Employee Experience Design: If You Build It They Will Come

A new employment trend has emerged over the last few years that is substantially changing the way businesses interact with and inspire their employees. In response to the pandemic-induced disengaged workforce, business owners had to rethink their approach to employee acquisition, engagement, and retention. As labor dynamics like The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting made headlines and rattled businesses, many organizations recognized the need to do things differently to attract and retain the talent they need. The time was right to embrace Employee Experience (EX) Design.

EX design is the strategic approach for enhancing the engagements, processes, and environments that employees experience throughout their tenure with an organization. The main focus of EX design is crafting an employee journey that emphasizes job satisfaction, positive interactions, and personal wellbeing.

At its core, EX design is the intentional creation of a positive environment in which people want to work, grow and thrive. As the name implies, EX design focuses more on the individual, while company culture addresses the organization as a whole.

This new approach to HR has the potential to dramatically improve employee satisfaction, enthusiasm and personal performance. A business committed to enhancing EX is better able to attractive the top talent it needs, retain the great employees it already has, and increase productivity throughout the organization. It all boils down to a rather simple concept. Happy people are more motivated, perform better, and are more innovative. And who doesn’t want that?

Every business is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all to EX design. The key is to focus on enhancing the myriad of touchpoints your people experience throughout their employment journeys.

Here are a few simple things to consider as you embark on creating an EX design strategy in your business.

Focus on Creating a Positive Company Culture

Foster a culture that promotes open communication, transparency, collaboration, and mutual respect. Align your EX design with the vision, values, and mission of the business. Create an environment that reinforces decision-making, and behavior based on your guiding principles. Recognize individual employee contributions and how they impact success at a more macro level.

Keep Your Ear to the Ground

Ask for feedback from your current employees on the things they value in their EX, what might be negatively impacting them, what could make their engagement with your business more fulfilling, and any other input they want to share. You can gather this information in one-on-one discussions, surveys, or in an open forum like an all-hands meeting. Analyze the data you gather to identify what you are doing well as employer, as well as opportunities for improvement.

Make It Personal

Understand that your employees are individuals, each with unique wants and needs. Create personalized development plans. Consider work flexibility to accommodate personal dynamics and preferences. Foster a sense of belonging and connection. Let your people know how much you appreciate them and their contributions to your business.

Provide Employee Development Opportunities

There are many ways to assist your employees in their career trajectory. Your business can offer training programs like workshops, seminars or online courses. You might consider mentorships, job shadowing, leadership development, and tuition assistance. The point here is that every employee in your business likely possesses career aspirations. Help them get to where they want to be.

Give Them the Balance They Desire

Work-life balance is a central component of employee satisfaction and retention. When possible, provide opportunities for flexible working hours, remote or hybrid work options, and other personal wellbeing initiatives. Consider offering four-day work weeks, if it makes sense. Fostering balance and flexibility in their business roles provides employees with greater satisfaction both at home and at work.

Consider implementing EX design in your business. It just might be the acquisition, retention, and employee satisfaction gamechanger you’ve been looking for.