Over the past years, many organizations have been focusing their attention time and resources towards improving the customer experience.  However new reports indicate that businesses are shifting their attention in wards, giving priority to employee experience also known as EX.

Employee experience simply means the sum of perceptions that employees have about an organization they work for. It encapsulates what people feel over the course of their employee journey in an organization.

As millenials continue to infiltrate the job markets, organizations are now shifting their attention to towards developing integrated focus on the entire employee experience. Business executives are now bringing together all the workplace, Human Resource and management practices that impact people on the job.

A report by Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2017 found that (80%) of company executives rated employee experience either very important (42%) or important (38%) as very important to an organizations growth and success.

This new shift of focus to employee experience can be attributed to advancement in technology which has increased transparency as well as the growing influence of millenials. Gone are the days where all company executives had to do was put a couple of swivel chairs, snacks and potted plants to promote positive employee experience. The millenials want more from their jobs. They expect an engaging enjoyable and productive work experience.

In an article for Forbes, Jacob Morgan, suggests that to promote a positive employee experience, there are two elements of your organization you need to work on.

The technological environment

Technology has a huge impact on employee experience on a daily basis. Employees use  the different physical devices (such as computers, iPads) as well as software (such as Skype, email) as they go about their business.

When a business uses slow, baggy or outdated software it can cause a lot of unnecessary lags which can force employees to repeat tasks or develop workarounds. The extra effort used to complete the tasks may have a negative effect on employee productivity especially for generation Z who are accustomed to higher levels of technology interaction.

Business executives also need to know and understand how employees use the tech tools so that they can make continuous adjustments that will keep them efficient and engaged.  They can use the different data measuring and analyzing  techniques available to gain insight into how employees interact with workplace tech. This insight can then help executives understand what their employees need inorder to be happy.

Physical Environment

This refers to the objects that make up the physical space that one can feel with their senses such as, furniture, lighting and art work. Many people spend most of their days working in the office. Working in a dimly lit or cramped office can make many peoples enthusiasm and productivity take a dive.

It is a well-known fact that indoor plants and other natural elements when used to decorate interior spaces can help reduce blood pressure and improve cognitive performance. Having some potted office plants as part of your interior office décor can help promote positive employee experience.

Another way that executives can make employees as comfortable while in the office is by getting flexible furniture. From  stack-able or roll able file cabinets from desks that transition from sitting to standing positions, movable furniture can make your employees comfortable enough to handle their daily tasks.

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