Employee Experience (EX) impacts and is impacted by every facet of a job. From the time an employee sits down at their desk to the time they finish for the day, a number of factors contribute to how they view their job, their ability to do their job well, and their long-term vision of success in their role. As BetterUp Head of Assessments Evan Sinar explains, developing a positive employee experience “requires a thorough understanding of the ingredients that create a positive employee experience and creating the conditions that cultivate them.”
Understanding EX
In his analysis, Sinar breaks down the findings of their EX Index survey into six core EX factors: authenticity, engagement, optimism, purpose and meaning, social connection, and belonging. Studies have shown that some of these intangible job qualities are even more important to overall EX than things like compensation, benefits, and vacation time. The importance and impact of these elements have increased as each generation enters the workforce; according to a study conducted by BetterUp, “high EX workers had 28% higher productivity, 37% lower turnover intentions, 142% higher employer Net Promoter Score, 46% stronger organizational commitment and 59% higher job satisfaction.”
To simplify this concept even more, Forrester identifies the main EX Index factors as Inspiration, Empowerment, and Enablement:
- Inspiration: factors that give employees purpose in their contributions to their company’s mission
- Empowerment: factors that encourage employees to do their jobs better
- Enablement: factors that suit the appropriate tools to the employees’ needs
Ultimately, each of these factors depends on employee perception. In the report, Forrester explains that “technology, especially the hardware provided at the employee workspace, can play a significant part in instilling this perception, as specific features and functionalities of user devices lend to improving their comfort, productivity, and overall workplace environment.”
EX + CX
In the survey referenced above, 58% of employees surveyed believe that a strong EX would improve their ability to serve their customers better, and 47% of employers agree that a positive EX will have a high or critical impact on improving customer experience (CX). Especially with customer-facing roles, it is easy to connect the dots between a specific employee’s experience on the job and the customer’s broader attitudes about the company from an interaction with that employee. While employers have a general sense of this connection, the proportion of companies who are making EX a priority is shockingly low.
Consider the following statistics:
- 82% of employers believe that EX leads to better productivity among employees
- 71% of employers consider improving CX as part of their top three business priorities
- 35% of employers consider improving EX to be among their top priorities
Employers should understand that taking steps to improve employee experience will directly impact employee productivity and enthusiasm, which in turn will improve customer experience and ultimately business growth. As such, employers should prioritize EX in business strategies to drive revenue to enhance the efficacy of other efforts.
Read more about the BetterUp findings here.
Read more the full Forrester report here.
Stay tuned for more posts in our EX Blog Series coming later this month!