Use this dropdown to select your preferred language.
Rethinking the Blue-Collar Employee Experience: Lessons from South Africa’s Leading Employers
Rethinking the Blue-Collar Employee Experience: Lessons from South Africa’s Leading Employers
The world of work is changing at an unprecedented pace. Across industries, HR leaders are rethinking how to engage and support employees in a way that goes beyond pay and job security. Nowhere is this more evident than in the experiences of blue-collar employees – often the backbone of operations, yet historically overlooked in organisational transformation strategies.
At Top Employers Institute, our Blue Collar Employee Experience Report highlights the urgent need to create more meaningful, connected, and future-ready workplaces for frontline employees. To bring these findings to life, we recently sat down with HR leaders from Sanlam and Tsebo Solutions Group in a podcast series that explores practical strategies for building purpose, engagement, and growth opportunities across the workforce.
Blue-collar employees represent a critical portion of the workforce. From frontline service staff to operational teams in manufacturing, logistics, and facilities management, they directly impact customer experience, business resilience, and brand reputation.
Our research shows that:
Only 55% of blue-collar employees feel that their pay reflects their value.
Yet engagement and retention rise dramatically when work feels meaningful and connected.
Employees increasingly look for flexibility, growth opportunities, and recognition, alongside fair compensation.
The implications are clear: organisations that fail to address the unique needs of blue-collar employees risk losing talent, productivity, and competitiveness. Those that get it right, however, can unlock higher engagement, stronger loyalty, and future-ready capabilities.
First episode with Sanlam – Bridging Blue and White Collar Workforces
In our conversation with Ayesha Davids-Bassadien, Organisational Effectiveness Manager at Sanlam, the focus was on creating a unified employee experience across diverse workforce segments.
Key Takeaways from Sanlam:
Connection & Engagement: Sanlam is actively creating structured opportunities for employees at all levels to build meaningful workplace relationships. These initiatives go beyond formal meetings and foster authentic collaboration across blue- and white-collar teams.
Purpose at Work: Employees are motivated not only by pay but also by the sense that their work contributes to something greater. Sanlam ensures that staff at every level understand how their roles impact both the organisation and wider society.
Safety & Communication: Operational resilience depends on clear, consistent communication. Sanlam invests in communication structures that promote both employee wellbeing and business continuity.
Preparing for the Future: As AI and digital transformation reshape industries, Sanlam is investing in skills training and career pathways that equip employees for long-term success.
Ayesha emphasised that flexibility is emerging as a powerful driver of engagement, often rivalling financial incentives. By balancing operational demands with employee needs, Sanlam is building a more resilient and motivated workforce.
Episode 2 with Tsebo Solutions Group – Empowering the Frontline
Our discussion with Elanie Kruger, Group CHRO at Tsebo Solutions Group, highlighted how blue-collar employees can thrive when given purpose, community, and growth opportunities.
Key Takeaways from Tsebo:
Purpose Beyond Pay: While compensation remains important, Tsebo recognises that engagement increases dramatically when employees feel their work is meaningful. Initiatives that highlight impact and contribution play a crucial role.
Community & Belonging: For many blue-collar employees, the workplace is their primary social environment. Tsebo fosters connection through team-building, recognition, and initiatives that build community on the frontline.
Flexibility & Retention: Providing greater control over schedules and work-life balance, while meeting operational needs, has proven to be a critical retention tool.
Future Skills: As frontline roles evolve, Tsebo is redesigning the employee experience to ensure staff remain motivated, skilled, and ready for the future of work.
Elanie also underscored the importance of sharing practical HR lessons. By focusing on connection, purpose, and development, HR leaders can unlock higher engagement and reduce turnover in blue-collar segments.
The Bigger Picture: Building a Better World of Work
Engagement is no longer about pay alone—it’s about connection, flexibility, and growth.
Organisations that empower frontline employees with skills, purpose, and community will be best positioned to thrive in the future of work.
HR leaders must actively design experiences that are inclusive of all employee groups, recognising that blue-collar employees are critical drivers of business performance and resilience.
At Top Employers Institute, we believe that certification, benchmarking, and shared best practices provide organisations with the insights they need to continuously improve the employee experience. Through our global community of certified Top Employers, we see how forward-thinking HR strategies can drive both organisational success and employee fulfilment.
The challenge for HR leaders today is not just to retain talent but to create environments where employees—blue-collar and white-collar alike—feel connected, valued, and prepared for the future. As Sanlam and Tsebo Solutions Group demonstrate, organisations that prioritise purpose, engagement, and development can transform the blue-collar experience into a powerful source of resilience and growth.
👉 Watch the full podcast series on our YouTube channel 👉 Download the full Blue Collar Employee Experience Report here: Rethinking Blue-Collar Employee Experience At Top Employers Institute, our mission is to help organisations grow as recognised employers of choice -because when people thrive at work, businesses thrive too.
Top trends in employee engagement for 2025
Employee engagementstrategies are changing rapidly as organisations navigate shifting workforce expectations, hybrid models, global political changes and purpose-driven cultures. While the employee engagement definition once centred on satisfaction and productivity, today’s organisations recognise that engagement is deeply intertwined with wellbeing, belonging, and growth.
Employee engagement is, according to Gallup, ‘the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in both their work and workplace.’ It is this enthusiasm and involvement in their work that enable highly engaged employees to outperform less engaged employees in businesses that are critical to an organisation’s success. Gallup found that in 2024, 21% of employees across the globe were described as engaged, down from an all-time high of 23% in 2023. That only highlights the continued importance of prioritising and implementing practices and policies that for
In our World of Work Trends 2025 report, we found that transforming the employee experience is crucial for blue-collar workers in a way that had previously been underestimated, highlighting that employee experience is more important than ever.
In this article, we explore the topemployee engagement trends shaping the future of work and how leading companies are utilising more holistic employee engagement models to drive performance and maintain employee retention.
What is employee engagement
Understanding the definition of employee engagement is essential before exploring the trends that impact this critical metric. Employee engagement is when employees feel a strong, emotional connection to their work and the company. It is more than just being happy or content in their work; employee engagement relates more to how deeply an employee feels invested in contributing to an organisation’s overall business success. It is with this deeper connection that we see an employee’s emotional commitment, cognitive focus and behavioural dedication to their workplace.
Purpose and meaning are at the core of it all
The desire to work for an organisation with a clear commitment to creating a ‘positive impact’ on the world is not new. In our 2023 World of Work Trends report, we found that employees are no longer driven solely by financial rewards, but rather by a sense of purpose. Harvard Business Corporate Learning also found that 52% of job seekers would not accept a job offer if they did not agree with a company’s values or purpose.
High employee engagement is increasingly linked to a strong sense of purpose, and organisations have taken this information to help them rebuild how they communicate their values to potential and current employees. Employees who believe their role makes a positive impact are significantly more likely to be committed and motivated. Organisations are embedding purpose into everyday work through values-driven leadership, transparent communication, and societal impact initiatives.
Aligning purpose with performance is a key differentiator in today’s employee experience and engagement strategies.
Flexibility is no longer negotiable
The last five years of work have been marked by disruption, with many organisations rethinking how they allow their people to structure their time. The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of flexibility that employees readily adopted, as evidenced by their increased employee engagement scores. When employees have more flexibility in their schedules, they tend to be more engaged.
Employees who feel they have control over when and how they work report higher employee engagement, improved wellbeing, and stronger performance. Yet, poor employee engagement often correlates with rigid scheduling and a lack of autonomy. In response, many companies are reimagining roles, workflows, and expectations to increase adaptability.
While flexibility may have seemed like a pandemic-era trend, its impact on employee wellbeing proves that it is untrue. It is no longer a perk but a necessity. Flexibility is not just about remote work; it’s about trust, choice, and designing roles around people, not just processes.
Wellbeing as a strategic pillar
The impact of wellbeing extends beyond how people feel, encompassing the number of sick days a person takes, their performance at work, burnout, and the likelihood of leaving the organisation. Wellbeing is interlinked with employee engagement in a way that should not be underestimated.
When comparing employees who are engaged but not thriving with those who are engaged and thriving, Gallup found that those who aren’t thriving report the following risks:
61% had a higher likelihood of burnout often or always;
48% higher probability of daily stress;
66% higher likelihood of daily worry;
Double the rate of daily sadness and anger.
Research like this shows that burnout, stress, and mental health challenges continue to be critical issues affecting employee engagement. Companies that integrate wellbeing into their culture, not as a separate initiative but as a strategic driver, are seeing measurable improvements in retention and performance.
Organisations that aim to enhance their employee wellbeing efforts will adopt a holistic approach by examining career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing. This can be achieved through the offering of mental health resources, financial health resources, and more.
Wellbeing is being redefined as a business-critical investment, and organisations that are working towards improving their offerings are looking at it holistically, from psychological safety and manageable workloads to access to mental health resources.
Skills development and career progression
Career stagnation is a leading cause of poor employee engagement. A 2022 study found that 74% of employees feel they aren’t reaching their full potential at work due to a lack of available development opportunities, indicating that organisations that do not invest in skills development for their people may be losing out.
In contrast, companies that foster continuous learning, transparent growth paths, and internal mobility report stronger loyalty and discretionary effort, leading to enhanced employee engagement scores.
Organisations that want to integrate skills development into their workplace can consider microlearning platforms, coaching cultures, and cross-functional development experiences, as these have been shown to help employees see a future within the business, rather than outside it, thereby improving their employee engagement.
Final thoughts
Employee engagement trends are in constant evolution, and for forward-thinking organisations, this evolution occurs alongside the workforce. Successful organisations are investing in people-first, data-driven and purpose-led strategies rather than relying on outdated practices and policies. These companies are focusing on what matters most – their people, and this drives them to constantly improve their policies to build a work culture that is successful and sustainable.
How neuroinclusion drives a thriving team environment
Neurodiversity is gaining increasing attention in workplace discussions. A non-medical umbrella term that includes the conditions autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD, neurodivergence is evident in around 10-20% of the population.
As the workforce becomes more diverse, many employees will be working alongside a neurodivergent colleague in the coming years. And so, in this age of the collective workforce – the central theme of our newly launched World of Work Trends 2025 report – the ability to design workplaces that are intentionally neuroinclusive has become essential.
Our latest research paper, Neuroinclusive by Design, builds on this theme and explores how leading HR teams are embracing a systems-thinking approach to inclusion, building team environments that are collaborative, adaptive, and resilient by design.
The research offers a blueprint for organisations ready to move beyond isolated DEI efforts toward truly integrated talent strategies that ultimately tap into collective strength through individual empowerment.
Organisations could and should therefore be seeking a positive step change in productivity through their recruitment and retention strategies for neuroinclusion. Even so, many struggle with where to begin. So, to understand what makes neurodiverse teams excel, Top Employers Institute conducted in-depth interviews with neurodivergent employees and organisations, to offer guidance on how HR professionals can take immediate actions for the benefit of both.
Our resulting neurodiversity research paper, Neuroinclusive by design, explores the steps organisations can take to build truly inclusive workplaces.
Here are three actions that HR can take immediately to create a culture of neuroinclusion by design in their organisation:
1. Harness individual talents for collective success. Many neurodivergent individuals value opportunities to explore different roles, projects and responsibilities. By building teams where individual strengths are recognised and supported by colleagues with different skill sets, HR can ensure that everyone can contribute meaningfully to the team’s success.
2. Define and commit to consistent ways of working. This practice involves HR establishing explicit behaviours and rules, creating clarity and allowing all employees – neurodivergent and neurotypical alike – to contribute effectively.
3. Embrace empathy and nurture interpersonal trust. HR needs to create a culture where empathy is prioritised, and assumptions are avoided. When colleagues approach interactions with neurodivergent employees with patience and willingness to understand their perspective, they foster a more inclusive and supportive environment.
From accommodation to acceleration
HR leaders can apply these three practices to better support neurodivergent employees and unlock their full potential as a strength within their organisation. If they can, they will cultivate workplaces that embrace diverse ways of thinking, communicating, and working. This in turn encourages ongoing reflection on how work gets done — and whether there might be better ways.
What we can learn from high-performing neurodiverse teams
Neurodiversity research tells us that teams that leverage individual strengths, co-create clarity in how they work, and prioritise empathy form a strong blueprint for building more inclusive, high-performing teams across the organisation. They lead to more adaptable, resilient, innovative – and yes, more productive – organisations.
By championingneurodiversity best practices research within teams, companies are not just creating better workplaces, they are shaping the future of work itself and creating a thriving environment for all.
Neuroinclusion in practice: From awareness to action
Our recent webinar, Neuroinclusion in the workplace: From awareness to action, showed HR leaders how to take a giant leap forward from understanding the importance of neuroinclusivity to embedding it across leadership and teams at every level of an organisation.
Sarah Andresen, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Top Employers Institute discussed best practice neuroinclusivity with Eline Jammaers, Assistant Professor at Hasselt University and Tristan Lavender, Founder & Chair of Philips Neurodiversity Network.
The case is made, so let’s move to action.
HR leaders should already know that neuroinclusion helps organisations widen their talent pool, unlock latent potential and create stronger, more connected teams. There is no shortage of research showing that inclusive organisations have a better chance of meeting the expectations of socially-conscious consumers, while employees working there are more likely to feel engaged – and stick around.
Top Employers Institute’s new paper Neuroinclusive by design: Creative and thriving team environment for allechoes these findings and goes much further. It identifies three features of thriving, inclusive teams: harnessing individual talents, co-creating clarity and embracing empathy to drive better business performance.
Below are just some of the practices that the webinar looked at to show best practice inclusivity in action.
1. Start with leadership: Role models set the tone.
Senior leaders play a pivotal role in introducing neuroinclusive practices. When leaders are open about their own neurodivergence, it sends a powerful and positive message. It normalises differences and encourages psychological safety, especially among younger employees and others unsure about disclosing their neurodivergence.
Line managers are also vital role models. Their ability to sit and to listen, respond with flexibility and ask the normal day-to-day questions, such as ‘What support would help you do your best work?’ can be transformative.
One enduring myth that the webinar also explored is when neurodiversity is billed as bringing ‘superpowers’ to the workplace. While neurodivergent employees do bring unique strengths, these must be wholeheartedly supported. The true value of neurodivergence is only unlocked with the active encouragement of leaders and managers; a passive acceptance that we are all different is simply not enough.
2. Continue with teams: Embed psychological safety as an everyday instinct.
To move inclusion beyond good intentions means teams must also play their full part. Psychological safety needs to be a daily given, built through small, consistent behaviours. Both leaders and their teams should, for example, ask new hires about communication preferences, environmental needs or work styles as an instinct, without the need for a formal diagnosis. Simple common-sense actions like these have a wider purpose – they reduce barriers and improve collaboration among not only neurodivergent employees but everyone.
Inclusion happens in these ‘micro-moments’ of work: how to run meetings, give feedback, and handle discussions. Leaders and teams need to model empathy and openness, not just in policy but in day-to-day behaviour, until it becomes deeply embedded.
This needs to be visible externally, to attract future talent. Personal stories of neuroinclusion attract the job candidates of the future, as well strengthening internal alignment.
3. Reinforce through ERGs and metrics: A key role for HR.
Our Neuroinclusive by Design research describes a necessary mindset shift from ‘accommodation’ to ‘intentional inclusion’, building flexibility, clarity and empathy proactively into team culture from the outset. And HR has a key role to play in driving this forward in several ways.
For example, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a powerful tool for accelerating inclusion. They provide safe spaces for connection, education and advocacy. For them to flourish, HR leaders must support them in a similarly active way, with funding, time and clear links to organisational strategy.
The webinar showed how companies like Philips have introduced formal neuroinclusion policies at a national level to make sure that ERG insights translate into organisation-wide support. And this is the kind of structural reinforcement that Top Employers’ new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion, has been designed to support. It provides the necessary tools, insights and expert guidance for embedding inclusion across the employee lifecycle.
Measuring neuroinclusivity also remains a challenge for many employers. One practical way for HR to play a role is to embed questions within existing wellbeing or engagement surveys, to align with key desired outcomes like job satisfaction or a sense of belonging. This requires trust, with participants needing to believe that their responses will not only be anonymous but used constructively. ERGs can play a unique role here too, for example through running pulse surveys or providing qualitative insights from neurodivergent communities.
Final word…
Neuroinclusion by design in 2025 is no longer only for the neurodivergent. It is a journey from awareness to action for all, a framework for designing better work for everyone, at every level of an organisation.
To explore how to start or scale your neuroinclusive practices, download our research paper or for tailored business recommendations and benchmarking solutions, find out more about our new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion.
Neuroinclusion by design: Progressive HR strategies to drive team success
Organisations today face growing pressure to create environments that embrace all forms of human diversity – including the need to accommodate diverse ways of thinking. In a recent LinkedIn Live webinar, Dr Emily Cook, Senior Researcher and Paola Bottaro, People Director, both from Top Employers Institute, explored the insights behind our new paper, Neuroinclusive by Design: Creating a Thriving Team Environment for All.
The session offered a compelling blueprint for HR leaders seeking to embed neuroinclusion into the way work gets done – not just as a reactive set of accommodations, but as a proactive principle of workplace design.
Drawing on in-depth interviews with neurodivergent professionals and the experiences of certified Top Employers such as Tata Consultancy Services and Bentley, the research identifies three essential traits of high-performing neurodiverse teams: harnessing individual talents, co-creating clarity, and embracing empathy.
The concept of intentional neuroinclusion is gaining traction, shifting focus from making adjustments for individuals to proactively structuring work environments to both expect and support a wide range of cognitive and behavioural styles. This not only benefits neurodivergent employees, but also enhances the working experience for all.
Rather than responding to challenges as they arise, this proactive approach integrates flexibility, clarity and empathy from the outset. This in turn enables a more inclusive and productive culture that supports differing ways of thinking, communicating and working.
Unlock collective success by harnessing individual talents
Many neurodivergent employees bring distinctive strengths, such as pattern recognition, that employers are in danger of overlooking when using traditional role definitions and job descriptions.
Our research encourages HR teams to look out for new skills. Techniques like skills profiling, using internal marketplaces for talent and more intentional performance conversations can help uncover and leverage these often-hidden strengths.
Neurodivergent professionals also frequently contribute beyond their formal roles, engaging in innovation projects and employee resource groups (ERGs). Supporting and celebrating this kind of engagement is one way that organisations can help fully unlock individual potential and elevate team performance.
Define and commit to consistent ways of working
The research found that inconsistent or mismatched expectations around how work gets done – whether in meetings, communication styles or collaborative processes – can become significant barriers for neurodivergent individuals.
Flexible and inclusive ways of working can be achieved by co-creating team norms, rather than imposing top-down rules. For example, teams might need to agree on meeting cadences, notification boundaries, or which tasks are best tackled together versus independently.
This shared clarity creates an environment where all team members, regardless of their cognitive profile, understand what’s expected and feel able to contribute effectively.
Embrace empathy to build trust
Our research showed that trust and psychological safety emerged as foundational to neuroinclusive teams. Neurodivergent employees often feel pressure to conform to behavioural expectations, such as direct eye contact or small talk, that may not align with how they naturally interact. This “masking” can take a toll on mental health over time.
Empathy, in this context, involves understanding and accepting diverse forms of communication and engagement. Employers can reinforce this through formal systems like manager training and inclusive policies, and through everyday signals – such as how to deliver feedback or how to understand alternative working styles.
Regular check-ins that focus on employee experience, not just outputs, can play a vital role in normalising support-seeking and creating space for authenticity.
Adapt neuroinclusion for differing cultures and contexts
In response to a question from the webinar audience, it was acknowledged that while in this instance our research interviews did not cover all geographic regions, the broader research we do at Top Employers Institute draws on data and insights from organisations across multiple continents. The principles highlighted in the paper – flexibility, clarity, and empathy – are designed to be adaptable to local context and nuance.
Neuroinclusion strategies should never follow a “one-size-fits-all” model. Different regions, industries, and cultures bring varying approaches, vocabularies and challenges to the topic. The key lies in building environments that are fundamentally inclusive by design, yet flexible enough to reflect local norms and realities.
A strategic blueprint for a better world of work
The overarching takeaway from our webinar was that neuroinclusion should not be seen as an adjustment to existing systems, but rather as a framework for the design of modern work. Through intentional design, organisations can build environments that both expect and celebrate diversity.
Along with this research paper, we’ve introduced a new platform, HREdge | NeuroInclusion, as a practical support tool for organisations at any stage of their neuroinclusion journey, providing access to tailored insights, expert guidance and a global network of HR leaders. And as the research makes clear, organisations that commit to neuroinclusion are not just improving workplace culture – they are positioning themselves for greater adaptability, innovation and long-term success.
Culture as a competitive advantage: Leveraging the power of an employee-centric culture for organisational success
Organisational culture is more important than ever and the case for prioritising an employee-centric culture has never been stronger. The market for talent has never been as competitive, and it is changing with an ever-changing business landscape. Culture is now continuing to be a critical driver of sustainable business success, especially when it is employee-centric. Culture can be understood to be the collective heartbeat of the organisation. It shapes how employees engage with their work, make decisions, solve problems and view their workplace.
What is an employee-centric culture
An organisation with an employee-centric culture is one that not only welcomes but encourages open communication, encourages feedback and provides psychological safety to all employees. It is a culture that recognises and accepts that people are people and that these employees are multifaceted individuals with lives beyond the office.
According to Forbes, one of the most important aspects of creating a people-first workplace starts with creating a strong employee experience that can act as a firm foundation to support a sustainable culture. It is a culture that enables people to work in the best way that suits their needs and preferences, rather than requiring them to adhere to standard hours or procedures.
An employee-centric culture reenvisions the way that companies look to achieve success. An organisation will not succeed if it does not prioritise the needs of its people and an employee-centric culture recognises this and actively utilises its people to succeed.
Why organisational culture matters
A strong organisational culture acts as the operating system for every function within a company. Culture sets the tone. It influences everything from how meetings are run to how customers are treated. Companies that intentionally cultivate a positive culture see measurable benefits, from employee engagement to bottom-line results. The impact of culture should not be underestimated.
The link between employee-centric culture and employee engagement
Employee engagement refers to the emotional commitment an employee has toward their organisation and its goals. It encompasses both employee satisfaction, how content employees are in their roles and a deeper understanding of your employee’s sense of purpose, motivation, and connection at work.
An employee-centric culture drives engagement by making people feel valued, heard, and supported. When employees perceive that their thoughts and opinions matter while their wellbeing is prioritised, they are more likely to demonstrate discretionary effort, stay longer with the company, and act as ambassadors for the brand. In effect, that means that organisations can put more effort into upskilling and supporting employees.
There is a well-documented correlation between employee-centric practices and increased job satisfaction, engagement, andretention. Organisations with high levels of engagement consistently outperform their peers in productivity, profitability, and innovation.
Organisations should leverage tools like employee engagement surveysand pulse surveys to track and continuously improve engagement. These provide real-time insights into employee sentiment, highlight areas for improvement, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to listening and responding. It should be noted that just doing these surveys is not enough. HR teams need to take meaningful steps to engage with the feedback and make changes that reflect the needs of their employees. That requires an action plan that, as explained by insync, is not the focus of this article but will improve an organisation’s performance.
5 key components of an employee-centric culture
Organisations wanting to implement an employee-centric culture need to consider five key components, including:
1. Communication & feedback
Open, transparent, and two-way communication is the bedrock of trust. This includes formal mechanisms—such as structured feedback cycles—and informal touchpoints like check-ins or listening sessions. Leaders must actively listen, model openness, and useemployee feedback examples to close the loop and take meaningful action.
2. Recognition & rewards
Recognising and rewarding employee contributions fosters a culture of appreciation. This extends beyond financial incentives to include verbal recognition, peer-to-peer programs, and team celebrations. A consistent focus on recognition of employees boosts morale, builds loyalty, and reinforces desired behaviours.
3. Growth & development
A growth culture empowers employees to expand their skills, explore new roles, and envision a long-term future with the organisation. This includes offering learning programs, mentorship, and clear pathways for career progression. Investment in development signals to employees that their success is a shared priority.
4. Wellbeing & work-life balance
Support for physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing is no longer optional. It’s a necessity for organisations wanting success in the current competitive landscape. From wellness programs and mental health resources to flexible work arrangements and respecting personal time, prioritising wellbeing results in healthier, more engaged teams.
5. Inclusivity & belonging
A culture of inclusion ensures that every employee feels valued, respected, and safe to bring their full selves to work. This requires proactive efforts to address bias, build diverse teams, and foster a sense of community where all voices are represented and heard.
In 2023, Paola Bottaro, People Director at Top Employers Institute, discussed how we’ve been able to attract, engage and retain top talent by having an employee-centric culture. You can watch that webinar session to get more real-world examples of how these components come together to create this kind of culture.
5 benefits of an employee-centric approach
Adopting an employee-centric approach delivers measurable organisational benefits:
Improved morale and retention: engaged employees are more loyal, reducing turnover and its associated costs.
Increased productivity and performance: employees who feel supported and motivated are more likely to perform at their best.
Enhanced employer brand and talent attraction: a reputation for valuing employees attracts top-tier talent in a competitive labour market.
Greater innovation and adaptability: empowered employees are more likely to contribute new ideas and adapt to change.
Better customer experience: satisfied employees create a ripple effect that leads to more positive and consistent customer interactions.
Final thoughts
Creating an employee-centric culture is not just an internal project; it’s a strategic imperative whose impact goes beyond the office. It affects the overall organisation’s performance. It aligns people’s practices with business goals and drives long-term performance to position a company as an employer of choice. Investment in a culture that allows employees to feel connected and empowered allows organisations to create a sustainable company that attracts, engages and retains top talent.
In our annual World of Work Trends 2025 report, we explore more of the tactics and practices that HR teams can utilise to navigate the rapid changes in the workforce and remain resilient in the face of the wider world of unpredictability. It outlines how organisations can engage their employees. Download it for free now!
The globally recognised Top Employers Certification Programme, along with our data-led insights, enables over 2,400 organisations across the world to advance their talent attraction, development, engagement and retention strategies. Are you ready to become an employer of choice? Start your Top Employers journey.
HR analytics and the employee experience: what it is, how to implement it and best practices to help your organisation excel
One of an organisation’s primary responsibilities to its employees is to ensure that they have a positive experience while working. This is often referred to as employee experience, and it is becoming an increasingly important factor in the success of businesses today.
Beyond the trends, prioritising employee experience is also important to improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance satisfaction. However, with so many factors contributing to employee experience, knowing where to focus your efforts can be challenging. This is where HR analytics can be helpful. In this article, we will explore how HR analytics can be used to prioritise employee experience and improve overall organisational performance.
What are HR analytics?
HR analytics is the practice of using data to inform HR decision-making. It involves gathering, analysing, and interpreting data related to HR metrics, such as employee engagement, turnover rates, and compensation, to help organisations make more informed decisions. Organisations can use HR analytics to identify trends and patterns and make data-driven decisions that can significantly impact employee experience.
What is the employee experience?
Employee experience is the sum of an employee’s interactions and perceptions of their workplace. It includes everything from the work environment to company culture, management style, benefits and compensation, and overall job satisfaction. Employees with a positive experience are likelier to be engaged, productive, and committed to their jobs.
It is effectively the sum of all the touchpoints a potential employee has with their employer, from when they are candidates to when they become part of an organisational alumni upon departure.
What is the link between HR analytics and the employee experience?
HR analytics is pivotal in enhancing the employee experience by offering data-driven employee insights into every lifecycle stage. The employee experience encompasses all employee interactions with an organisation, from recruitment and onboarding to development, performance management, and retention.
The benefits of implementing HR analytics
HR analytics empowers businesses to make informed decisions, optimise operations, and enhance employee experiences. Below are some key benefits of implementing HR analytics in your organisation:
Provides objective data: HR analytics can provide objective data that can help HR leaders identify areas of the organisation where employee experience may be lacking. For example, if data shows high employee turnover rates in a particular department, HR leaders can investigate the cause and take action to improve the situation.
Improved data-driven decision-making: HR analytics allows you to move from intuition-based decisions to evidence-based strategies. By analysing patterns in employee performance, engagement, and turnover, you can make more accurate decisions regarding hiring, promotions, and team management.
Improved talent acquisition: analytics can identify the most effective recruitment channels and strategies, helping you target suitable candidates faster. To optimise your recruitment process, you can assess candidate quality, time-to-hire, and cost-per-hire factors.
Employee retention and engagement: by analysing trends in employee satisfaction surveys, turnover rates, and performance data, you can identify at-risk employees and take proactive steps to boost engagement and reduce turnover, saving costs associated with rehiring and retraining.
Enhanced workforce planning: HR analytics helps you predict future talent needs based on business goals and trends. You can anticipate skill shortages and succession plans and align workforce capabilities with long-term business strategies.
Optimised learning and development programmes: with analytics, you can evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and identify skills gaps across your workforce. This enables the design of tailored learning programs that align with individual and organisational goals.
Cost reduction: HR analytics helps track and optimise labour costs, identify inefficiencies, and allocate resources effectively. This includes better management of overtime, absenteeism, and benefits costs.
Better performance management: implementing HR analytics can give you deeper insights into employee performance metrics and feedback. This can lead to more transparent performance appraisals, helping to motivate employees and improve productivity.
Informed compensation and benefits decisions: analytics provides insights into compensation trends within your industry and workforce, allowing for more equitable and competitive pay structures. It also helps optimise benefits offerings based on employee preferences and organisational goals.
Key HR analytics metrics you can use (with examples)
Your organisation can measure several HR analytics to understand your company better, but the right ones will depend on the needs and goals you want to accomplish. Here is a short overview of some of the most critical metrics to use for starting your HR analytics journey:
Voluntary and involuntary turnover rates: this metric gives insight into the percentage of employees who leave the organisation. The voluntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who decide to leave the company, while the involuntary rate calculates the percentage of employees who get let go.
Absence rate: the absence rate measures the total number of days an employee is absent from work; it does not include holiday periods. The absence is calculated by dividing the number of days worked by the total number of days the employee could have worked over a specific time.
Retention rate: the retention rate offers insight into how well your organisation keeps its employees working. It is calculated by dividing the total number of employees who decided to stay employed over a given period by the total number of employees over that same period.
Revenue per employee: this metric measures how much money the business brings in for every employee it has on staff and pays expenses, such as salary and benefits. It is calculated by dividing an organisation’s revenue by the total number of employees in the company
HR analytics best practices
When implementing a strategy that includes HR analytics, not one strategy suits every organisation. It will take time to find the right tools and metrics to support your overall goals and the needs of your people, but here are some best practices that can help guide you in the right direction:
Promote a Data-Driven Culture
For HR analytics to be effective, everyone in the organisation must embrace data-driven decision-making. Resistance to change can be a significant barrier. You can do this by educating and training your people and leadership on the value of analytics. Ensure they understand how data can enhance their decision-making processes. Encourage the use of data in meetings and performance discussions to reinforce its importance.
Start Small and Scale Gradually
HR analytics can seem overwhelming if you attempt to measure everything from the start. Starting with a focused pilot project allows testing, refinement, and quick wins. You can start with a small, manageable area (e.g., recruitment data, employee turnover) and focus on generating insights there first. As your people gain confidence and expertise, expand the scope of your analytics efforts.
Invest in the Right Tools and Technology
The success of an HR analytics strategy depends on the tools used to collect, analyse, and visualise data. Without the right technology, extracting insights can be labour-intensive and inaccurate. Evaluate analytics platforms that fit your organisation’s needs. Integrate with existing HR systems and provide robust reporting and visualisation features.
Build a Cross-Functional Team
HR analytics requires collaboration between HR professionals, data scientists, and IT specialists. A diverse team ensures that technical, analytical, and business perspectives are considered. You can succeed in your organisation by forming a cross-functional team where HR experts define the business questions, data scientists manage the analytics models, and IT ensures smooth data infrastructure and system integration.
Monitor and Adjust Regularly
HR analytics is not a “set it and forget it” strategy. As the business evolves, so too should your business’s analytics approach. To continuously monitor the effectiveness of your analytics projects you must collect feedback from stakeholders, measure the impact of initiatives, and adjust your analytics models, data sources, and strategies accordingly.
The bottom line of using HR analytics to improve the employee experience
Prioritising employee experience is critical for any business’s success. By focusing on employees’ needs and using HR analytics to address their concerns, organisations can help create a positive workplace culture, improve productivity, reduce turnover, and enhance customer satisfaction.
While HR analytics can be a powerful tool for businesses to prioritise employee experience and improve overall organisational performance, it is also not the be-all and end-all of how organisations should approach the needs of their employees. Data can be used to identify areas where employee experience may be lacking and to make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts. There is still a human aspect to understanding employees through traditional methods like listening and reaching out to them to understand strategies to improve their organisation.
As an HR leader, incorporating HR analytics into your decision-making process can help you stay ahead and ensure your organisation remains competitive in the marketplace.
Another way to gain insights that help you stay ahead of the competition can be found in employees who are leaving the business. This can be done by conducting stay interviews. Learn more about this from one of our Top Employers now.
Best Practice | Accenture Accentuates the Employee Experience
The programme “Change @ Work, Poland edition” started in 2019 as the first One Accenture initiative to promote a sense of belonging within the organisation. The programme aims to improve employee satisfaction by helping them feel more valued and connected to the organisation.
Using a dedicated AI tool, Accenture Poland engaged approximately 250 employees in real time to shape their culture of belonging. Based on extensive research, they have determined four main areas that most influence employees’ sense of belonging. Under this programme, Accenture Poland is running 15 amazing projects to shape a better world for more than 9 000 employees.
This is just a snapshot of Accenture’s innovative best practice. You can find the entire practice in our HR Best Practices database, which is exclusively available to Top Employers. Get inspiration and insight into the approach, challenges and learnings experienced by certified Top Employers. Access it now via the Top Employers Programme if you are certified or learn more about it here!
Why the practice was needed
During difficult and unpredictable times, Accenture Poland believes that leaders must act alongside younger colleagues to co-create the best solutions. Involving employees at all levels of an organisation can also help them feel engaged with the organisation in a meaningful way and could, therefore, help retain talent.
How the practice was implemented
Accenture’s Change @ Work, Poland edition consisted of three main steps:
Accenture Poland conducted research using individual in-depth interviews with approximately 50 employees to understand the main factors that determine a feeling of belonging within Accenture.
The analysed dataset included:
The anonymised personal data of respondents was obtained from internal human resource management systems.
Qualitative data – statements of respondents obtained based on the interview discussion guide.
Quantitative data – responses to questions asked using a five-point Likert scale.
Based on the research, the organisation designed four main activities that were most important for employees in terms of belonging.
Using an AI tool, Remesh, Accenture Poland involved approximately 250 employees in shaping final solutions that best met employees’ expectations.
The co-creation method was used, and the initiative was run by employees for employees as a way to understand and focus on their real needs.
Results of the practice
More than 300 employees gave feedback to shape the final solutions.
15 initiatives are being implemented to increase employee satisfaction.
Accenture Poland is moving from talent consumption toward talent creation, with Gen Z pushing for this change.
3 Employee Insights Your Organisation Needs to Succeed
Despite their industry and offerings, organisations rely on their people more than anything else. That is why it is important for organisations to understand their employees as much as they understand their clients .
In this blog post we are exploring everything from what employee insights are to the three employee insights organisations need to prioritise.
What are employee insights?
Employee insights are valuable information and understanding from analysing people’s behaviour, attitude, and organisational feedback. They form the foundation upon which people strategies are built. As can serve as a starting point for information and a way for teams to monitor the success of their strategies.
Employee insights encompass aspects such as employee motivations, job satisfaction, work-life balance, professional development needs, and perceptions of the workplace culture. By systematically gathering and interpreting data through surveys, performance reviews, feedback sessions, and other tools, HR teams can use this data to comprehensively understand what drives their people.
How employee insights benefit and support organisations
Employee insights have a number of benefits for organisations, especially when it comes to learning what drives employee satisfaction. Some of those benefits include:
Enhanced employee engagement: when employees feel positive engagement it is reflected in the quality of their work as it becomes more than just a job for them. They show a level of dedication that means they are more likely to take pride in their work and that means that organisations can rely on them to go the extra mile for business success.
Improved retention of employees:recruiting and training new people is expensive and time-consuming and expensive. By retaining existing employees, organisations can save on recruitment costs, training programs, and the loss of productivity associated with new hires.
An improved work culture and environment to support employees:a positive work culture and supportive environment are essential for fostering employee well-being and productivity. When employees fee valued, respected and supported at work they are more likely to feel satisfied at work, and satisfied people are more likely to stay with the organisation and perform at their best.
Enable organisations to make more informed decisions:organisations that can make data-driven decision-making will find that it is crucial for strategic planning and operational efficiency. This alignment leads to better outcomes and a more motivated workforce.
Reduced costs: high turnover of employees can lead to hidden costs such as lost productivity, lower employee morale, and decreased customer satisfaction. By improving retention, organisations avoid these costs.
3 employee insights your organisation needs to know
Now that it is clearer about the benefits of identifying employee insights, we are going to go deeper into the ones your organisation needs to identify:
How are the employee motivations within your organisation:Knowing what motivates your employees is key to fostering a productive and engaged workforce. While compensation is important, intrinsic motivators such as recognition, meaningful work, career growth opportunities, and a positive workplace culture often significantly impact long-term engagement. HR teams that can identify what motivates their people will be better able to align these needs with organisational goals, creating a work environment that supports the organisation while ensuring that employees are supported.
How employees feel about their sense of belonging within the organisation:A sense of belonging is essential for a positive employee experience. Employees who feel included and part of the organisation are more likely to be engaged and committed. Organisations that have data and insights on these feelings will be able to make decisions to better engage their people and support them so that they are more engaged at work.
How employees feel about their personal and professional growth opportunities at work:People want to feel that their careers are progressing and that their company supports their growth. Organisations also want to invest in the people they have rather than continually looking for new employees to fill their gaps. That is why investing in professional development through training programs, workshops, and continuous learning opportunities benefits employees and the organisation. HR teams prioritising getting data and insights into this area of their employees’ lives will feel more equipped to support their people while also boosting their loyalty and commitment to the organisation.
5 ways to gain employee insights
Employee insights can be gained through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods designed to gather comprehensive data on employees’ overall experiences, attitudes, and behaviours. Some of the methods that organisations can use to gain these insights include:
Regular surveys and questionnaires:frequent use of surveys and questionnaire, can be an effective way for organisations to get a general picture of how employees are feeling at work. These can be annual engagement surveys, pulse surveys, or targeted questionnaires focusing on specific areas such as job satisfaction, work-life balance, and career development. These tools can also be effectively implemented using digital tools that will allow data to be analysed and trends to be easily identified.
Regular one-on-one meetings and check-ins:regular perfomarmance reviews, like stay inteviews, provide valuable insights into employee performance, strengths, and areas for development. These discussions also offer an opportunity for employees to share their career aspirations, challenges, and feedback on their roles and the organisation. When using this method to gain employee insights, attention must be paid to creating a psychologically safe environment for employees to share their feelings.
Exit interviews:Exit interviews with departing employees can reveal critical insights into why employees leave and what could have been done to retain them. This feedback helps identify systemic issues, areas for improvement, and opportunities to enhance the employee experience for current and future staff.
Anonymous feedback channels:Providing anonymous ways to give feedback, like suggestion boxes or confidential online platforms, encourages employees to share honest opinions without fear of retaliation. This can surface issues that employees might be reluctant to discuss openly.
HR Analytics: HR departments can leverage data analytics to track and analyse various metrics such as turnover rates, absenteeism, performance metrics, and employee engagement scores. Advanced analytics tools can uncover patterns and trends, providing actionable insights for strategic decision-making.
Organisations that use a combination of these methods can gain a holistic understanding of their employees’ experiences, needs, and concerns. This can enable them to have a comprehensive approach to gathering employee insights.
Employee insights: final thoughts on their value
Employee insights are essential for building a resilient and high-performing organisation in a competitive business landscape. It is critical that HR teams prioritise understanding and leveraging these insights to drive organisational success.
The Top Employers Certification Programme recognises excellent people practices to help organisations grow as an employer of choice. These excellent people practices are often improved by identifying important employee insights to know where to make impactful changes.
Learn more about joining the Programme and how it can help you make data-driven decisions: get in touch today, become employer of choice!
HR Practices to Elevate Your Workforce: Insights from Asia-Pacific’s Top Employers 2024
This year, we’ve certified 369 organisations in Asia-Pacific as Top Employers, and we have curated a selection of best practices from these esteemed organisations to inspire you. In this comprehensive resource, you’ll find insights and exemplary practices that have not only raised the global standard of HR excellence but also set the benchmark for others to follow.
Download the ebook now to uncover invaluable insights. Here are some highlights you’ll find inside:
Learning and Development – Discover how AstraZeneca fosters a culture of lifelong learning to support its 2030 Bold Ambition. Learn how their 3Es Learning Framework (Experience, Exposure, and Education) empowers employees to embrace a ‘learning mindset,’ focusing on real-time application and long-term development through coaching and feedforward. Explore how initiatives like Degreed, P100, LEAP 50, and the Accelerate program enhance skills, broaden perspectives, and accelerate leadership development. Discover how AstraZeneca’s commitment to everyday development experiences drives innovation and delivers life-changing medicines to patients, reflected in high engagement scores and strong business performance.
Onboarding – Discover how NN Life Insurance Japan has transformed its onboarding process by integrating digital tools with personal communication. Learn how new hires benefit from instant access to essential information and e-learning resources, coupled with personal interactions such as welcome sessions with senior management. Explore how these efforts enhance talent retention and engagement by fostering strong connections within the organization.
Performance – Discover how Lyreco Thailand’s Performance Development Review (PDR) promotes ongoing learning and development. Learn how this holistic procedure integrates self-assessments, open communication, constructive feedback, and personalized development plans to align individual goals with company objectives. Explore how Lyreco’s PDR process, implemented through the Workday platform, has enhanced employee growth, reduced turnover, and increased engagement and satisfaction.
Sustainability – Discover how CHEP Australia fosters a culture of sustainability throughout the employee lifecycle. Learn how their sustainable practices are embedded from recruitment to onboarding and beyond, promoting a nature-positive economy through their pooling model. Explore initiatives like their annual Sustainability Week and Helping Hands program, which support employee engagement and community involvement, contributing to their ambitious sustainability goals.
Leadership – Discover how Servier Philippines anchors its leadership on the company value of CARE, fostering a highly inclusive and psychologically safe working environment. Learn how their transformation journey prioritizes acting on feedback, with initiatives like “You spoke, we listened” promoting open communication and continuous improvement. Explore how their psych safety training programs and workshops have built trust and collaboration, leading to high engagement and recognition as a Top Employer.
Talent Acquisition – Discover how GSK Indonesia’s Talent Pipeline strategy shifts from reactive to proactive recruiting, building relationships with passive external talent for future opportunities. Learn how this approach has streamlined the hiring process, reduced costs, and improved the quality of hires. Explore the steps of identifying, assessing, and engaging potential candidates, ensuring a ready pool of talent for critical roles.
Career Development – Discover how DLMI Malaysia supports employee career development through initiatives like Personal Development Plans, continuous dialogue, and career coaching programs. Learn how their internal digital career marketplace facilitates mobility and advancement, enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. Explore how their annual Talent Reviews and Succession Planning process ensure the development of talents for critical leadership roles.
Offboarding – Discover how GEP India’s Alumni Network on LinkedIn keeps ex-employees connected to the organization. Learn how this professional network facilitates brand advocacy, rehiring of boomerang employees, and networking opportunities. Explore how GEP maintains relationships with former employees through engaging content and periodic alumni events.
Artificial Intelligence at Work: How to Enhance the Employee Experience
Increase employee engagement and boost morale by implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.
Engaged employees are essential to an organisation’s success. Employee engagement is the emotional investment employees make in their role and organisation. This personal investment is reflected in how employees execute their responsibilities and contribute to company culture. Unsurprisingly, organisations with high engagement outperform those with lower engagement levels.
Organisations have traditionally struggled with defining and quantifying engagement. Despite sincere efforts and investments of time, effort, and money, achieving high employee engagement can remain an elusive goal that is difficult to measure. Thankfully, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is changing that.
AI tools are revolutionising the workplace landscape by changing both employer and employee expectations. The benefit most quickly recognized is increased productivity. However, that’s just the beginning of how AI-power tools can enhance the employee experience. This article will explore other benefits AI can provide for the employee experience like expedited access to support, data-driven insights into employee sentiments, and personalised learning and development opportunities.
Four Ways AI Enhances the Employee Experience
Increased Productivity
By automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks, AI tools give employees more time to focus on complex matters. The majority of their energy can be devoted to problem-solving, innovation, critical thinking, and relationship building. For example, AI algorithms can analyse large data sets and generate insights, saving employees numerous hours of data collection and entry. Using AI for this type of task also offers the added benefit of reducing inevitable human errors.
Streamlining administrative tasks is another way AI can increase employee productivity. Virtual assistants can organise documents and schedule meetings, enabling teams to focus on more meaningful tasks. Algorithms can also analyse team members’ skills and availability to recommend employees for upcoming projects.
Expedited Support
Chatbots are a valuable resource that can help employees instantly access critical information. These tools can search through the organisation’s repository of knowledge and policies, reducing time spent searching for information or waiting for colleagues to respond. If an answer is not available, the chatbot can alert the appropriate Human Resource (HR) team member to answer the employee’s question. AI chatbots also help HR teams deliver information like policy updates, professional development tools, benefits information, and more.
In addition to expediting HR services, AI chatbots are an efficient way to collect anonymous feedback. AI can easily synthesise this feedback with data from other sources like performance reviews and exit interviews to generate insights about areas of concern or opportunities for improvement. Regularly monitoring feedback data ensures employees remain engaged and enables organisations to identify potential red flags early.
Data-driven Sentiment Insights
Employee engagement efforts are traditionally focused on promoting positive morale. Prior to AI-power technologies, organisations had very few ways to gauge employee engagement beyond surveys and other types of self-reported feedback. Through data mining and machine learning, AI tools can analyse and predict employee needs and behaviour.
Sentiment analytics software offers detailed insights into what impacts employee morale across various themes like compensation, professional development, and benefits. As themes are identified, comments on surveys can be categorised and compiled. Then, comments in each category can be tagged with a sentiment–positive, negative, or neutral–offering the HR team a useful data set to review and act on. Automating the process of compiling and analysing data gives the HR team more time to focus on personal interactions and strategic initiatives.
Personalized Learning and Development Programs
AI-powered learning platforms offer an unparalleled level of personalisation. Each employee’s skills, pace, and learning methods are assessed by the platform. Based on that information, the platform generates a customised study program for each person, recommending relevant courses and resources.
As employees advance through their training, the platform continuously adapts to their progress, suggesting new content and challenges to keep them engaged. Such a tailored approach ensures that employees acquire the necessary skills for their role, keeps them motivated, and enables them to effortlessly take ownership of their professional development.
Organisations using AI-based learning platforms often notice the added benefit of promoting a culture of continuous learning. The platform can automatically generate recommendations for additional opportunities once a study program is complete. Because the platform understands the employee’s preferred learning method and desired skill set, these recommendations are personalised to their needs and preferences, increasing the likelihood that they will continue training.
Read More:
Factors to Consider Before Launching AI
Before introducing any new technology or tools to employees, there’s a lot to consider. With such incredibly powerful AI-based technology available, organisations need to carefully vet platforms to minimise security and privacy risks and develop training resources. Organisations that wait too long to introduce AI-power technology may find that employees are using these tools on their own or that their competitors are already reaping the benefits of this technology.
To successfully integrate AI-based tools, carefully evaluate how well they will fit employees’ needs. Here are key factors to consider:
Ease of Use: Ensure the platform is intuitive and will not require extensive training to use. Assess how well the platform will integrate with other software systems already in place. A positive user experience will expedite adoption across the organisation.
Scalability: Tools need to be able to serve employees’ needs today and grow with the organisation. Finding a platform with robust and flexible features will ensure the technology has long-term value and aligns with the organisation’s growth trajectory.
Data Analytics: Confirm the selected platform has the ability to capture the desired data. For example, is the motivation primarily to collect data on employee sentiment or provide more personalised professional development opportunities? It may be necessary to launch several tools, rather than expect one platform to meet all of the organisation’s needs. Defining metrics for success will help evaluate the technology’s impact.
Internal Trust: The prospect of automating tasks is often associated with the idea that jobs will be eliminated. However, these tools are meant to support employees, not replace them. Organisations can reduce anxiety about job displacement by clearly stating the purpose of launching these tools and implementing reskilling and upskilling programs to equip employees to thrive once these new technologies are in place.
Maintenance and Support: Someone in the organisation will have to manage this technology and troubleshoot when issues arise. Identify and properly train that person or team before all employees start using it. Create on-going training opportunities for the support team to ensure the technology scales along with the organisation to fully maximise its capabilities.
Organisations are still in the early phases of adopting AI-powered tools in the workplace. As a result, the list of benefits and possibilities are constantly expanding. This huge potential means it’s even more important for leadership to have a clear understanding of why the organisation is implementing these tools. Ultimately, any technology is only as effective as the strategy behind it.
While the implications and applications of these technologies are constantly evolving, one constant is how these tools enhance the employee experience by giving them more time to focus on strategic initiatives. This shift fosters innovation and creates a more enriching work environment. Many employees are pleasantly surprised when they see that introducing AI-based technology in the workplace actually makes it more human.
Maximising the Employee Experience in 2023
The employee experience has been a preoccupation of HR leaders and departments for a long time. Still, especially now, as the world of work undergoes rapid transformation in the light of technological changes, cultural changes and more – it has never been more critical. In 2023, employee experience has emerged as a driving force behind successful, innovative organisations for its impact on an organisation’s competitiveness, especially when it comes to the engagement and retention of existing employees and the attraction of new employees. With the rise of remote work, evolving workforce priorities, and an increasing reliance on technology, understanding and improving employee experience has never been more critical.
This Insights article will focus on what the employee experience entails in 2023 and what changes will affect employees and leaders alike.
What is the Employee Experience in 2023?
The term employee experience is used across several departments in an organisation because it is so important to the success of business performance, but that can also make it difficult to focus on what it really means. When we refer to the employee experience, we refer to how employees interpret and internalise their interactions with an organisation, which ultimately contributes to their satisfaction.
That definition is quite simple but is also quite broad. It encompasses several aspects of working at an organisation, but in 2023, we can focus on four key elements affecting the employee experience. These four aspects of focus include:
Company culture,
Technology infrastructure,
Workplace environment,
Wellbeing practices.
These four issues stand out as three influential elements in shaping the employee experience.
Company Culture and the Employee Experience
An organisation’s culture can have a powerful impact on the employee experience. It affects not only how employees feel when they enter the workplace but also how they perform in their roles. Job seekers are increasingly attracted to organisations that offer appealing employee perks and benefits, maintain a good reputation, and promote a positive company culture. As a result, HR teams must work diligently to create a supportive atmosphere that motivates, energises, and empowers employees.
When we look at workplace culture, it is basically an organisation’s overall combination of shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and values that make up the environment at work. Culture at work is affected by several factors, including:
Management,
Executive leadership,
Company values and philosophies,
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programmes,
Rewards and recognition programmes.
In 2023, culture is not a second thought. It has an involved team working to create a positive employee experience. It is part of a considered employee experience strategy now.
Technology, the Emergence of AI and the Employee Experience
Technology is another essential element of employee experience. The right tools and technologies can streamline processes, automate tasks, and provide valuable insights for HR teams, helping them better understand and develop the diverse experiences required for a varied workforce.
The integration of cutting-edge technologies is pivotal in reshaping the employee experience. From artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to advanced collaboration tools, employees benefit from streamlined workflows and increased efficiency. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are also making waves in training and development, providing employees with immersive and engaging learning experiences, regardless of their physical location. Investing in employee experience technology allows companies to offer a comprehensive end-to-end experience, elevating employee satisfaction and engagement levels.
AI and other technologies will only be further integrated into business and HR practices in the coming years. Companies adopting these emerging HR trends can maintain their competitive edge and cultivate a more engaged, satisfied, and high-performing workforce. This approach is often welcomed by business leaders who understand the importance of staying ahead in the market.
The Workplace Environment and the Employee Experience
The workplace environment is critical in shaping employee experience, affecting concentration, wellbeing, and productivity. HR leaders must ensure that their workplace environments foster a better work-life balance, enabling employees to thrive professionally and personally. One of the most prominent changes in the employee experience is the widespread adoption of hybrid work models. In response to the lessons learned from the global pandemic, organisations are embracing flexibility in work arrangements. Employees now have the freedom to choose between working from the office, remotely, or a combination of both. This shift enhances work-life balance and empowers employees to tailor their work environments to suit their individual needs.
At the same time, it is key to note that many organisations are not as flexible as others, there are still several jobs that require employees to be in the office to conduct their work, but even within these organisations, there is some flexibility that can be found to support employees. It may just have to come in the way of shift choice or location.
Wellbeing and its Impact on the Employee Experience
Organisations are placing a greater emphasis on employee wellbeing in 2023. The traditional approach of viewing employees solely as contributors to the company’s success is evolving into a holistic perspective that acknowledges the importance of mental and physical health. Wellness programs, mental health resources, and flexible scheduling options are becoming integral components of the modern workplace, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that supports a positive employee experience.
Maximising the employee experience is essential in driving organisational success, and companies prioritising this area will be better positioned for growth in the rapidly evolving business landscape. By focusing on critical components such as company culture, technology, workplace environment, and wellbeing on top of implementing targeted strategies for enhancing employee experience, organisations can foster a more engaged, satisfied, and high-performing workforce capable of driving business success well into the future. Organisations that successfully work towards this will succeed in 2023 and be better prepared for the future to meet the changing needs of their people.
Subscribe
Keep up to date with trends, best practices and news in the world of HR
We use cookies to improve your experience.
Learn more >
