A different perspective on the employee experience

My belief is that the next 10-15 years will be about the employee experience, the same way the past 10-15 years have been about the customer experience.
Why? Because engaged employees provide any organization with a competitive advantage. As Richard Branson says, “Your employees are your company’s real competitive advantage. They’re the ones making the magic happen— so long as their needs are being met.”
When you think about it, the mapping and the implementation of the customer experience have given organizations the benefits of better understanding and addressing their customers’ pain points. Thus, these organizations have seen an increase in customer engagement, customer retention, and customer advocacy.
The mapping and the implementation of the customer experience have also given these organizations the opportunity to engage with their customers on a more personal level – whether by offering a variety of products or services to address different market segments, or through the usage of multiple communication channels to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. Organizations can accomplish the same with understanding, mapping out their employees’ pain points and design a strategy to engage with those same employees.
Millennials are massively entering the workplace. By 2020, they will form 50% of the global workforce, per PwC. Gen Y seek for and thrive on brand experiences, and their employee experiences should be no different from their customer experiences.
Employee Experience Summit in Cincinnati
We believe the employee experience should be as much defined and driven by HR than by Marketing and Customer Experience teams, if not more.
Join us at eX Cincy on May 11 to hear thought leaders, brand strategists, designers and HR disruptors discuss the topic. Find out more and register here.

Is your company's job interview experience good enough?

Many companies feel they are in the driver's seat when it comes to the interview process. They feel that working for them is a privilege; that candidates should be thankful for the opportunity to even be considered for the job. They are WRONG, especially in industries and job markets where competition for talent is fierce.

Very much like companies don't tell their customers what their customer experience (CX) should be, they should not tell or dictate their employees (or soon-to-be) what their employee experience (EX) should be. Employees drive the EX, the same way customers drive the CX.

It should not be news to employers/recruiters, but the job interview process is the first chance for a candidate to experience what it's like to work for a company. Companies now have to think of themselves as employment brands. They should treat their employees (or soon-to-be) the same way they treat their customers.

Companies should apply customer journey mapping tactics to their job interview process. A mapping exercise helps identify all the different touch points a candidate goes through and how (s)he interacts with the company. From job descriptions to where/how jobs are posted, to how easy/complicated it is so submit a resume or job application, to how phone or face-to-face interviews are conducted, to the salary/benefits negotiation process, etc.

Because top companies compete for top talent, talented candidates likely have the choice between several offers. Salary, benefits package are nice, but research shows they are less and less of a tie-breaker. What makes the difference is the "employer brand" experience.

For those located in the Indianapolis area, join us at eX Summit's eX Meet Up to discuss the job interview experience (free event). Richard Whitney, Global Employment Brand Manager at Cummins, and Justin Fite, Chief Sales Officer at Lessonly, will speak on the panel on what makes or breaks the candidate experience. They will be joined by a couple of employees who will share their own perspective on what a good/bad experience is. Register here.

Some key "employee experience" take-aways from eX Indy (part 1)

eX Summit successfully launched its first event - eX Indy - last week at Launch Fishers in the Indianapolis area. We had a packed house, great speakers and panelists who provided the audience with a lot of actionable best practices (85% agreed on that).


Engagement measurement

As we already wrote about it, only 30% of the US employees feel engaged and inspired at work. It is a serious issue organizations must address, considering that increased engagement means (from Emplify's presentation):

• 22% higher utilization and productivity

• 50% lower turnover rate

• 3 times more profitable in operating margin.

Surveying employees about their relationship with and commitment to the company's mission, values and brand message is an effective way to measure their engagement. The most compelling component of engagement is the psychological conditions of the workplace: meaningfulness, safe, capacity. When an organization addresses them positively, the engagement increases. Mobile applications, such as Emplify's app, are a great way not only to measure your employees' engagement, but also to communicate and exchange in a more personalized way, versus the traditional and generic emails sent from HR.


The power of workplace design

Business Furniture, from a Steelcase report, highlighted that in order to design a workplace that is resilient and encourages engagement, organizations must create an ecosystem of interconnected zones and settings that are destinations where people have choice and control over where and how they work. This ecosystem should offer a palette of posture, presence and privacy. When organizations do this, they help people by offering spaces that support their physical, cognitive and emotional wellbeing.

When considering (re)designing the workplace, companies should:

• conduct a thorough research on workplace design strategy and best practices

• engage employees throughout the process to increase the rate of adoption 

• provide spaces for BOTH collaboration and concentration.

"Companies lose by viewing office space as something to manage or minimize. The workspace is, in fact, a crucial driver of productivity and morale." (Read: Change Your Space, Change Your Culture: How Engaging Workspaces Lead to Transformation and Growth)

How design drives the employee experience

Studio Science highlighted how organizations can use design methodologies and processes to foster employee collaboration and engagement.

Using design sprints - the same way tech companies use "dev" sprints - Nathan's team creates the space and the framework to tackle complex problems by involving multiple teams with different skills and mindsets. 

"Employees must participate in meaningful work and know that they’re impacting the world around them... A design-led culture creates positive experience by engaging employees in the meaningful creation of solutions and value, and encourages strong relationships with co-workers. It ultimately connects individuals to purpose.", concluded Nathan.

Stay tuned for "eX Indy part 2" next week.

It’s time we seriously talk about employee experience

There’s been a lot of focus over the past few years on the user experience (UX) and customer experience (CX), for good reasons.

According a recent North Highland whitepaper, a Gartner research shows that in 2016, , nine out of 10 companies planned to compete primarily on the basis of customer experience. Nothing— not price, not product—is more important than the experience you provide. Organizations that deliver compelling customer experiences have a competitive edge.

However, in doing so, many organizations have failed to focus on the experiences of their most important competitive advantage: employees. It’s now time to talk about the employee experience (EX).

“Your employees are your company’s real competitive advantage. They’re the ones making the magic happen— so long as their needs are being met.”

- RICHARD BRANSON

Companies focus on reaching out to their customers wherever they are across multiple channels, but yet fail to reach out to their employees/talents wherever they are.

Companies focus on their customer journey, drawing roadmaps to better identify how their customers interact with their brands (touch points), but yet fail to understand their employee journey.

Companies design spaces to deliver unparalleled brand experiences to their customers, but yet fail to design spaces to deliver positive employee experiences.

Companies focus on customer retention but yet fail to focus on employee retention.

Companies invest time and resources in customer research/segmentation but yet fail to spend time on employee research/segmentation.

Companies offer different services/products to address the needs of different market segments, but yet fail to address the diversity of their employee groups/segments.

Companies have tools to track, monitor and analyze customer behaviors, satisfaction and engagement, but yet fail to adopt tools to measure employee behaviors, satisfaction and engagement.

 In 2015, only 21 percent of employees globally were highly engaged. In the U.S., the majority of employees—51 percent—were not engaged. And perhaps most critically, another 17 percent were actively disengaged. (Gartner)

North Highland notices that the opportunity is there. Your organization is already offering some sort of an EX, and every employee is already experiencing your brand, but how good it that experience?

That’s why I’ve founded eX Summit, a space to debate the importance and impact of the employee experience. Our first event eX Indy will take place on September 22. Many of the above topics will be discussed. Check out our event page to see which topics our thought leaders will speak about. We hope to see you there and let’s start a true discussion on EX!

Don’t overlook the power of your 3-dimensional brand environment

Most companies spend their “branding budget” on their website, print/digital ads, marketing collaterals (we’ll call this their “2D environment”), completely or partially overlooking their 3D environment.

The 3D is an often overlooked aspect of reinforcing brand in both the corporate and professional environments.

What is branding through 3D design?

Branding through 3D design, (also known as the branded environment) is the process of transforming an office environment, an exhibit booth, a pavilion, or a retail store into a three-dimensional embodiment of a brand. One that instantly reinforces a company’s position, communicates its identity, unifies its culture, and delivers the brand experience to customers.

Think of this…

Does your office design energize your staff? Strengthen your brand? Reinforce your position?
Does your exhibit booth create a unique experience where your customers connect emotionally with your brand?

Does your store convey a welcoming and engaging environment where customers feel compelled to buy your products because your brand resonates with their values?

By integrating your brand strategy into the 3D design process, you can create an environment that helps employees, customers, and business associates better understand your company’s mission, vision, and values.

A “space” is not just a place with shelves to display your products or with a bunch of tablets and flat TVs to show your latest cool video or interactive presentation. Although those are important, they are only one aspect of that space. They convey your message, not your brand experience.

A product fits a customer’s need; a brand experience fits a customer’s beliefs.

What’s included in a branded environment?

A branded environment is the combination of many components such as architecture, layouts, finishing materials, lighting, environmental graphics, way-finding devices, signage, and décor elements that reflect and reinforce the personality of a business.

All of these elements work together to create a physical and sensory relationship with the customer. When implemented correctly the 3D design communicates your brand’s message and it lets people touch, explore, and engage with your brand in the physical space. Your branded environment enables your brand to be experienced beyond print, web, advertisements, and television.

Why is the “experience” important? What are the benefits of branding your environment?

The benefits of a branding your environment are many. Internally, better environmental design leads to happier staff. Happier staff generally means higher retention rates, increased productivity, and a better understanding of your organization’s mission, vision and values. In other words, a branded environment engages employees.

Externally, it leads to improved position and communication, better customer recognition, differentiation from competitors, and higher perceived value from your customers, investors, partners, and the media.

Is your office space engaging? What’s your favorite retail branded environment?

To change your organization, change the way you bring change.

Change is constant. If there is one thing that does not change, it is change. Have you ever considered changing partners? Not changing partners in terms of swapping spouses, but changing your partners’ or employees’ mindset and behavior? Have you tried to do that? Not easy, right?

A few weeks ago I spoke in front of a group of local business owners. I first asked how many of them were open to change; they all raised their hands. “How many of you have been through a change initiative at your company in the last 3 years?”. Once again, most of them raised their hands. “How many of you can say it worked?”. Then, only a handful raised their hands.

Change within companies is a bit like sex among teenagers. Everybody talks about it, but only a few actually do it. In fact, change has become a dirty word inside organizations. People are tired of being asked to change or innovate.

Why don’t people like change?

Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD, says that it's not just that people fear change, though they undoubtedly do. It's also that they genuinely believe (often on an unconscious level) that when you've been doing something a particular way for some time, it must be a good way to do things. And the longer you've been doing it that way, the better it is.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, in a HBR blog, reveals the 10 most common reasons why people don’t like change, such as:

- Loss of control

- Excess uncertainty

- Dislike of surprises

- Doing something differently creates confusion

- Concerns about competence

- More work 

What you need to change… is your approach to change

The most effective approach to change does not start or end in the C-suite. It happens at the heart of the organization, where mid-level managers and their teams build the momentum to implement and lead change. Executives initiate and support change, the rest of the organization lead change.

Everyone is a change agent. Leadership ought to realize that empowering their teams to lead change, think in different ways, and experiment will help take the business to places it’s never been before. Not only people want to be inspired about change, they also want to be in control of how change can happen. Experimentation should become part of your company’s metrics, not just success. If you base your employees’ performance just on success, they will take the safe route, where risk and trial don’t exist. If you empower them, encourage them to experiment, (and likely to fail – at first), you will lead them to think creatively, solve problems in their own way (not the company way), and ultimately innovate.

Change is a mindset, not an SOP manual. In your organization, Marketing has a different culture and way of working than Accounting, IT, or HR. Teams don’t need a 50-page SOP document to talk about or implement change. In contrary, teams need customized tools to break down barriers, kill rules, challenge assumptions, and reverse the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. There is no one-size-fits all program on change. This is why it is so critical to delegate change implementation and change management to teams to customize it and make it a reality. The key is to provide directions and create new behaviors, not to dictate teams how to do it.

One step at a time. Because you can’t change a company’s culture in one day, leaders need to implement change in increments. Find small sized projects with a realistic (successful) outcome and instill new ways of thinking and new ways of doing will get people notice that something different is taking place. Employees and managers will be more willing to take a chance and embrace the change if the outcome is tangible. Leaders must encourage employees to participate. As experimentation must be part of the metrics, participation is the same – not forced, but encouraged. “Is there a different way to make this work?”. “What should we do to make it fail?”. “Why would customers not buy our product?”. Reverse thinking is a way to turn upside down the approach to tackle problems. In other words, employees need to unlearn to be innovative. Little by little you will change your company’s DNA and make it a place where change it not only possible, but it is critical to its success. 

What is really important is to build an enterprise where employees: 

- can think asymmetrical in a linear culture

- are not afraid to come up with (bad and good) ideas

- feel comfortable to fail by experimenting

- get rewarded not by their number of successes, but by their number of attempts

- embrace change as an opportunity, not a threat.

Change happens. It doesn't care whether you like it or not. Change doesn't need your permission. Change is the one constant in business. What you decide to do with change is up to you.