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What is the work experience / employee experience?From an individual's perspective: The cumulative interactions a person has with a brand or organization, spanning from pre-engagement expectations to post-departure reflections that shape their perceptions. These interactions encompass the initial understanding upon joining, ongoing experiences, and reflective memories spanning cultural, technology and physical environments. For example, it covers their cultural experiences, such as interactions with coworkers, leaders and HR, their user experiences with workplace technology, and their experiences with their workspace or environment. From an organization's perspective: An organization’s ability to meet the needs and expectations of individuals and connect with their reason and emotion across all interactions over time, from before they join the organization through when they leave the organization and after.
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What is the employee lifecycle?The employee life cycle, or ELC, refers to the sequential milestones the employee experiences at an organization. Some companies call this the employee journey, which encompasses many journeys, because it invites comparison to the customer journey companies use to design their customer experience.
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What is the business value of work / employee experiences?The business value of work / employee experience (EX) is profound, impacting various aspects of organizational performance, productivity, and overall success. Here are key elements that highlight the business value of investing in a positive work / employee experience: Increased Employee Engagement: A positive work / employee experience contributes to higher levels of engagement. Engaged individuals are more committed, motivated, and likely to go above and beyond in their roles, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Enhanced Productivity: Individuals who have a positive work experience are generally more focused and productive. A supportive work environment, clear communication, and effective collaboration contribute to efficient and effective task completion. Talent Attraction and Retention: Organizations with a strong work/employee experience are more attractive to top talent. A positive workplace culture and favorable employee experiences contribute to higher retention rates, reducing recruitment and training costs. Improved Performance and Innovation: Individuals who feel supported and valued are more likely to contribute innovative ideas and solutions. A positive employee experience fosters a culture of creativity and continuous improvement, driving organizational success. Better Employee Well-being: A focus on individual well-being, including physical and mental health, contributes to reduced absenteeism and improved overall health. Healthy and happy individuals are more likely to be present and engaged at work. Reduced Turnover Costs: High turnover comes with significant costs related to recruitment, onboarding, and training. Investing in work / employee experiences reduces turnover rates, leading to cost savings and a more stable workforce. Customer Satisfaction: Satisfied and engaged people are more likely to provide a better customer experience. Positive work / employee experiences often translate into positive interactions with customers, enhancing overall customer satisfaction and loyalty. Enhanced Employer Branding: Organizations known for providing a positive work/employee experience attract highly talented individuals and build a positive employer brand. This positive perception can lead to a competitive advantage in the talent market. Adaptability to Change: Individuals with positive experiences are more likely to adapt to organizational changes. A supportive and transparent work environment fosters resilience and a willingness to embrace change, essential for organizational agility. Increased Profitability: The collective impact of improved productivity, higher engagement, reduced turnover costs, and positive customer interactions contributes to increased profitability. A positive work experience aligns with overall business success. Advocacy: Individuals who have a positive experience are more likely to become advocates for the organization. They may refer potential clients, customers, or future employees, contributing to organic growth and business development. Compliance and Risk Management: A positive work/employee experience contributes to a healthy organizational culture, reducing the likelihood of compliance issues and mitigating risks associated with individual dissatisfaction or legal challenges. Investing in work experiences/employee experiences is not just a matter of individual satisfaction; it directly impacts the bottom line and overall organizational health. Organizations that prioritize creating a positive and supportive work environment tend to achieve sustainable business success. Some stats to reference: Companies that score in the top 25% on employee experience report a 2x return on sales and nearly a 3x return on assets – IBM’s Smarter Workforce Institute EX leaders have 25% higher profits than competitors with poor EX – MIT EX leaders have 4x higher average profits, 2x higher average revenues, 40% lower turnover and 24% smaller headcount – Jacob Morgan for SHRM EX leaders beat out the average S&P by 122% – Accenture Disengaged employees can cost companies between $450 and $550 billion dollars a year – Gallup
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What is the relationship between work/employee experience and culture?Organizational culture and work/employee experience are intertwined, creating a symbiotic relationship. A positive culture contributes to a positive work / employee experience, fostering engagement, satisfaction, and overall well-being. Conversely, the collective experiences of individuals contribute to the shaping and reinforcement of the organizational culture. Organizations that intentionally align these two elements can create a workplace that is both culturally rich and supportive of positive experiences.
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What is the relationship between employee experience and employee engagement?Employee experience focuses on a individual's entire experience during their lifecycle with the company, but employee engagement refers to how involved an employee is with their work. It covers elements of employee satisfaction, including how passionate workers are about their jobs, but it also refers to how aligned employees are with their organization, how committed they are to it, and how much discretionary effort they put into their work. Engaged employees understand their purpose within their company, how they fit in, and how they can help achieve business impact. The level of employee engagement, whether high or low, is directly influenced by the quality of the overall employee experience. To enhance engagement, it is imperative to ensure that employees have a positive and enriching experience within the organization.
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What is the relationship between work / employee experiences and customer experiences?The relationship between work / employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) is interconnected and often described as a symbiotic relationship. The way individuals feel, engage, and perform within an organization can significantly impact the experiences that customers have with that organization.
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How do you improve employees' experiences?We employ human-centered experience design to improve and design new experiences. We first determine the desired experience of employees (participants in a specific, different contexts) and then intentionally curate, create and continuously refine a system of touchpoints and interactions that facilitate the desired human outcomes (while being organizationally relevant).
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What is human-centered experience design applied to employee experience?Human-centered design is a design approach that puts people first, resulting in useful and usable products, services, experiences and systems. It places a strong emphasis on understanding and meeting the needs, preferences, and behaviors of the people who will use or be affected by the product, service, process, physical environment or system being designed. As an approach in design and innovation it prioritizes creating meaningful and positive experiences for individuals. The goal is to design experiences that are not only functional and efficient but also resonate with individuals on a human level. In the context of work and workplaces, human-centered experience design focuses on creating positive, meaningful, and engaging experiences for individuals within an organization. We apply the principles of human-centered design to the workplace context, aiming to understand and address the needs, preferences, and well-being of individuals throughout their entire journey within the company. Our approach typically involves the following aspects: Empathy and Research: Conduct thorough research to understand the diverse needs and experiences of employees. This might involve surveys, interviews, observations, and journey mapping to uncover pain points and opportunities for improvement. Define the Problem: Clearly define the specific challenges or areas of improvement within the employee experience that need attention. This step helps in framing the design process around solving identified issues. Ideation and Brainstorming: Engage in collaborative brainstorming sessions to generate a wide range of ideas for addressing the identified challenges. Encourage creativity and diverse perspectives during this phase. Prototyping: Create low-fidelity prototypes or mock-ups of potential solutions based on the ideas generated. Prototypes could include new processes, digital interfaces, physical spaces, or communication methods. Testing and Iteration: Test the prototypes with a sample group of employees to gather feedback on usability and effectiveness. Use this feedback to refine and iterate on the design, ensuring it aligns with the actual needs of the users. Implementation: Once a solution has been thoroughly tested and refined, implement it into the workplace. This might involve gradual rollouts, training programs, and communication strategies to ensure a smooth transition. Continuous Feedback and Improvement: Establish mechanisms for continuous feedback from employees to monitor the effectiveness of the implemented solutions. This ongoing feedback loop allows for further refinement and improvement based on real-world usage. Evaluation: Assess the impact of the implemented changes on the overall employee experience. Measure key performance indicators, gather qualitative feedback, and evaluate whether the desired improvements have been achieved. Scalability: If successful, consider how the solutions can be scaled across the organization to benefit a larger number of employees. This might involve adapting the solution for different teams or departments. Cultural Integration: Ensure that the human-centered design solutions align with the organization's culture and values. Integration into the broader cultural context enhances the sustainability and acceptance of the changes.
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What is design thinking?Rooted in the human-centered design framework, design thinking is a practical, collaborative, and iterative approach to understanding and solving problems. It functions on the assumption that innovation occurs at the intersection of desirability, feasibility and viability. It brings together multidisciplinary teams—including the 'target user' —to solve complex problems.
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How and where might we start?It depends. You can explore the end-to-end experience (macro) to identify opportunities. Alternatively, you can converge on a specific experience (micro) that reveals opportunities for transformation. For an even more targeted approach, consider focusing on a specific interaction (nano). Some examples of micro experiences include the candidate, onboarding, culture, day-to-day work, learning and growth, personal and professional transitions, leave, and alumni experiences.
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