The way businesses view their employees has changed. From mere workers and resources, employers started adopting the mindset that they should give their employees benefits and values instead of just extracting them. The concept of employee engagement applies to this. A lot of studies and researches came out on how employee engagement helps increase and profitability. Recently though, a shift is happening, with the term employee experience gaining steam.

 

What is Employee Experience?

So, what exactly is employee experience or EX?

According to this article, employee experience is a way of considering what it is like for someone to work at your company. It is a holistic model. It includes what the employee experiences in the workplace and within teams—bringing together the workplace, HR, and management practices that impact people on the job.

 

Why the shift?

Employee engagement tends to focus on the short-term. For example, there is an upcoming engagement activity. Once you finish that activity, what happens? Most likely, the employee returns to their work, the event just a memory until the next one.

The change in workforce demography creates new demands. The millennial generation that currently dominates the labor force has different priorities than the previous generations. Generation Z is now also entering the workforce with a new set of expectations.

Making small changes that impact employee morale and motivation is critical. Employee experience is more long-term and big-picture-focused. From an employee’s point of view, the scope is end-to-end—from recruitment to retirement.

The challenge of EX is immense. Fortunately, technology is on your side. Various HR tools can help you get the data you need and make it easier to design the programs you want.

Deloitte lists down the things you could right now including:

  • elevating employee experience and making it a priority,
  • designating a senior leader or team to own it,
  • embracing design thinking,
  • considering experiences for the entire workforce,
  • looking outside,
  • enlisting C-suite and team leader support,
  • taking into consideration the impact of geography, and
  • measuring it.

 

The best way to conquer the challenge of EX is by starting now!