Why Employee Experience Benefits Customer Experience

Trying to improve one without improving the other? To optimise customer experience, you’ll have to get shouting about your employees first. We’ll show you why below…

When it comes to company revenue and business success, then surely customer experience plays a big part in these achievements? Undoubtedly, it’s responsible for a lot of it. But things aren’t so black and white as that.

In any business, there are a lot of moving parts. Marketing, sales, product, and HR teams will all be vying for their share of the credit for adding to this customer experience in the first place.

And they wouldn’t be wrong either; employees are responsible for a large chunk of the customer experience. Recent research shows that companies with strong employee experience metrics also perform well on customer experience metrics. Further research has also shown that improvements in the former can help to improve the latter.

But let’s rewind. Before we can delve into the link between the two, we’ll take a look at what employee experience is and why it’s important in more detail.

What is employee experience?

In the same way that customer experience (CX) covers the experiences consumers have with a brand, employee experience (EX, from here on) concerns what the employee experiences at an organisation.

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. And from the second they start to the time they depart, the things they learn, interact with, and feel has a bearing on their EX.

It’s no surprise, then, that the way employees experience things at work has become more important than ever. So much so that the creation of entire roles and departments designed to improve EX have cropped up in recent times.

Why is employee experience important?

So why exactly has EX become so prominent of late? As the below shows, it interacts with and impacts several important elements of an organisation…

Engagement

EX plays a big role in engaging an organisation’s employees. When workers can tackle their daily duties with relish, using workflows that allow them to do their job easily and more effectively, they’re likely to have a more positive EX.

A more engaged employee is more likely to go the extra mile, stay up to date with company news, and identify better processes to help them carry out their role.

Recruitment

Just as potential employees vet candidates, job seekers are carrying out investigations of their own. Thanks to sites like Glassdoor, it’s possible to delve into a company’s benefits, diversity, equality and inclusion policies, and sustainability practices in more detail – all important elements which can add to a positive employee experience.

If there’s no EX to speak of, then the reviews will let prospective employees know, providing them with a clear sign to look elsewhere for their next role.

Retention

Things like career development, salaries, employee relationships and a positive working culture all factor into EX. If a company can’t offer any of these to its current employees, then it won’t be long before its best and brightest make the move to another company. Simply put, a strong EX is a pivotal part of holding on to key talent.

And of course, it plays a role on CX too – which we’ll delve into in more detail below…

How do employee experience and customer experience go hand in hand?

Certainly, the link between the two is a strong one. When organisations take time to improve their EX, the benefits it creates can, in essence, be paid forward to the customer experience.

And in some ways, this is self-explanatory. It’s no big surprise that employees feel more motivated to perform better and improve the customer experience when they’re treated better.

There are stats to prove it, too. According to Gallup, companies with highly engaged workforces outperform their competitors by 147% in earnings per share. Elsewhere, research carried out by Glassdoor stated that on average, a 1-point increase in Glassdoor company rating correlates to a 1.3-point increase in customer satisfaction.

How to improve employee experience

A positive employee experience doesn’t just happen overnight. In fact, the emotional aspect of fully engaging employees might put some businesses off from it in the first place.

Additionally, investing in the personal and professional development of your employees goes beyond things like a decent salary, holiday and office benefits.

Want to start improving your EX? Try implementing the following…

Give your teams the right tools

Whether they’re new hires or current employees, grinding through the working day on out-of-date equipment can be pretty, well, dispiriting. Expecting employees to carry out their duties using long-in-the-tooth tech is a little unrealistic.

But when they have modern, high-quality equipment to work with, not only can employees complete tasks more efficiently, but it can have a powerful effect on how they experience each shift. There’s no shortage of new tech, so show that you’re investing in their performance by investing in something cutting edge.

Think about their workspace

Likewise, if they’re working in a dingy, depressing workspace, then the vibe that creates is going to show in their performance. Compare this to a company that works in a bright, open workspace with places to take breaks in, or has a gym employees can use, and the difference is night and day. We know which one we’d prefer to work in, anyway.

You don’t have to restrict the employee experience to the office either. In the wake of the pandemic, giving them a more flexible schedule that allows them to work from home can have a positive effect on both positivity and productivity.

Provide them with opportunities to grow

Career growth and development are an important part of keeping employees engaged and satisfied. If your team know that they have the opportunity to move up or extend their skillset, then they’ll be more motivated to improve their performance. Things such as training and development programmes, senior staff shadowing, and mentorship schemes let your team know that you’re committed to investing in their future.

Encourage openness and appreciation

When employees know that their ideas and feedback will be heard and appreciated, it shows that you value their insights and opinions, which further boosts engagement. Give employees a chance to air their concerns with regular contact such as one-to-one conversations or employee surveys – and crucially – be sure to act on their responses.

Likewise, be sure to show your appreciation for their work. Everything from a small thank you to company-wide recognition can create a sense of value and wellbeing among individuals, so make sure you’re taking the time to sing their praises whenever you can.

Looking for customer service that speaks to your contacts? Gnatta makes interactions matter, delivering quality exchanges and quicker responses that meet your customers’ expectations.

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Why Employee Experience Benefits Customer Experience

What is employee experience?