Improving Employee Experiences

Improving employee experience not only increases productivity, reduces turnover and helps attract the best talent, but it also means that happy employees will be creating a happier experience for customers too. But how can this be transformed in the most simple, yet effective, way?

Make Your Workplace Rewarding

Nobody likes to feel like they’re being taken for granted, so it’s important for employees to feel recognized, and to be rewarded for their achievements. But not only is it important for managers to reward their employees, it’s also – and this is the key – important to create a framework in which employees can recognize one another’s achievements, and share praise. After all, in this age of social networking and the sharing economy, peer-to-peer recognition is more important than ever before. You can encourage this framework in many simple ways such as implementing an incentive plan, setting up a voting system for the employee of the week or recognizing an employee every fortnight by buying them tickets to see their favorite band in concert.

Be Surprising!

It’s not only the design of your offices that should be surprising, but also the design of your working days. Company outings help strengthen bonds between colleagues and boost team morale, whether it’s lunch in a nearby restaurant, afternoon drinks in the pub, or a visit to the art gallery for creative inspiration. But a surprise could also be something as simple as a birthday cake and a round of good coffee. Remember: variety is the spice of life, and helps to keep everyone emotionally, intellectually and creatively stimulated.

Bend the Rules

Surprising though it may be, employees often work more efficiently, and creatively, when they’re offered some flexibility regarding when they work and where they work. They may want to come in a little later (or earlier) to avoid the worst of the traffic. They may have certain tasks that are more easily performed outside the office. They may need to go for a walk to think up new ideas. The most important thing is to trust your employees, and give them some leeway.

Make Room for Collaboration

A modern workplace should offer a wide variety of spaces for employees to collaborate in, from large meeting spaces that can accommodate whole teams to smaller meeting spaces for more intimate conversations. It’s also good to offer break out areas, with relaxed seating and coffee tables, for bringing people together informally.