What makes a great employee experience in the new world of work?

It turns out, nothing will accelerate change quite like a global pandemic.

In response to Covid-19, we’ve seen organisations drive through workforce transformation programmes at breakneck speed. For many employees, the world of work – the work they do, where they do it, how they engage with their teams and managers – has changed beyond recognition.

And so, it is unsurprising that employers now have different views on what constitutes a first-class employee experience.

• 71% say a commitment to employee wellbeing is very important to achieving a great employee experience
• 60% believe offering relevant employee benefits is very important
• 92% state employee communication is vital in supporting the employee experience

To deliver an excellent employee experience, organisations need to be firmly committed to protecting and enhancing employee wellbeing, and ensure employees understand and feel connected to the company’s values. The research shows that these are seen as the most important factors in the employee experience. In addition, HR and reward leaders point to simple and intuitive technology, a strong culture of recognition, and engaging internal communications as critical elements of an optimised employee experience.

The research uncovers some notable differences between industries in terms of what creates an exceptional employee experience. Within the technology and media sectors, HR and reward leaders place greater emphasis on recognition, flexible working and internal communications as elements of a first-class employee experience, while within financial services, there is more focus on providing intuitive workplace technology, relevant employee benefits, and ensuring employees feel connected to the company’s values. Within professional services, a commitment to employee wellbeing is seen as the most critical element of the employee experience.

Using communications to boost employee experience

Organisations are clearly seeing the link between employee communications and employee experience. We’re seeing more customers invest in the kind of targeted and focussed communications that drive an outcome, with less focus on communication for communication’s sake.

Benefex Head of Communications, Alexandra Houlden, says:

“As we move into more established models of hybrid working, it’s important to think about your different audiences and the different approaches they may need to receive the same experience. For instance, you might need to use different channels to reach a group of remote-working employees or provide targeted information on how to access benefits to those in different areas.

If you can talk to the individual needs of your people, your message becomes more powerful. For example, if 60% of your employees need to know about pension changes, that also means 40% of your people don’t. By targeting relevant content to relevant people, you won’t bombard everyone with communications that don’t affect them.”

It’s clear from the research that two areas are standing out: employee wellbeing, and company ethos. As we emerge from the difficulties of the pandemic, with the road still unclear ahead, employees are looking to their employers for support and a guiding hand, both in and out of work.