#SHRM19: Why Employee Experience Management Matters

Were you in Las Vegas this week for #SHRM19? If so, hopefully you stopped by our booth to chat with us about why employee experience management matters, play a quick game of blackjack, or enter to win a prize (including our $5,000 grand prize!). With more than 200 sessions to choose from and legendary keynote and breakout speakers, this year's conference-'Creating Better Workplaces '-was one for the books.

We were proud to showcase our new HR Service Delivery solutions to a packed room on Tuesday and our Co-CEO and CTO, Adam Rogers, led an engaging and informative #NextChat discussing the who, what, when, where, and how's of employee experience management with dozens of SHRM bloggers and industry experts.

Employee Experience Management

Employee experience management was our focus at #SHRM19 because of its increasing relevance for today's employers. For years, employers have focused on employee engagement, but nationwide engagement rates have remained relatively stagnant despite substantial corporate investment. Meanwhile, record-low unemployment rates and extremely high quit-to-layoff ratios mean employers are scrambling to not only attract and engage, but also retain, their people.

'The secret lies in switching the focus from employee engagement to employee experience, which encompasses every aspect of the job, from available technology to relationships with colleagues,' said Rogers. 'We measure engagement, but we can proactively design and manage employee experience, just as software development teams design user experiences. And therein lies the power.'

While customer service teams spend significant time strategically mapping out and optimizing the customer journey, applying this attention to our workforce is a relatively new phenomenon. The employee experience management process means optimizing everything from the physical workspaces people occupy to their workplace relationships and even the technology tools they use to get their work done.

'Technology is a great place to double down on employee experience initiatives,' said Rogers. 'The tools employees use to get their jobs done, as well as those used to access pay, benefits, and standard HR information, can have a significant impact on the employee experience. And even I was shocked by a 2017 study that found that one in three employees would consider leaving their jobs due to outdated technology.'

HR Service Delivery

Fortunately, a new breed of HR Service Delivery tools is available to help employers optimize the employee experience management process. Service design thinking, robotic process automation, and intelligent design come together to streamline and automate workflows, boost productivity, and standardize case and file management. Employees requests are expedited and addressed more efficiently, while HR teams are freed to focus on building relationships with their people and designing long-term strategic initiatives.

'Today's employees expect - and deserve - the same consumer-grade experiences at work that they enjoy at home,' says Rogers. 'By treating our employees like our best customers and investing in their experiences, we foster the kind of loyalty, passion, and productivity that consistently sets best workplaces apart.'

To learn more about how HR Service Delivery tools can optimize your employee experience, download this whitepaper by industry influencer Jason Lauritsen: 'To Improve Employee Experience, Think Customer Experience'