Putting People First: Is Employee Experience (EX) the New HR?
Work tends to feel like a one-sided relationship. Organizations implement rules and regulations where commands only flow in the direction of top to bottom. Being in the lower tier, you invest so much time and energy into this ‘relationship’, only to receive a minimal hint of reward known as your base salary. To this day, leaders still struggle with turnover issues and they question why their employees are leaving. Well, the answer is obvious – or is it?
The War For Talent
“In a world where money is no longer the primary motivating factor for employees, focusing on the employee experience is the most promising competitive advantage that organizations can create.” – Jacob Morgan
87% of HR leaders consider improved retention a high priority. Even if you managed to hire someone smart and qualified, your job doesn’t stop right there. The workplace is constantly shifting to make room for new expectations and demands. Employees won’t stay for long unless they see positive attributes about the company. All these reasons drive our attention toward the labour force. Or as quoted in Linkedin’s Global Talent Trends report, “the 2020s will be all about putting people first.”
Shaping the New HR
“Human Resources felt dated and stigmatized,” said Amy Rossi, VP of Employee Experience at Expel. A department once seen as the ‘corporate police’ of an organization, making sure that everything and everyone are going strictly by the book, is calling for a reformation in order to accommodate for the modern needs of a workplace.
96% of talent professionals now consider Employee Experience (EX) an important element of HR, an area which they think will gradually expand over time. Managers and HR professionals need to lead with the goal to bridge gaps between them and their employees. To make meaningful progress, make sure you’re taking action on what your employees care about most, like:
- Compensation and benefits
- Employee training opportunities
- Purposeful mission that aligns with their values
- Flexible work arrangements and work-life balance
- Open and effective management
- Intuitive tools and technology
- Company culture that inspires employees
Small Actions, Big Impacts
EX doesn’t have to be a costly investment. It’s about the small actions, like communicating with your people, listening to their needs, offering them the right guidance, and motivating them to be better. Don’t underestimate the power of these minor improvements. It all starts with you.