As operations solidified after the proliferation of vaccines, the need to re-examine employee experience emerged, as the employers had to rethink strategies for employee safety, work arrangements and more.
Two years after the World Health Organization declared a Pandemic, 92 percent of employers said that employee experience is a priority. There was a rise in that figure prior to the swine flu.
Organizations believe a better experience will drive engagement, well-being, productivity and performance, and that’s why they prioritize employee experience. According to the organization, a positive work experience would help offset the upheaval of the Pandemic, which caused employers to change to a remote or hybrid model, cut people or hours, and slash pay and benefits.
What is employee experience? Sources who spoke with HR Dive identified employee appreciation as one of the elements in addition to the nuts and bolts of employment.
According to Suzanne McAndrew, global head of employee experience at WTW, employers should give serious thought to this aspect of employment, considering the changes, frustrations and tragedies workers endure during the epidemic. She said it should be a wakeup call. There needs to be other ways to recognize and appreciate employees than just paying them.
The longevity of the Pandemic makes it difficult for employers to deliver on appreciation. Many employers are instituting yet another large shift as they begin to bring workers back to in-person operations, calling into question the matter of balance according to Betsy Kauffman, an organizational design consultant who said she’s working currently on this issue with all of her clients.
“Culturally, organizations are having to figure out how we manage this, how we get people back to the office, and still tell employees we care about them,” he said. People know how to work a balanced life at home. For us to appreciate that, we have to think about how we can get people to collaborate again.
An important part of an employee experience strategy is appreciation, and whether employers are instituting a transition back to the office, have decided to keep remote work for good, or are navigating somewhere in between.
McAndrew said that organizations are looking across programs, people and connections to make 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476 888-282-0476. This is a great recruitment. The changing needs of what is offered across total rewards need to be understood by the HR.
Sarah Hamilton, vice president of global human experience at Workhuman, said that her company had a leg up on administering employee experience during the first few days of the Pandemic. In the midst of turmoil, clients were behind in determining how to connect with their workforces.
Double down on employee recognition is the best way to do it. Everybody is thinking about it, it has become such a big topic.
Since the beginning of the Pandemic, there has been an increase in role appreciation, as well as a departure from the previous methods of employee recognition. She said that the cupcakes in the office and donuts are no longer relevant. My values are more important.
Employees want to be visible. There is room for that visibility because of a closer-knit web of employee communications. There has been an increase in virtual recognition and engagement, with instances marking smaller and more frequent occasions.
Hamilton encouraged employers to think beyond the material in planning their employee appreciation strategy. She noted that recognition doesn’t have to be a gift. Employers can tap into employees’ personal lives when they leave from bigger, less frequent token of appreciation.
We have had a bigger window into people’s lives. We are aware of people’s pets, families, partners and living rooms. Hamilton said it was a unique opportunity. It has brought us closer and made us aware that there is more than work.
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Employers are able to recognize professional and personal milestones alike. Work human celebrates life events, from moving to a new apartment to welcoming a baby.
Employers can help employees make connections with each other by implementing employee appreciation in a way that makes the professional and personal.
Employers will want to ensure that whatever approach they take is applied with consistency as they navigate the new world of employee experience and appreciation. A less formal approach may create the desired results, but it is harder to instill and maintain than a more personal approach.
One leader is amazing at appreciation and another is not. Implementing appreciation consistently is what it is really about. How do you make sure everyone is connected to the organization?
