Research and recommendations provided in our The Career Experience Continuum eBook explains that the career experience is more than career development. From the employee's perspective, it is an important indicator of their fulfillment throughout their journey with your organization.
When employers don't provide the experiences employees want most, employees disengage, under-produce and seek employment elsewhere. Take into consideration some of the suggested programs below that will represent a way to measure, influence and improve employee engagement over time, from pre-hire to retirement.
PREBOARDING & ONBOARDING PROGRAMS
Create a preboarding program to make new hires feel welcome before day one. The time between offer acceptance and the first day on the job is critical. Our research shows that 46% of employees would consider an offer from another employer if they do not hear from someone at the hiring company before day 1. You can achieve this by sending a personalized welcome gift with a letter from the hiring manager. Or follow-up weekly via email to check in and see how they’re doing. This can make a significant impact on the emotional mindset of your new hires.
Build recognition and employee interaction into your organization’s onboarding processes. When viewed from the new employee’s perspective, onboarding is a vital career experience influence point. According to our research, 56% of employees say that the total onboarding experience will affect their decision to stay more than one year. In addition to effective training, 67% say they want recognition for positive behaviors and 72% want interaction with employees during the onboarding process.
RECOGNITION & CAREER GROWTH PROGRAMS
Implement a total recognition and rewards system. A comprehensive recognition and rewards strategy includes recognizing career milestones (onboarding, years of service and retirement) and performance-based recognition programs that promote desired behaviors and organizational values. An effective strategy also provides training for managers on the art of giving recognition that’s personalized, meaningful and memorable.
Utilize systems to track and manage education and career growth. Create a plan for education and career growth for all employees. Monitor the program’s progress and track achievements while continuously assessing its effectiveness. Learning management systems that allow the organization to create, administer, document, deliver and track educational courses or training programs contribute to organizational success.
EVP DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT SURVEYS
Align your EVP with your corporate strategy. Your organization’s culture, values, vision and business goals are unique. Your employee value proposition (EVP) should be equally as unique and define everything your company does to attract, engage, motivate and reward employees to create value for customers. Your EVP is a promise that explains in simple, easy-to-understand language why an employee would want to work for your company instead of anywhere else.
Understand what your employees really want. Employee engagement surveys provide objective, scientifically valid insights to use in formulating your EVP and evaluating its relevance over time. For example, the RESPECT Framework for measuring employee engagement by Dr. Jack Wiley enables you to benchmark employee engagement levels against those in your industry sector and against best practices organizations.
By incorporating the programs and strategies mentioned above, many employers have stepped up their initiatives in the war for talent by focusing on improving employee experiences (EX). The most significant shift to improve EX is to no longer treat employees as just assets but treat them more like customers. This new view of the workplace environment, including cultural, technology and physical, focuses on creating unique experiences from the employee’s perspective rather than forcing them to fit into the organization.
Authors Note: This content originally appeared in our Career Experience Continuum eBook.
