The year has come to an end, and while we may thank the contribution customers have made, your business could have not done it without the people who work there. Yes, expectations have now shifted – thanks to the Covid-19 Pandemic we were ushered blindly into a new era. An era that comprises of social distancing practices, and digitalization is all now referred to as the “new normal”.
Businesses have had to transform the way they operate and function but so did employees. More and more companies are learning to appreciate the work employees do since they recognize the importance of doing so not just because it’s good for business, but also because it’s the right thing to do. That means we need to factor in the things that your employees regard as important to them.
In our last Employee Experience (EX) post we covered why striving for employee satisfaction should be a priority, in this one – we explore aspects to improve on with trends focused around EX for 2022 in mind:
Today, employee well-being has expanded beyond physical well-being, a holistic overview includes aspects such as the emotional facets of individuals, physicality, social with financial and purpose in the workplace, being a talked about topic.
While mental health has been spoken of widely, employees are inherently focusing on overcoming aspects of anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic. These challenges impact retention, the productivity of employees, job performance alongside healthcare costs. The focus on nurturing employee well-being has become a critical development in the workplace in promoting resilience.
Companies will make work-from-anywhere work. As remote and hybrid working is becoming more common. Employees prefer remote work settings as it allows for freedom to navigate the pressures of day-to-day responsibilities.
At the heart of this is the growing need for flexibility in where, when, and how employees work. Leaders will reinvent their mindsets, define behavioral and working norms to engage in two-way dialogue with employees, and forward-thinking organizations will also explore how to pay their employees equitably, regardless of location.
Our natural desire as humans is to learn, grow, and improve constantly striving as a society to better ourselves – taking off that competitive edge in the workplace is normality amongst peers. Measures claim that employee satisfaction is a factor in employee motivation, employee goal achievement, and positive employee morale in the workplace.
Investing in employees through training, mentoring or coaching can enhance overall satisfaction and engagement across the board. In 2022, Businesses will be seen returning to focusing on educating employees as the benefits fall on both sides of the coin.
Smart companies are those that can listen to employees and respond dynamically from both tools, and a policy perspective to ensure that employees remain with the company, supplement human capital, and even attract some of the highly motivated, purpose-seeking employees who are eagerly available.
Employees are the most satisfied when there are harmonious relationships in the workplace with peers and management. Communicating with them on a regular basis helps you know whether they are really happy with their jobs or not. Keeping an ear to the ground shows you care and value what they have to say.
In recent times, social injustice has been brought to the forefront, especially in the workplace. Employees want to feel a sense of belonging, and acceptance but also want to be recognized for their skills and achievements. That means being rewarded for the hard work and dedication they offer.
Diversity incorporates all of the elements that make individuals unique from one another – Yes, there are infinite differences in humans, most of us subconsciously define it by social categories, such as gender, race, age, and so forth. While the social implications for valuing diversity and inclusion resonate with workers, the business case is equally strong. As companies position themselves for growth in the wake of the pandemic, they need the very qualities highlighting diversity and inclusive cultures to keep employees satisfied.
“A company’s first focus should always be on their employees, on the people delivering expereince; because those people are the frontline of giving expereince to your customers.” – Lee Sommers
Employee experience perspectives, needs, and drivers vary, as times evolve we recognize requirements surrounding satisfaction take on “new faces”’ too, while it is somewhat heightened at this time due to employees seeing their own value, and noticing opportunities elsewhere given the constantly shifting landscape. As businesses set the course focused on employee experience – will ultimately create meaningful impact now, and well into the foreseeable future.
