A new study released by SHRM researchers has identified employee experience as an important element to truly optimize the hiring, onboarding, and offboarding processes, as well as increase employee retention. The employee experience is defined as the entire journey an employee takes from their application process to when they decide to leave. This also includes all the experiences that happens in between; such as coworker interactions, management culture, physical workspaces, and more. Cultivating a positive employee experience is paramount to reducing turnover and creating an environment where employees feel respected and supported. One of our core values at ATHENA is to make our employees’ lives better by being a responsive, compassionate, and supportive employer. And it’s one of the reasons we have a current Net Promoter Score (NPS) score of 64, well over twice the average score for the industry. NPS is a good measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction, and we are proud to have a score 30% higher than the average across our entire industry. And as a leading woman-owned business, our reputation and ability to build long-term relationships with our clients, consistently meeting and exceeding client expectations. Keep reading for five reasons why prioritizing employee experience is a critical component of building a strong workplace.
1. Boosted Productivity
Employees who feel valued and appreciated tend to maintain a constructive mindset and tend to perform at their best, increasing their productivity levels. By prioritizing a positive employee experience where employees have the right resources and support, employees are motivated to be innovative, productive, and inspire other employees to be as well.
2. Greater Employee Retention
Prioritizing employee experience can be an important element to reducing turnover and increasing retention rates. Employees tend to remain with companies who provide them with positive experiences such as a responsive work culture and opportunities for growth. Higher retention rates can also help a company minimize recruitment and hiring costs.
3. Easier Recruitment
A positive employee experience is also a significant factor for attracting potential employees and recruitment. If employees are happy in their work environment, employee referrals can rise, and it can also generate enthusiasm among applicants.
4. Prioritize Employee Experience Over Process
Many agencies prioritize strategies that center around the processes of the industry rather than on the employee experience. Being intuitive when creating strategies and focusing on the employee experience can make a critical difference in success. For example, matching employees with employers with managers that won’t just be kind but will also know how to mentor and motivate their employees can enhance everyone’s experiences. Or creating work environments that foster unity and resilience can boost confidence and success with workers. ATHENA is proud to create a friendly, positive, and supportive work environment. A recent example would be our fitness challenge which wasn’t only about wellness but created a sense of unity, innovation, and discipline among our employees as they shared personal victories and hurdles throughout the challenge.
5. Maintaining a Positive Employee Experience
Once you understand the importance of employee experience, learning how to measure, maintain, and improve it is also critical. Make sure to define what a positive employee experience looks like for your organization and communicate this definition throughout your organization. Incorporate forms of feedback in both formal and informal ways. And make sure to ask for feedback through more than just surveys to avoid survey fatigue, and really listen to responses. Providing timely reactions can also make your employees feel heard.
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