sites such as Glassdoor, where employees review their experience of your organisation, can be a goldmine. Use this data to find out what’s important to your employees, and act on it.
There are plenty of digital tools on the market that can improve the life of your employees. Apps like Slack and Google G-suite improve collaboration on projects, creating a more open and creative working environment. Technology can also help streamline feedback processes. Employee pulse survey tools make collecting and analysing your employees’ feedback easy and instantaneous. Some workforces have even implemented wearable technology to continuously monitor the activity and happiness levels of their employees.
A key driver in employee satisfaction is clear opportunities for advancement and growth. Ensure continual development is a core component of your workplace culture by setting aside time for learning. This could be as little as setting aside 30 minutes, once a week, for your employees to read up on industry news or a particular topic. Encourage sharing of knowledge through lunchtime learning sessions. Set clear and achievable goals for your employees and meet regularly to discuss progress. Communication is key. There are few things more disheartening than feeling like you’re doing a good job only to be met with criticism and changing expectations. Driving their own career path will make your employees feel valued and improve productivity.
Designate one senior member of staff to take ownership of change. Traditionally, HR has dealt with employee engagement, training and recruitment separately — but employees see all aspects of work life as one integrated experience. Organisations need to respond by bringing all HR functions together, with someone dedicated to leading the way.
The digital landscape has led to increased transparency regarding employee satisfaction, giving disgruntled employees an open line to your prospective candidates, so prioritising employee experience is vital. Remember: the story your employees tell about your brand will be a critical differentiator when it comes to recruiting talent in future.
Emily Marchant works at Selesti, a digital marketing marketing and web design agency.
