Best Practice | Addressing Staff Issues through Employee Experience Managers with Kaufland

Starting in 2018, certified Top Employer Kaufland began operating a network of employee experience managers across sites in Europe.

These are trained HR liaison officers who work to address employee welfare issues, solve challenges that might be putting a drag on business or individual performance. In our latest best practice focus, we are focusing on what brought in these managers and how they’re improving the employee experience for Kaufland workers.

This is just a snapshot of Kaufland’s innovative best practice; you can find the entire practice on 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:

It is challenging to keep an eye on employee engagement when an organisation like Kaufland has many employees scattered across many locations.

For this reason, Kaufland introduced ‘employee experience managers’ (a Vertrauensperson, in German): a neutral, trustworthy, and independent liaison for all employees.

How the practice was implemented:

The primary objectives behind Kaufland’s practice of employee experience managers are:

Anchoring of the corporate principles and leadership approach.
Early detection of (potential) disputes.
To better understand the atmosphere/mood among frontline employees.
To provide support to employees in difficult situations.

In the European locations where Kaufland’s employee experience managers are active, every employee can freely contact a dedicated employee experience manager and access contact details for other employee experience managers via a page on the company intranet, should they prefer to speak to someone specific.

Each employee experience manager acts as a confidante for receiving confidential feedback. Employees may remain anonymous if they wish to report a sensitive issue.

Employee experience manager responsibilities:

The main tasks of each employee experience manager at Kaufland are to:

Attend stores daily: talk with employees about their jobs, work-related problems, the store environment, etc.
Use employee feedback to identify work environment issues or business issues that could be improved.
Assist employees in handling issues with co-workers or to tackle personal problems having an impact on their work.
Improve employees’ perception of the company (enhance your employer branding)

The typical employee experience manager:

has an HR background,
is skilled in psychology, mentoring and communication.

Kaufland offers special training, for instance, a mediation training course to support the work of the employee experience managers.

Results

Each employee experience manager has a target number of conversations to be held each month (approx. 300). The rationale behind this (as opposed to a target number of employees to speak with) is that sometimes, one employee may require several conversations to be had until their issue is resolved.

As a result of the work of the employee experience managers, Kaufland has improved many of its operational and work-related issues based on employee feedback.

The Era of Personalisation: Customising the Employee Experience at SAP India

By Billy Elliot, Regional Director for APAC, Top Employers Institute

Today’s workplace culture is in the midst of an unparalleled era of personalised experiences. Employees, similar to customers, desire treatment that caters to their individual needs and preferences. This change has propelled employers to shift from a people-centric approach towards a more person-centric one. Undoubtedly, the pandemic profoundly impacted reshaping expectations, with many people reevaluating their priorities.

Data from the 2023 Top Employers Institute Certification Programme shows a striking trend among the over 2 000 certified companies across 121 countries. Remarkably, 74% have updated their employee journeys to accommodate remote work dynamics—a 6% increase from the previous year. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is the most advanced in this regard, with 66% of Certified Top Employers having successfully implemented formal remote work options.

As part of the 2023 Top Employers Inspire event, I had the pleasure of hosting a presentation about this topic by Rashmi Raghuraja, Senior HRBP Consultant/PMO to the Head of HR at SAP Labs India. SAP India stands out as a leader in creating tailored employee experiences. Rashmi shared how the company addresses its workforce’s personal needs to enhance the end-to-end employee experience.

The People Experience

SAP India’s People Experience Programme was created “so we have an inclusive environment where people can be who they are. They don’t have to pretend or leave parts of themselves at home,” Rashmi explained. The programme has five foundational pillars to support that mission:

Pride: Fostering a sense of pride among employees, both in their association with the company and in their contributions to its success, to boost employee engagement.
Purpose: Employees are encouraged to make connections between their daily tasks and the overarching company mission.
Innovation: Sustaining innovation through providing resources and platform tools employees can use to create and collaborate.
Appreciation: Each individual’s contributions are recognised as valuable to the company’s success.
Care: Genuine care and respect for employees is consistently demonstrated, bolstering a sense of belonging and support.

Pledge to Flex

Providing autonomy over individual work schedules and habits was a priority as the company assessed its employee journey. “We have a real commitment to offering a flexible and trust-based work schedule,” said Rashmi. Feedback indicates they have successfully done so.

The 2023 SAP Future of Work Trend report revealed a whopping 77% of SAP employees feel empowered to determine when and where they perform their tasks.

They achieved such a high level of success by forming a group of employees to facilitate the transition, the Change Ambassadors Community.

This group functioned as a guiding force, coaching managers and teams as they navigated the shift towards flexible work arrangements. Rashmi described the HR team’s thought process, “We realised early on that this is going to be a journey of not just a few weeks or months. It’s going to take years.

We wanted to bring our employees along on the journey and have a bottom-up approach.” Pilot programmes and continuous feedback loops kept stakeholders engaged and enabled adjustments.

People Unplugged

Establishing a foundation of transparency and understanding within the company’s workforce was the motivation behind the People Unplugged Programme. Rashmi elaborated on this mission, “We wanted to have authentic conversations with leaders and offer a platform to debate, ideate, and collect feedback.” The first initiative was a six-part conversation series that engaged employees with company leaders.

All employees were invited to participate in these conversations featuring sensitive topics like performance management. Strikingly, 4,000 employees across India participated.

These sessions were an opportunity to engage in genuine discourse to shed light on why the organisation did certain things and potentially pave the way towards something new.

Ultimately, this series underscored SAP India’s commitment to creating a workplace culture that values open dialogue, mutual respect, and collective growth.

Download Now: Inspiring HR Practices from Asia-Pacific’s Top Employers

Career Canvas

In the wake of transitioning back to business as usual after the pandemic, the need to assist employees with the adjustment became evident. “One of the things we heard often was that people were feeling lost as they came back. They knew about different programmes, platforms, and tools but not how to find them,” Rashmi explained.

To address this concern, a series of brainstorming sessions were organised. These sessions included employees representing a variety of roles and career stages. The primary objective was to understand any gaps in support and identify what resources might be helpful.

Through this process, recurring themes were identified and served as focal points for taking action. As a result, two programmes were created:

The Inspire Talk Series is a forum for insightful discussions,
The Career Mentoring Programme supports individuals feeling indecisive about their career path.

To conclude the presentation, Rashmi emphasised that SAP India focuses on providing their employees with the best possible workplace. She quoted author Jacob Morgan’s book The Employee Experience Advantage to emphasise her point, “In a world where money is no longer the primary motivating factor for employees, focusing on the employee experience is the most promising competitive advantage that organisations can create.”

Check out Rashmi’s full presentation to hear more about SAP India’s innovative programmes and the organisation’s plans for new initiatives in the near future.

How to Manage and Succeed with a Multigenerational Workforce

Across today’s modern workforce, many organisations are witnessing a unique blend of generations working side by side. From Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to Millennials and Gen Zs, the workplace has become a melting pot of diverse experiences, perspectives, and work styles.

As leaders and managers seek to create a productive, inclusive and welcoming environment for all these different groups, it is essential to understand and effectively manage this multigenerational dynamic to foster collaboration, innovation, and overall team success.

Cultivating this understanding will help to better utilise everyone’s talents from an individual and a generational level.

What Generations are Currently in the Workforce?

In 2023, there are currently five generations working side-by-side. Those generations are:

The Silent Generation: This generation was born between 1928 and 1945, making them some of the oldest in the workplace. Many have already retired, but many still choose to participate in the labour force. It is estimated that they still make up 3% of the workforce in the USA. It can be easy to underestimate the number of older people still active in the workplace, especially when you consider that according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2030, 11.1% of those 75 and older will still be active participants in the workforce in 2030.
Baby Boomers: This generation was born between 1946 and 1964 and currently makes up around a quarter of the working population in the United States. The youngest members of this generation will start retiring in the upcoming years. Still, some of this generation have already begun retiring, this many because they are further along in their careers and often hold higher positions of power at work.
Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1980, this is one of the smaller generations compared to the ones that came before it and the ones that are coming after it and many in this generation.
Millennials (also known as Gen Y): Millennials are often quite technologically adept because they have lived through some of the most significant technological advancements. They were born between 1981 and 1996, and they make up the biggest group in the workforce in the USA, making them around 35% of the working population.
Gen Z: The youngest generation to enter the workforce were born between 1997 and 2012, and they are remarked to be the first actual tech generation as they have never known a world without the internet. While many are still in university, the first groups are becoming active participants in the workforce. As such, organisations need to learn how to support them.

What are the Benefits of a Multigenerational Workforce?

In many places, we hear about the difficulties of generational differences affecting people’s ability to relate to each other, but there are many benefits for organisations.

Those include:

Skill Diversity: Different generations tend to have distinct skill sets. For example, older employees might excel in interpersonal skills and relationship-building, while younger employees might be adept at leveraging technology and digital tools. This mix of skills can enhance the team’s overall capabilities.
Knowledge Sharing: Older generations often possess valuable industry experience and institutional knowledge, which they can share with younger team members. This knowledge transfer helps bridge the generation gap and ensures that essential insights are passed down to the next generation. Equally, the younger generation can share knowledge that older generations may have previously ignored, making the sharked knowledge sharing a fruitful opportunity.
Diverse Perspectives and Ideas: Each generation brings unique life experiences, perspectives, and approaches to problem-solving. This diversity can lead to a broader range of ideas and solutions, fostering innovation and creativity within the team.
Adaptability: A multigenerational team is often more adaptable to changes in the business landscape. Younger members might embrace new technologies and trends, while older members can provide stability and a long-term perspective during times of transition.
Reduced Bias and Stereotyping: Working closely with colleagues of various generations challenges stereotypes and biases. Team members learn to appreciate each generation’s strengths and qualities, breaking down preconceived notions.
Effective Communication: Interacting with colleagues from different generations can improve communication skills. Team members learn to adapt their communication styles to accommodate diverse preferences, leading to more precise and effective information exchanges.
Enhanced Problem Solving: Multigenerational teams can bring diverse problem-solving approaches to the table. This diversity allows the team to tackle challenges from multiple angles, increasing the likelihood of finding effective solutions.
Market Insights: Different generations have varying consumer behaviours and preferences. A diverse team can help the organisation better understand and connect with a broader range of target demographics.
Mentorship Opportunities: Multigenerational teams provide natural mentorship opportunities. Older employees can mentor younger ones, offering guidance and wisdom, while younger employees can offer insights into new technologies and trends.
Increased Employee Engagement: Recognising and leveraging the strengths of each generation can lead to outstanding employee engagement benefits. When team members feel valued for their unique contributions, they are more likely to be motivated and committed to their work.

How Organisations Can Get the Best Out of Their Multigenerational Workforce

The benefits of having a multigenerational workforce show that having a work environment that is diverse in age range creates a positive impact on organisations and their employees; it is still important to figure out how organisations can foster that environment.

Some of the ways that HR professionals can learn how to manage their workforce to foster collaboration and innovation effectively include:

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: A multigenerational team offers diverse skills and perspectives. By fostering an inclusive environment, HR professionals and leaders can help team members feel valued and respected regardless of age. Encourage open dialogue that celebrates the unique strengths and experiences each generation brings to the table. They can organise cross-generational mentorship programs to facilitate knowledge sharing and skill development.
Flexibility in Work Arrangements: Different generations often have different expectations regarding work-life balance and remote work options. By offering flexible work arrangements, organisations can accommodate the diverse needs of their multigenerational team. Allowing for flexibility in where employees work, flexible hours, and job-sharing opportunities ensures everyone can maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Continuous Learning and Development: Promoting a culture of constant learning to keep all team members engaged and up to date. Provide opportunities for professional development, training, and upskilling. Encourage cross-generational learning by pairing experienced employees with newer ones to facilitate knowledge exchange.
Flexibility in Leadership Styles: Different generations may respond to different leadership styles. Some may appreciate a hands-on approach, while others prefer a more autonomous working environment. HR professionals should understand these preferences and adapt leadership strategies to manage and motivate their multigenerational teams effectively.
Conflict Resolution and Mediation: Generational differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. HR professionals and leaders should be equipped with effective conflict resolution and mediation skills to address any issues that may arise. A proactive approach to resolving disputes can prevent them from escalating and disrupting the team’s harmony.

Final Thoughts on how to Manage and Succeed with a Multigenerational Workforce

Managing a multigenerational team requires a thoughtful and inclusive approach. By embracing diversity, fostering open communication, offering flexibility, recognising individual contributions, promoting continuous learning, and adapting leadership styles, organisations wanting to get the best out of their people can work to create an environment where everyone thrives.

Suppose they successfully create this environment by navigating the complexities of a multigenerational team. In that case, they will not only be able to enhance team performance, but they will also be able to cultivate a workplace where everyone feels valued.

How Organisations Improve Employee Engagement with Emotionally Engaged Leaders

The world of work is permanently active. The business landscape is fast-paced and ever-evolving, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of employee engagement. Employee engagement is a critical factor in an organisation’s success.

Engaged employees are more motivated, productive and stay in organisations longer, leading to higher levels of innovation and overall performance. One of the critical drivers of employee engagement is the presence of emotionally engaged leaders.

In this article, we will explore how emotional intelligence makes a leader emotionally engaged and how it impacts employees and their engagement levels.

Managers have a more considerable impact on people’s mental health than doctors and even therapists. Leaders that are emotionally engaged are better able to create a positive, supportive and psychologically safe work environment, which can improve employee wellbeing and employee engagement.

What is Emotional Intelligence?

In 1995, in the book Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman, the psychologist that coined the term defined emotional intelligence as a set of skills that help individuals recognise, understand and manage their own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. While emotional intelligence is usually emphasised more in personal relationships, it is critical to realise that emotional intelligence or a lack of it, also is essential at work.

In Emotional Intelligence, Goleman identified four traits of emotional intelligence, which are:

Self-Awareness: It is believed that the first step in developing emotional intelligence is self-awareness. Leaders and management should take time to understand the impact of their behaviour by reflecting on their own emotions. This needs to be done across different situations so that they have a fuller understanding.
Self-Management: The next step for leaders becoming emotionally intelligent comes from developing ways to manage their emotions; this can only come after becoming more self-aware. Self-management involves learning and using skills like stress management and mindfulness. If a leader is to engage with these skills, they must also practice active listening when interacting with coworkers.
Social Awareness: Leaders making an effort to become emotionally intelligent will need to develop the ability to understand and empathise with other people’s perspectives; this is especially important as more and more organisations become more diverse than before.
Relationship Management: The fourth trait of an emotionally intelligent leader is one of the most critical, and it relies on the other characteristics to truly achieve it. Relationship management uses emotional intelligence to build and maintain positive relationships, resolve conflicts, and influence and inspire others to achieve common goals.

You can download the World of Work Trends Report 2024 here for free.

What is an Emotionally Engaged Leader?

Emotionally engaged leaders are individuals who genuinely care about their team members, their wellbeing, and their professional development. These leaders demonstrate empathy, active listening skills, and emotional intelligence towards meaningful employee insights. They create a supportive atmosphere where employees feel valued, heard, and motivated to perform at their best. Emotionally engaged leaders also foster a sense of purpose and alignment by effectively communicating the organisation’s vision, goals, and values.

Three Ways that Emotionally Engaged Leaders Impact Employees

Trust and Transparency: Emotionally engaged leaders establish an environment of trust and transparency by being open and honest with their team members. This cultivates a sense of psychological safety, encouraging employees to share ideas, express concerns, and take risks without fear of negative consequences.
Personal and Professional Growth: Emotionally engaged leaders invest in their employee’s growth and development. They provide mentoring, coaching, and opportunities for learning and advancement. This commitment to individual growth enhances employee skills and knowledge and demonstrates that the organisation values their long-term success.
Motivation and Empowerment: Emotionally engaged leaders inspire and motivate their employees by recognising their achievements and providing constructive feedback. They empower their team members to make decisions, take ownership of their work, and contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s goals. This sense of autonomy increases job satisfaction and engagement.

How to Improve Employee Engagement with Emotionally Engaged Leaders

Understanding what makes a leader emotionally intelligent is essential; it is even more critical to see how they can improve employee experience in terms of engagement more concretely. We have four strategies that organisations can use to engage their employees with the help of emotionally engaged leaders:

Encourage Open Communication: Promote open communication channels within the organisation, allowing employees to voice their opinions, concerns, and ideas. Emotionally engaged leaders actively listen to their employees insights, seek their input, and take appropriate actions based on their feedback.
Leadership Development Programs: Organisations can implement programs focusing on emotional intelligence, empathy, and effective communication. These programs help leaders develop the skills necessary to connect with their teams on an emotional level and foster a positive work environment.
Regular Feedback and Recognition: Establish a culture of feedback and recognition where leaders provide regular, constructive feedback to their team members. Recognise and celebrate employee achievements, both big and small, to reinforce a culture of appreciation and motivate continued engagement.
Lead by Example: Leaders should model the behaviour they expect from their employees. Emotionally engaged leaders demonstrate integrity, empathy, and a strong work ethic. They are authentic, accessible, and approachable, creating a positive and engaging work environment that makes it safe for employees to model these behaviours.

Final Thoughts

Employee engagement is crucial for organisational success, and emotionally engaged leaders are pivotal in driving and nurturing team engagement. By developing emotionally intelligent leaders who prioritise trust, transparency, motivation, empowerment, and growth, organisations can create a culture that fosters high levels of employee engagement.

Investing in leadership development programs, promoting open communication, and recognising employee contributions are some of the effective strategies that can help organisations unlock the potential of their workforce, leading to improved productivity, innovation, and overall success.

Emotionally engaged leaders bring out the best in their employees and create a work environment where individuals thrive, and organisations prosper.

As the pace of technology accelerates, we must focus on the aspects of us that make us human- creativity, empathy, innovation and awareness.

In the future workplace, our ability to capitalise upon this, and develop it in others, might ultimately lead to an organisation’s success or failure.

Get in touch today: become an employer of choice!

Personalisation in 2023: How the Employee Experience Will Be Impacted by Increasing Personalisation at Work across Asia-Pacific

“What we realised is that we can’t design a programme without involving our employees. All of our organisations’ initiatives are crafted in partnership with our employees,” said Rashmi Raghuraja, Senior HR Consultant at SAP India, during one of our Top Employers Inspire sessions.

This partnership with employees in crafting employee experiences is synonymous with achieving a more personalised approach. This particular trend of involving employee groups in the design of the organisation and work can be seen in 87.6% of Top Employers in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2023, companies of all sizes are actively competing to not only attract and retain top talent but also to cultivate a work culture that empowers employees to unleash their full potential, and this is synonymous with the emphasis on involving employees in shaping their experiences.

Recognising that employees are the heart of any successful company, businesses are embracing a collaborative approach to work. The inclusion of employees in shaping various initiatives not only boosts engagement but also results in a more compelling and meaningful work environment. While competitive salaries and benefits remain fundamental, the emphasis is now on fostering a culture of co-creation, where employees feel valued and have a sense of ownership in the organisation’s progress. This paradigm shift marks a critical evolution in the way companies view their workforce, placing employee well-being and fulfilment at the core of their strategies.

A Paradigm Shift in the Post-Pandemic Workplace

In the post-pandemic world, a period of reflection has allowed employees to identify what truly matters to them. In response, employers have been compelled to become increasingly innovative in their efforts to attract, develop, and retain their top talent. As the employee experience takes centre stage as a critical differentiator, personalisation emerges as the key to its success.

Notably, one of the most significant trends in the APAC region is the substantial growth in employee involvement in engagement action plans, rising to an impressive 84% compared to 75% in the previous year (2022). This means that employees are actively participating in the development of action plans through engagement in employee focus groups and sounding boards. Moreover, they are regularly consulted to ensure alignment on progress and ensure the plans’ effectiveness and relevance to their needs and aspirations.

This trend underlines the growing importance of involving employees insights in decision-making processes. In doing so, organisations in the APAC region are striving to create a work environment that truly resonates with and supports their valued employees.

Personalising the employee experience means understanding and catering to the unique needs, preferences, and aspirations of each employee. It involves tailoring well-being, training and development opportunities, work environment, and work-life balance to suit the individual. As observed in the World of Work Trends Report 2023, personalisation has become a necessity for organisations that want to create a productive workforce. And the role of digital and technology cannot be understated as it uses intuitive tech to personalise the experience. Our research among Top Employers worldwide shows that the Asia Pacific is leading the way in digital personalisation, with significantly wider implementation of practices, compared to the rest of the world.

What are the benefits of emphasising personalisation at work?

The personalisation of consumer needs has been a challenge for organisations for some years, and now employees expect to be treated as “internal” customers. The rise of individual employee needs will have much further to run in 2023 – what has been until now been “people-centric” will become “person-centric”. As such, organisations have been able to see a positive relationship between this personalisation and their employees ‘ experience of work.

We’ve seen a couple of examples of some of our Top Employers in Asia using personalisation to great effect in the workplace:

Global and Regional Asia-Pacific Top Employer Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), for example, created a platform called Xcelerate – a career guidance management platform that generates a personalised learning path based on an employee’s current skill sets and desired career trajectory. The platform provides career insights, including learning paths of employees in desired roles, competency gap analysis, and engagement indexes.
SABIC, certified as a regional APAC Top Employer, uses a platform called Percipio that uses AI to personalise the learning experience of employees, as well as improve the individuals’ efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process.

Top Employers are not personalising employee experience just for the sake of it. Personalising the employee experience offers a diverse array of benefits that span various aspects of the organisation:

Personalisation helps organisations create a positive work culture. By prioritising the unique needs of each individual employee, organisations foster a culture of belonging and inclusivity. Organisations that personalise their employees ‘ well-being and communication efforts will be able to see a noticeable improvement in their overall company culture. That is because employees who feel seen and appreciated are more likely to stay with the organisation and refer others to join. This can help reduce turnover and recruitment costs while also improving the quality of candidates. Employee involvement plays a pivotal role in personalisation, as the more involved an employee is, the more personalisation can be tailored to certain programs. There has been a noticeable trend among Top Employers in the APAC region, who have 72% of employees involved in designing well-being initiatives, as opposed to 58% in 2022. This trend reflects the growing emphasis on personalisation in the workplace, as organisations recognise its positive impact on employee satisfaction, wellness, and retention.

Another benefit of personalisation is increased employee engagemen This is especially important as many organisations struggle to keep engagement rates high as they find new ways of working after the upheaval of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Prioritising employee experience is relevant for all companies because when employees feel seen, heard, and valued, they are more likely to be invested in their work and the organisation. Engaged employees are also more likely to be motivated, productive, and willing to go above and beyond for the company. This can lead to higher quality work, increased attraction of new employees, and increased retention of talented employees for prolonged periods.
However, it’s concerning that less than 50% of Top Employers in the Asia-Pacific have an employee listening strategy in place, despite its crucial role in fostering a culture of openness, trust, and employee empowerment. Implementing an effective employee listening strategy is essential for organisations to understand their employees’ needs, concerns, and aspirations, enabling them to make informed decisions, boost engagement, and drive long-term success.
Another benefit of personalisation is improved performance management. Personalised feedback and coaching can help employees identify areas for growth and development, leading to improved job satisfaction and career growth. By personalising training and development opportunities, organisations can also help employees acquire the skills they need to succeed in their roles, leading to improved job performance. This is seen as an important factor for Top Employers in Asia, where 83% of Top Employers’ performance management approach allows for variation in philosophy, process, and timing to cater to the needs of different target audiences and/or business needs – recognising the need for personalisation of performance management.
Lastly, another benefit of personalisation is an improved sense of autonomy for the employee. Personalising an employee’s ability to choose where they work from, whether that is fully from home, always in the office, or hybrid, allows employees to feel that their organisations trust them to do their best work. That feeling of trust is important as it allows employees to feel as though they are not only a part of a company but rather that they are a trusted member of the organisation. Additionally, allowing employees to personalise their work schedule gives employees a chance to work when they are at their best rather than the traditional 9-5.

What makes for a great personalised experience for employees?

When it comes to increasing personalisation at work, we can see that certified Top Employers are leading the pack. If we look at how Top Employers personalise the employee experience, the answer is clear. They embrace conversations with employees and allow them to choose and shape their experiences. Personalisation is used most prominently in the evolution of flexible working practices, including remote and hybrid working, in Top Employers’ offerings in well-being, compensation & benefits initiatives. And in the development processes, especially careers, onboarding, and leadership development.

The growing availability of a highly digital employee experience creates the opportunity for a far greater degree of personalisation. This personalisation does not need to start from when the employee is hired, but for many organisations, it can incorporate personalisation from the talent attraction stage.

Winning the Battles for Talent

How technology and digital tools can assist in personalising the employee experience

The widespread use of technology is being put at the service of employees, with the data it provides used to act and improve each employee’s experience. IT systems used by organisations must be designed around the needs of employees if it is to contribute positively to their experience. In 2023, 89% of Top Employers in Asia Pacific conduct regular assessments of HR technology (compared to 83% globally), and 83% of Top Employers in APAC are personalising their HR technology (compared to 78% globally). There should be regular assessments of HR technology to make sure that any features that remain unused or do not contribute to the user experience are removed, with employees given the power to self-manage, control, and edit their environment based on their preferences.

Technology is being leveraged to collect and analyse data, enabling organisations to act and enhance each employee’s journey. Top Employer SABIC exemplifies this by utilising AI to create personalised HR technology experiences. To learn more about how SABIC uses AI to optimise employee experiences, check out the dedicated article on this topic.

While technology and digital HR are key drivers of personalisation, neither of them provides a guarantee of a great personalised employee experience. Organisations and their leaders, along with individual employees, will still need to define a clear vision for the role of digital HR for the whole organisation. We can already see this for certified Top Employers as 78% of them have a vision of the role of digital HR in the overall employee experience.

When the vision and direction are clear, the hard work on the employee experience begins. Organisations will need to go through the employee’s entire journey map, from the latter’s perspective. In 2023, we will see a commitment to detailed employee journey mapping in order to leverage the employee experience.

Employee journey mapping is a valuable tool for continuous improvement. It highlights all the touchpoints and experiences an employee will go through, designed from their subjective experience, alongside the information the organisation collects from various channels. The aim is to trigger a process of continuous improvement at every stage and across an employee’s digital and non-digital experience.

How Top Employers around the world are prioritising digital personalisation

Our research among certified Top Employers worldwide shows that the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions are leading the way in digital personalisation, with significantly wider implementation of practices, compared to the rest of the world. This fits with other more widely available data showing an accelerated investment in digitalisation when compared globally.

There have been two factors at work here. Firstly, in the drive to mitigate the adverse impacts of the pandemic, many businesses adopted digital technologies rapidly, effectively creating a digital “Big Bang”. Secondly, for a young and tech-savvy workforce, the expectation of a flexible and personalised digital experience has become a priority for their everyday employee experience.

Final Thoughts

Personalising the employee experience will be crucial for organisations worldwide in 2023. It helps create a happy and engaged workforce, a positive work culture, and improved performance management. Organisations that invest in personalisation will have a better chance of attracting and retaining top talent, driving innovation, and achieving long-term success. In 2023, the Asia-Pacific region will witness a surge in personalising the employee experience, with certified Top Employers leading the way in embracing collaborative approaches and involving employees in shaping initiatives. Leveraging digital technologies, such as AI-driven solutions, companies like Tata Consultancy Services and SABIC are tailoring learning paths and optimising HR technology to cater to individual needs.

This employee-centric approach yields benefits like a positive work culture, increased engagement, improved performance management, and a sense of autonomy. To succeed in this transformative era, organisations must define a clear vision for digital HR’s role and focus on detailed employee journey mapping for continuous improvement.

Find out today what it means to become an employer of choice!

How the Workspace Can Improve Employees’ Experience

Learning from NN Group’s Design Innovations

The work environment has a huge impact on employees’ daily experience. It is everything that contributes to people’s experience of a physical space – the art on the walls, the floor plan, furniture, communal areas.

A pleasant and comfortable office space improves productivity, helps with talent acquisition, and fosters the team’s overall sense of well being. The physical space creates an atmosphere that influences company culture and how employees interact.

With this in mind, NN Group’s Hungarian office began planning a new workspace to reflect the needs and preferences of its employees and to cultivate an agile way of working. NN Group is a financial services company with offices in 11 countries and an impressive history that spans 175 years. They provide retirement, insurance, and investment services to 18 million customers with a team of 15 000 employees. The Hungarian team spent 16 years in their previous office and welcomed the opportunity for a fresh start.

Employee feedback was one of the primary inputs guiding the design process. This feedback was gathered through workshops and questionnaires, like stay interviews. More areas for collaboration and a more colourful, bright space were among the top requested changes. In response, the new building features large windows and numerous colourful communal areas.

The company also engaged employees with the project in creative ways throughout construction. Through a webcam, team members saw construction happening in real-time. Periodically, a member of the HR team filmed a tour of the construction site. Employees tested furniture options in the previous space, voting for their favourite ones.

Reflecting the company’s values of sustainability and community was also an important part of the project. The design team reduced water use by including a rainwater collection system to flush the toilets. Positioning the new office near public transportation decreased employees’ reliance on cars. Furniture from the old office space was donated to a local children’s hospital.

The benefits of a thoughtfully designed office space cannot be overstated. When employees like their workspace, they are more productive, energised, happy, and healthy. Many positive ripple effects result. Employees are more likely to refer new potential employees, company performance metrics and employer branding improve, and employees feel valued.

In addition to these benefits, NN Group Hungary was also nationally recognized for their innovations. The office was a finalist for Hungary’s ‘Office Space of the Year’ competition.

See the space and hear more of the company’s design innovations in this video hosted by Krisztina Hársfalvi-Tóth, HR Business Partner for NN Group Hungary.