5 reasons why employee experience is the future of work

Why employee experience needs to be the focus of every modern enterprise

By now, we’ve all heard of customer experience and how it’s the fuel that breeds brand loyalty and empowers business growth. After all, as consumers, we’re all familiar with both good and bad customer experiences. But recent years have also started to see a change in workplace culture in which employees are also valued is critical enablers of business success. More than ever, it’s time to start thinking of your employees in the same terms as you think about your employees. Their experience in your organisation is where it all begins, which is why employee experience is the future of work.

#1. Reduce employee turnover

It typically costs upwards of half an employee’s average annual salary to replace them. While employee turnover isn’t always a bad thing, since it also involves replacing poor performers, a strong employee experience gives new hires a much better start at the company. It’s even more important these days now that workers have more opportunities than ever thanks to the rise of workforce mobility and the gig economy. Prioritising employee experience will help your business become more attractive to work for and to keep working for.

#2. Enhance workplace productivity

Engaged employees are more productive. By analysing their day-to-day experiences in your organisation, you can find opportunities for improvement. For example, if employees spend a lot of time on peripheral tasks they’re not best-equipped to deal with, they’ll be unable to focus on their core competencies. The same applies if your business processes, which are typically shaped around modern technology, are fraught with menial and repetitive tasks which can be automated.

#3. Overcome talent shortages

More than half of all organisations globally are reporting talent shortages. A big part of this is due to the fast pace of technology and the inability many of organisations to keep up with the constant change. While technological development has introduced many new challenges, as well as new jobs specialised in addressing them, it has also left many employees lamenting over dated and arcane processes in established businesses. Automating workflows is critical for enhancing employee experiences and getting more done with fewer resources.

#4. Improve customer experiences

If you don’t enjoy creating something, no one’s going to enjoy consuming it. The same applies in every facet of life and work, and customer experiences are no exception. If employees are engaged with their jobs and have the tools at their disposal to make them achieve their goals quickly, easily, and without compromising on quality, they’ll be far better equipped to live up to the expectations of their customers. If employee experience isn’t up to scratch, then people will end up doing their bare minimum at best, which inevitably leaves customers unfulfilled.

#5. Empower future growth

In the end, employee experience largely comes down to flexibility and adaptability. It’s about accommodating an increasingly wide variety of needs and enabling a better work/life balance in an age of constant distraction. The future of work depends on finding the right balance of technology, people, and process and giving employees the options they need to function at their very best. That’s why employee experience often comes down to eliminating repetitive workflows that are better of being automated, and providing the technology infrastructure that allows them to choose how, where, and when they work. Together, these factors help improve your organisation’s adaptability which, in turn, fuel growth in an unpredictable future.

GuideVision and ServiceNow have joined forces to help HR teams build the ultimate employee experience. Find us at our workshop event in Prague this March to learn more.