Complete Guide to Understand and Improve Employee Experience

What are the tangible benefits of providing a better experience for your employees? There are many, and they benefit both your teams and your organization:

• Improved work environment.
• Enhanced communication among colleagues.
• Optimization of tools and productivity.
• Increased satisfaction and well-being.
• Encouragement of a sense of belonging.
• Higher employee retention rates.
• Creation of a strong corporate culture.
• Attraction of top talent in the job market (employer branding).

Even at a glance, it’s easy to see the positive impact these benefits can have on your team’s productivity and your company’s organizational health.

We all want to improve the experience we offer our employees… but knowing where to start can be challenging! Here are the steps to follow to create a coherent and effective employee experience action plan:

Fist, you need assess the current state of employee experience in your company by measuring all relevant HR performance indicators (turnover rate, retention rate, absenteeism, etc.). You can find this critical information in your HR software solution.

Additionally, you should survey your employees to gather their anonymized feedback on essential aspects of their professional lives. By asking them questions about their experience within the company, you’ll be able to identify major pain points and start developing a tailored strategy.

After analyzing your HR metrics and employee feedback, identify the most pressing needs and problematic areas in your company. Prioritize these in your action plan; your resources and time are limited, so addressing a major issue effectively is often better than spreading efforts across multiple minor problems.

Make a list of priorities and outline why, when, and how each action should be taken.

Your action plan should not only address the prioritized needs but also incorporate the feedback shared by employees through surveys or interviews. Employee experience can only improve when the voices of those directly affected are taken into account. Plus, employees will appreciate knowing their input matters to you.

Before implementing your plan, obtain buy-in from management and stakeholders for the proposed actions and strategic goals. Highlight the importance of each identified issue and the expected results once the action plan is executed. To strengthen your case, emphasize the potential increases in productivity and retention resulting from improving employee experience.

Once you have the green light from leadership, transparently communicate your workplace improvement program to your teams, explaining the steps and benefits. This way, everyone will be informed and involved in the process.

After implementing various actions to improve employee experience, take time to measure the impact of your strategy on productivity, well-being, and employee satisfaction. Conduct follow-up interviews and distribute surveys to gather honest, anonymized feedback. We recommend you involve managers in this process.

It’s also important to continuously monitor the HR KPIs targeted by your strategy to ensure its effectiveness. Afterward, present measurable results to leadership and refine your efforts as needed.

Naturally, employee expectations evolve over time, and the HR strategies you implement won’t always address every need or concern. Evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and make adjustments as necessary.

The key is to adopt a mindset of continuous improvement, demonstrating to employees that you walk the talk. Providing a great employee experience requires ongoing strategic effort: keep the long-term benefits in mind, and don’t hesitate to dedicate more resources to implementing and monitoring your action plans.

Here are some concrete examples of actions you can take to improve your workplace and HR management, thereby optimizing employee experience in your company. You can use them as inspiration and adapt them to your organizational reality and needs:

Employees increasingly seek comprehensive compensation packages that go beyond base salaries. By offering relevant and impactful employee benefits, you can set your organization apart and significantly improve employee experience.

To achieve this, survey your employees and ask what improvements they would like to see in their daily lives. Do they need better health insurance that includes dental coverage? Would they prefer more vacation days or advantageous retirement plans? Strive to meet their needs while respecting your budget and organizational constraints. A well-thought-out employee benefits program can make all the difference in retaining your best talent!

Workplace flexibility has become a hot topic in recent years, and for good reason: it is now a key expectation for a vast majority of workers.

Flexibility doesn’t only mean offering remote work options, which may not be feasible in many industries. You can also adjust working hours, propose shorter workweeks during the summer, or provide leave dedicated to volunteering or employee well-being. Again, your employees are your best advisors in determining how to shape your initiatives to promote flexibility within the organization.

Did you know that 44% of employees leave their jobs due to a lack of recognition? If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to create effective recognition programs within your company.

You can continuously improve these initiatives by encouraging peer-to-peer recognition (creating dedicated communication channels for celebrating successes, organizing recognition-focused meetings, etc.) and developing reward programs for your top performers.

Feelings of career stagnation often lead to disengagement. As part of your plan to improve employee experience, you should establish a budget and actionable steps for training and professional development for your teams.

Effective career management will allow you to maximize your employees’ skills while fostering their professional growth. This win-win approach helps create an attractive and competitive work environment!

Employee experience heavily relies on the quality of their relationships with their managers. Training supervisors to maintain healthy communication with their teams, prioritize well-being and balance for their staff, and provide constructive feedback can significantly enhance the overall employee experience. In short, for a positive employee experience, surround yourself with competent and empathetic managers!

Who doesn’t appreciate additional leave from their employer? In recent years, many companies have implemented wellness leave to improve their employees’ mental and physical health. These additional days off supplement regular vacation days, enhancing the overall benefits package and contributing to a better employee experience.

It cannot be stressed enough: the employee experience begins with new hire onboarding! When welcoming a new employee, ensure they receive all the support and training they need. Promote your company’s values and culture from day one to foster a sense of belonging, which is essential for a positive employee experience.

The key is to have a well-defined onboarding and integration plan from the start and to avoid skipping steps. You can also use onboarding surveys to ask new employees about their experience and continuously optimize your practices.

Many employees are dissatisfied with traditional performance evaluation methods in their companies. The statistics are clear: 80% of employees prefer receiving regular feedback over annual performance reviews.

Implementing modern performance management methods (such as monthly evaluations, continuous feedback sharing, 360-degree reviews, or involving employees in setting their objectives) can improve employee experience, satisfaction, and productivity.

Your teams spend the majority of their time in the workplace. Whether it’s an office, a factory, or their home, providing a safe and engaging work environment is crucial. Consider these examples:

• Offering sit-stand desks and comfortable chairs for remote employees.
• Investing in walking pads, snacks, and relaxation spaces in your offices.
• Reviewing safety measures and equipment provided to workers on construction sites or in factories.

Ask managers and employees what improvements could be made to their workspaces, and implement necessary upgrades progressively.

No one enjoys working with outdated and cumbersome tools that lead to frustration, errors, and overwork.

To improve the daily lives of your teams, it’s essential to evaluate the tools you use and modify or upgrade them if necessary.

Additionally, focus on distributing and reducing workloads effectively. Burnout is a significant threat to employee happiness and productivity – and ultimately, your company’s reputation!

Improving employee experience represents a competitive advantage you shouldn’t overlook. Remember hare your team’s professional lives and the benefits they enjoy on social media! This strategy can strengthen your employer brand, help build a solid corporate culture, and ultimately attract new talent who could make a big difference in your company.

Remember, enhancing employee experience is an ongoing effort: you should conduct regular audits to maintain team satisfaction in the long term. To help you stay on track, feel free to download our checklist that covers the entire employee lifecycle and indicates the HR metrics you need to keep a close eye on!