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If you’ve ever had a young child of your own or have been around nieces or nephews, you’ve probably witnessed the overwhelming panic - and corresponding tantrum - associated with being separated from a favorite belonging. For many kids, it’s something plush like a stuffed animal or soft linen, and it has the superpower of making the most troubling situations seem okay. If you happen to misplace this beloved item, beware. The concept of a security blanket is introduced to us at a young age, but the need for security stays with us as our lives ebb and flow.

We’ve all heard the phrase “married to our job.” For many people, the hard truth is that one-third (or more) of our time as adults is spent at work, and at times you may even spend more time with your work family than your nuclear family. There are quite a few similarities between the two types of relationship as well. Employees want a job that provides a sense of meaning and offers them the opportunity to feel accomplished, fulfilled and satisfied. These same desires are commonly expressed in romantic relationships. Likewise, in each of these relationships, we want to wake up each day with some level of excitement and anticipation about the hours ahead.

What is Employee Experience and how is it different from Employee Engagement? Many HR professionals and consultants would be hard pressed to answer this question.

As is often the case with new terms in any discipline, analysts and marketers of new technology platforms have been quick to embrace and propagate Employee Experience as the next big thing in HR. This has led some to believe that Employee Experience is related to platforms that help make interactions more positive by providing easier access to, for example, recognition & rewards programs, training and career development opportunities, perks and wellness programs.

The old notion that customers come first is being augmented by a new market reality. If you don’t treat employees like customers, they won’t put forth the extra effort required to keep your customers happy.

These days, the “employee experience” is generating a lot of buzz, but market leaders have always understood that creating better employee experiences is vital to success. In the current business environment, several factors have converged to make creating great employee experiences more important than ever: