When you spend a lot of time and money to get new talent in the organization, what do you expect? Exceptional performance, fresh perspective, right? On the other hand, what can be the expectations of the new employees- competitive salary, learning and meaningful work?
In the current business scenario, these are not enough to retain and attract employees at the workplace. Employee experience, which includes the whole journey of an employee, i.e. from hiring to exiting the organization, plays a crucial role in driving productivity and the success of a business. As HR professionals in this modern world, we must keep up with the needs and expectations of employees to make our organization productive and subsequently achieve business objectives.
Before jumping to reinventing the employee experience, we must be aware that employee experience encompasses aspects of the job like work culture, onboarding and offboarding, opportunities for learning and development, and so on.
Now, we will talk about various ways organizations ensure that employees feel valued and have a great experience with the company.
- Come up with a convincing EVP: A strong employer value proposition can showcase what the organization believes in and what unique perks it can offer to employees beyond compensation. EVP is nothing but a set of benefits that make up the employer brand. An EVP reflects the culture and practices of an organization and can help the employee resonate with the workings of the organization.
- Act upon employee feedback: The management must pay close attention to the feedback of employees, not just for the sake of it, but actually implement the suggestions to ensure that the employees feel heard and have a sense of belonging towards the organization. It is the employees for whom the management implements policies, and the opinions of employees must be taken into consideration to ensure the successful implementation of such endeavors. To further enhance the quality and relevance of the feedback, holistic feedback can be encouraged, which takes into account all the relevant perspectives and evidence in a balanced way.
- Provide enough Autonomy- The role of management here is to derive a balance of autonomy that can make the employees empowered and foster decision-making aligned with the hierarchy present in the organization. This balance can help employees utilize their intellect and decision-making skills. Google is popularly known as the best example for creativity and autonomy, they have created their policies and work environment that provides enough autonomy and fosters creativity. The efforts like 20% time and Innovation Days have played a key role in keeping employees engaged. But management needs to be mindful to enable the right decision-making and alignment of objectives.
- Commitment towards DEIB: The ongoing trend of embracing diversity can act as an important tool to enhance the employee experience. The various perspectives and ethnicities coming together make it important that the different groups feel included and welcome. Among many companies EY is continuously focusing on DEIB efforts and aims to achieve 50% representation of women, ethnically and racially different workforce. Efforts to create an inclusive environment must be consistent to retain and attract employees to the company, this can further be helpful for organizations to design strategies in accordance with acceptance by different groups.
- Leverage the use of technology and AI advancements: The ever-rising AI capabilities can be used to assist employees and can help the employees enhance their experience. Studies suggest that more than 50% of employees prefer AI as an assistant instead of AI acting as a monitor. Gamification, applications, and virtual reality can be inculcated in the process of engagement.
- Focus on holistic well-being. The organizations need to understand that well-being goes beyond the physical and mental health of the employees. Kellogg’s India is known for its compelling EVP involving various aspects of wellness for employees, the company has introduced policies like insurance and check-ups for physical wellness, university courses for professional development, parental leaves and child reimbursements to make the employees feel inclusive. The organisations must take into account the welfare of employees in and out of the workplace.?
- Recognize and Reward: Employees value recognition of their efforts beyond the laid-out responsibilities and expect to be subsequently rewarded for them. The additional efforts are the result of belongingness and the expectation of due credit. The management must make sure that the employee's efforts are recognized and acknowledged. The due acknowledgement can further encourage future efforts and work above and beyond the mentioned responsibilities.
The big organizations around the globe pay attention to these aspects to attract and retain the current talent pool in the company. But the most important is differentiation. What does our organization do differently from its competitors? The HR professionals must spend time on this and brainstorm on new and innovative ways to keep current and upcoming employees energized and engaged in the company.
