How to improve employee engagement through employee experience

It is then advisable to check how employees evaluate corporate communication, through anonymous surveys for example. Transparent communication cannot be achieved without sharing the company's objectives and mission and, whenever possible, individual contributions should be valued, linking them to the bigger picture. When employees do not understand the motivation behind certain operations or changes, the risk is that they feel they are just one of many cogs in the machine, and this is a highly disempowering element. Regular team meetings enable managers to collect feedback on a regular basis. At the same time, strategies need to be put in place to signal that feedback has been heard and appreciated, even before demonstrating that corrective action has been taken.

Another element that organisations should pay attention to is the recognition and rewards to employees' contributions. What really matters is to tailor rewards to employees' interests: people need to receive recognition and rewards in line with their personal goals, values and desires. With this in mind, organisations should provide a wide range of reward options. At the same time, it is important that incentive programmes are transparent so that employees are clear about the conditions governing them.

Finally, it is essential that it is clear who in the organisation is in charge of the employee experience. In many organisations there is a lack of transparency on this aspect: identifying someone within the organisation, such as the head of human resources or another senior figure, who is in charge of improving employee experience is key to moving the needle. This should not be treated as a single initiative or project but should be integrated into every aspect of the corporate culture. To make this happen, it is necessary for HR and divisional managers to work together in defining the cultural and operational changes needed to achieve a positive employee experience.

Improving the employee experience can help increase employee engagement. Therefore, organisations should explore employee engagement and create systematic practices and processes to deliver an employee experience that retains and attracts top talent.

*Senior HR Director, Southern Europe - ADP .