During their time with a company, employees will go through two significant practices; engagement and experience. Now, in some cases, given the whole point of a job is getting the best out of an employee, these two practices may go hand in hand.
Others… not so much.
The two can come from different vantage points, offering contrasting sides of the worker’s life. And yet, despite these differences, the domino effect is still in play. Negative experience can lead to negative engagement, or vice versa.
A Difference in Definitions
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement focuses on the relationship between employee and employer and how employers can ensure that their staff are properly energised and engaged with their work, and potential incentives that may motivate them.
Employee Experience
Employee Experience is related to an employee’s perceptions about their interactions with their workplace, in regards to the structure of the organisation, and the development of the role, which in turn impacts an employee’s performance and retention.
There is a growing demand in business communities to address the issue of employee experience. Deloitte carried out research among the global workforce that revealed nearly 80% of executives rated employee experience as important, but only 22% reported that their companies were excellent at building a diverse employee experience. And within the same survey, 59% stated that they were either not ready or only somewhat ready to address.
What can you do to ensure that your employees have the best possible experience?
Experience Starts with Recruitment
The second a candidate applies for a position at your company, their experience begins. Even if they haven't signed on the dotted line, you've got to hit the ground running and ensure that their experience of your recruitment process is a positive one. This can entail ensuring that they receive frequent communication throughout the application process, and a varied insight into the company's culture via advertising and social media.
Focus on Development
An employee’s career should be a lot like public transport. It should be constantly moving. But some research suggests that progression has come to a standstill. The CIPD reported that a third of UK employees (33%) felt that their career progression to date was lacking. Employers need to ensure that employees have a series of targets to rise towards from the day they step foot in the office. If they’re still with the company a year later, they will want to be in a better position skill wise compared to when they first started. Training platforms and short courses are a surefire way to ensure that employees always feel like their skill set is on a constant rise.
Draw on Customer Experience
One way you can create the ideal employee experience is by drawing on the ideal customer experience. When you have a clientele to service, it’s an unspoken rule that they only ever see the best of your company. There’s no room for imperfection. And similar rules should apply to your employees.
Draw Employees into the Company’s Purpose
Everyone in a company is working towards driving a company’s purpose. But that focus on purpose varies from company to company. Some use it as an overview, while others treat it as a long-term goal, and employees will be energised by that. Rather than just being “along for the ride” they’ll take pride in knowing that their work is contributing towards something progressive. A survey by Deloitte revealed that 73% of employees who stated that they work at a “purpose-driven” company were engaged, compared to 23% of those who don’t.
Of course, experience can have a knock-on effect on engagement. If employees have positive experiences, be it with tasks, training, liaisons among the staff, they will inevitably feel more committed and engaged to the role. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see experience as another pivotal part of employee engagement.
Workvine help companies to Attract, Recruit, Engage, Train and retain their employees, with the ultimate goal of business growth. Our solutions include online advertising and a Talent Acquisition Platform to aid attraction and recruitment. We also provide an Employee App that allows our customers to communicate and engage with their dispersed workforce.