Office buildings were always much more than physical spaces—they were an Industrial Revolution era foundation for how we thought about work. They long provided the organizing principles for how work should happen, and the landscape organizations used to provide their employees with the most attractive and optimal working experience.
The pandemic has given us a golden opportunity to redesign the world of work, and is forcing companies to rethink what the “employee experience” means. A reported 80% of respondents in a recent survey conducted by McKinsey stated that the pandemic has significantly impacted their work. While these impacts have been felt from varied perspectives and experiences, the good news is, more flexible working arrangements have had positive impacts on employee well-being and engagement.
Now, as we shift closer to some form of in-person work, organizations must get clear on how each demographic in their workforce has been affected by the impact of the pandemic, and use this feedback to help shape the “new normal” of the business landscape to improve the overall employee experience.
Redefining the employee experience isn’t an organizational exercise, it’s an individual one, and consideration must be taken to respect employee differences including home lives and responsibilities, skill sets, mindsets and personality traits.
As you work to build individualized solutions for your workforce, consider the following 5 elements and how these impact the employee experience overall:
- Productivity: The ability to complete tasks efficiently while delivering a high quality of work. An employee that feels productive, is one that feels accomplished and motivated. Productivity can also be directly linked to alignment with organizational goals. Consider how employees rate their individual productivity, and determine how hybrid arrangements can replicate wins and facilitate increased efficiency where needed.
- Work-life balance: Ranked as the third biggest need after job security and financial stability, work-life balance must not be ignored. This year, we heard a lot about employee burnout as WFH moved work and personal life closer than ever before. Proposed hybrid arrangements must make room for employees to feel like they can achieve a healthy balance between personal responsibilities and work commitments.
- Managing work-related stress and anxiety: Building trusting relationships in the workplace can have a massive impact on an individual’s ability to manage work-related stress and anxiety. Through the employee experience lens, this looks like trust in colleagues, trust in leadership, a meaningful relationship with the organization, and non-monetary recognition for work achievements.
- Sense of belonging: An individual’s sense of social cohesion and inclusion within work teams, and on the larger scale, within the organization as whole is critical to employee satisfaction. To cement these within the new employee experience, build hybrid models that have respect, fairness, equality and equal opportunity for involvement at their core.
- Satisfaction with working arrangement: Having a stable and secure workplace tops the list of employee needs. From an employee experience perspective, this links to organizational stability and compensation and benefits. Review and refine perceived satisfaction from each employee, and in cases where employees rank stability and security poorer, seek detailed feedback.
