THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE Basic Human Needs · The Four Pillars of EX The Future of EX 03 07 19 25...

Basic Human NeedsFood, Water, Shelter, Belonging,Love, Positive Touch

THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

A MANIFESTO FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK

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The Employee Experience Revolution: A Manifesto for the Future of Work

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WHAT’S INSIDE:


Project Sophia

Nailing the Employee Experience

The Balance of Inspiration & Alignment

The Four Pillars of EX

The Future of EX

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PROJECT SOPHIA

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Helen:

In light of our upcoming strategic planning session, I wanted to bring the following resignation letter to your attention because I believe it highlights broader issues with our employee experience and its impact on our company performance.

Sophia, the author of the attached letter, worked for our company as a senior data engineer. Her team leader and department head were both surprised by her sudden resignation given the excellent quality of her work and the fact that she had not voiced any concerns. This position is very difficult to fill and it is likely our new product release will be delayed as a result.

It’s clear that our employee experience is negatively impacting our ability to hire and retain top performers, which in turn is hurting the velocity and quality of our work. We can no longer do the bare minimum and expect to thrive while our competitors are enabling their people to do their best work and grow within their company.

I consider our employee experience to be the single most urgent challenge facing our company and recommend that we place it first on our agenda.

Sincerely, Ron Washington Vice President, Human Resources

Helen Gonzalez, CHRO

Employee Turnover and our Current Employee Experience


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Helen:



It’s clear that our employee experience is negatively impacting our ability to hire and retain top performers, which in turn is hurting the velocity and quality of our work. We can no longer do the bare minimum and expect to thrive whileour competitors are enabling their people to do their best work and grow within their company.




Employee Turnover and our Current Employee Experience I’m quitting on Friday. So maybe consider this notice of my notice.

As I reflect on my time here, it feels like nearly every significant moment of my work experience — every opportunity you had to make me feel valued — was mishandled in one way or another.

• No one took the time to show me how my work matters tothe team, much less the company or the community.

• I take a lot of pride in my work and on the two occasionswhen I wrapped major projects, no one seemed to notice.

• When our team leader left, I felt like I was a good fit for her job. I let people know I was interested, but I never gotthe chance to make my case. It is not clear to me how I can grow here.

The bottom line is this job hasn’t inspired me. I’m not even sure how my work fits with the rest of my team or the company and I’m left wondering if my position even matters.


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Helen:



It’s clear that our employee experience is negatively impacting our ability to hire and retain top performers, which in turn is hurting the velocity and quality of our work. We can no longer do the bare minimum and expect to thrive whileour competitors are enabling their people to do their best work and grow within their company.




Employee Turnover and our Current Employee Experience

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But don’t feel bad. It’s not just you.

Every significant moment in my employee experience – good or bad – has left a mark. And they all add up, reinforcing either a really great experience or a negative one. When my experience is too negative for too long, I start thinking about greener pastures.

Everyone knows that most of us workers aren’t “engaged” so you’re not the only ones who need a little help. But here’s the deal: If you want us to be aligned and inspired, you have to start by realizing our work experience is punctuated by moments that are super important to us. How you handle those moments will define our work experience, and thus our relationship with the company.

Maybe it hasn’t always been that way. (Then again, maybe it has.) But either way, you can’t ignore the human side of the employee experience anymore. The revolution is at your door.

Sincerely, Sophia Jones

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S

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NAILING THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

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Simply put, the policies, processes, and

technologies that defined the relationship

between companies and employees for the

past several decades must be replaced with

more human versions. What we are doing is not

working. After the billions of dollars we invested

in “employee engagement,” employees are

barely more satisfied with their experience today

than they were decades ago.

Change will simply not happen without the

shift in perspective that places people and

their emotional needs at the center of business

strategy. Employee experience (EX), after all, is about building emotional connections. So what

is EX? The answer is deeply rooted in the spirit

of our times. Remembering how things used to

be can shed light on why businesses need to run

differently now.


Revolution

SOPHIA IS RIGHT. We are in the middle of a

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In the old days (think 30 years ago), there was a certain way

of doing things. We were born. We went to school. We got a

job. And we worked there until we retired or died.

In between, maybe we adopted a few pets, had some kids,

or dabbled in karate.

Turns out, The Game of Life was pretty accurate.

1. Job Tenure of American Workers, January 1963, Harvey R. Hamel, Monthly Labor Review, Vol.86, No. 10 (October 1963), pp. 1145-1152

2. Millennials: The Job-hopping Generation, Gallup, Workplace, Business Journal, 2019

“More than 1 in 5 of millennials say they’ve changed jobs within the past year, which is more than three times the number of non-millennials who report the same.” 2

“Some 6.5 million of the 66 million persons employed during January 1963 had held the same job for at least 21 years.” 1

21 years


employment

THERE HAS ALWAYS been a social contract in

Each party is expected to make certain

sacrifices and to produce value for the

other party for mutual benefit.

In the “old days,” this contract was heavily

tilted in favor of the company. Workers

made a lot of sacrifices for a stable

paycheck. Many of these sacrifices had

a negative impact on quality of life. And

people didn’t really expect much more from

their employer than that check and the

promise of long-term employment.

Clearly, those days are gone.— an implicit agreement between companies and workers.

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Communication & feedback

Nature of work

Leadership

Why we work

Where we work

When we work

Performance conversations

People process

Top-down

Siloed

Managers who manage

Pension

O�ce

9 to 5

Annually

HR-led

Up, down & across

Aligned & networked

Managers who coach

Purpose & people

Anywhere

Anytime

Continuously

Key outcome Satisfaction Engagement

Company focus Employee loyalty

FROM

Manager- and employee-led

Employee Experience

TO


HOW THINGS ARE CHANGING


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employeeSo, what is

Employee experience is the quality of

emotional connection that an employee

has with a company. It is shaped by their

interactions with people, policies, processes,

and technologies during significant moments

in their employee journey.

Employers who create a positive EX do so with great intention. They take an expansive

and holistic view of the employee experience

and work to create exemplary experiences at

every step in the journey.

Think of it like consumer brands and how

they work hard to create great customer

experiences, whether in the store, on the

website, returning a product, or calling a

customer service representative.

EXPERIENCE?

12NAILING THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

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The Employee Experience Revolution: A Manifesto for the Future of WorkThe Employee Experience Revolution: A Manifesto for the Future of Work

In her exit interview, Sophia talks about specific emotions she felt during significant moments with her company. She also paints a picture of how these moments shaped her overall relationship with the company.

In doing so, she offered a compelling definition of EX:

13NAILING THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

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I WANT MORE THAN A JOB

I spend most of my waking hours here and I want to plug in to

a healthy work culture that recognizes my individual needs and

ambitions.

I’m willing to go the extra mile to be successful in my position,

to help my team, and to hit company goals. But to get the most

out of me, I need the most out of our company. I’m here for an

experience. You need me to be aligned. I want that too. But I

also want to feel inspired.

When the experience is good, I’m all in. When it’s bad, I’m either

out of the game or out the door.

SOPHIA’S EXIT INTERVIEW

94% of [professionals] said they put in 50 or more hours a week, with nearly half that group turning in more than 65 hours a week. That doesn’t include the 20 to 25 hours a week most of them spend monitoring their mobile phones while outside the office.4

94%

4.https://hbr.org/2009/10/making-time-off-predictable-and-required

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THINK OF ME AS YOUR CUSTOMER

And don’t forget that I have options.

I don’t need to read The Wall Street Journal to know that

companies are on the hunt for top talent to push their business

forward.

The thing that will keep me here is a strong emotional attachment

to my work and the company.

Just like with consumers, emotional attachments are made by

great experiences across multiple moments. It’s not just one thing

— it’s the totality of experiences. Each bad experience chips away

at the bond, and each good experience strengthens it.

Put enough bad experiences together, and I will start evaluating

my options.

The jobless rate dropped to 3.5% in September 2019 from 3.7% in August, marking the lowest rate since December 1969 when it also hit 3.5%.5

3.7% 3.5%

SEPTEMBERAUGUST

SOPHIA’S EXIT INTERVIEW5. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-september-nonfarm-payrolls-grew-steadily-11570192288

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WE NEED THE MOST OUT OF EACH OTHER

Everyone knows what you want out of me. Here’s what your employees need from you.WE ARE ALL INSPIRED BY A DESIRE TO:

• Have opportunities for

growth and development

• Feel connected with

our colleagues and the

community

• Feel appreciated for our

work

• Receive continuous

feedback about our work

• Work in an environment that

promotes well-being

• Know that compensation is

fair for all

• Feel a sense of autonomy

and individuality

• Know that our work is

making a meaningful impact

THESE ARE HIGH-IMPACT MOTIVATORS!

If you can sew these into the fabric of the employee experience one significant moment at a time, then you’ve got me.

SOPHIA’S EXIT INTERVIEW

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ONE THING

ApplicationProcess

Performance Feedback

Moments ofRecognition

Outplacement Interview

Onboarding

Speaking Up

Promotion

Training

IT’S NOT JUST

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The employee experience is shaped during the entire

employee life cycle. That means the experience during

the pre-hire phase is just as important as the employees’

experience with the company, and as alumni.

Focusing on one component of the employee life cycle is insufficient.


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EX

HOW EMOTIONDRIVES

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6. https://hbr.org/2016/08/an-emotional-connection-matters-more-than-customer-satisfaction

The organizing principle of employee experience is the link between emotional needs and intrinsic motivation. When people feel that their needs are met, they are more likely to engage with their work in productive ways.

So if EX is grounded in creating emotional connections, what kinds of emotions are relevant? Taking another cue from CX: Emotional connections matter more than the simple notion of employee satisfaction. Employees can be satisfied without being invested — satisfaction is not enough.

Companies must tap into the fundamental motivations of employees and fulfill “their deep, often unspoken emotional needs. That means appealing to any of dozens of ‘emotional motivators’ such as a desire to feel a sense of belonging, to succeed in life, or to feel secure.” 6


https://hbr.org/2016/08/an-emotional-connection-matters-more-than-customer-satisfaction

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THE BALANCE OF INSPIRATION & ALIGNMENT

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There is an important relationship between emotional motivators and the balance of inspiration and alignment within an organization.

Employee experience pillars such as connection and

appreciation are critical for creating an environment

where inspiration can flourish. In the same way,

opportunities for meaningful impact and growth are

critical for driving alignment with the company’s

vision and goals.

But inspiration without alignment can quickly drive

a company off-course (as enthusiastic teams row

diligently in different directions). And alignment

without inspiration feels a lot like doing the bare

minimum, prioritizing company goals over the

people’s well-being.

Why

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INSPIRATION & ALIGNMENT

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Every company exists somewhere on this graph and their location

depends on how focused they are on inspiration and alignment

within their organization.

No matter where a company is on this graph, the goal should be

to strike a balance between inspiration and alignment by engaging

high-impact motivators like connection, appreciation, meaningful

impact, and growth so that a thriving culture is possible.

INS

PIR

AT

ION

(Co

nn

ecti

on

+ A

pp

reci

atio

n)

ALIGNMENT(Meaningful Impact + Growth)

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KAZOO THRIVE INDEX

THE INSPIRATION & ALIGNMENT

BALANCE


O�Course

The BareMinimumSurviving

ThrivingOFF

COURSE

SURVIVINGBARE

MINIMUM

THRIVING

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Companies that are simply surviving are mostly

extrinsically motivated (e.g., “I must finish this project

or my boss is going to yell at me”).

Conversely, people and companies that are thriving

are mostly intrinsically motivated (e.g., “I’m going to

put my best into this project because it’s important to

me, my team, and the company”).

Companies want workers to be aligned and engaged. Workers want to be nurtured and inspired. To be

blunt, Sophia was only surviving at her company. And

she was not the only one. However, the path forward

is extremely clear and very achievable.

To start, let’s describe what it means to be aligned

and what it means to be inspired, and how the two

interact together to drive different states of employee

engagement.

THRIVEFROM SURVIVE TO


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The quality of inspiration is essential for employee engagement and the employee experience. Companies must fill people with the urge or desire to achieve at the highest levels.

• Employees feel bought into the company mission

• Change takes place in a positive, effective manner

• There is high participation in company and HR

programs

• Employees feel psychologically safe

• Employees find meaning in their work

• Employees feel appreciated and recognized for

their work

WHAT IT MEANS TOOrganizations know people are inspired when:

be INSPIRED


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• Employees feel connected with each other, with

leadership, and with company values

• Employees collaborate with each other across

branches, departments, and age groups

• Communication flows freely and efficiently between

departments and locations, and from HQ to remote

workers

• Leaders and colleagues exchange frequent

feedback on performance

• Employees feel equipped to excel in their work with

effective policies, processes, and technologies

• There exists a positive perception of leadership/

management

WHAT IT MEANS TO

Companies know their people are aligned when:

Alignment is the hallmark of highly productive companies.

be aligned


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THE FOUR PILLARS OF EX

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CONNECTION MEANINGFUL IMPACT

APPRECIATION GROWTH

THE FOUR PILLARS OF

There are four deep emotional needs broadly shared across most people in most organizations. Companies must address these pillars to build an aligned, inspired employee experience.

EX

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Belonging is another way to say

connection. As evidenced by seminal

research of the Blue Zones, humans need

connection to thrive. Blue Zones are

communities in the world where people

live the longest like Okinawa, Sardinia,

and Costa Rica.

These communities shows that strong

connection to other people (including

families, friends, and colleagues)

contributes significantly to an overall

sense of happiness, a desire to

be productive, and a high level of

engagement in the community.

The same is true at work. People need to feel connected to their colleagues, their team, their managers, and their communities to feel engaged,

be productive, and have a positive

experience. This may happen organically

in some companies. In most, it forms as

the result of intentional effort.

CONNECTION

Radha Agrawal’s Hierarchy of Needs

Joy

Purpose

Physical & Mental Well-being

Basic Human NeedsBelonging


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The raw power of appreciation and its impact on

the employee experience is well documented. People

who feel like they are recognized for their effort in

meaningful ways are more likely to apply additional

effort and produce higher quality work in future

projects and tasks.

In addition, recognizing and rewarding people for their

contributions to the team and the company is common

sense. We all know what it feels like to have our work noticed — and we all know what it feels like to have it overlooked. Filtered through the perspective of EX,

what emotional impact can appreciation (or the lack

thereof) have on significant moments in the employee

experience?

Moments of appreciation are not only the responsibility

of the people in the company. Policy, process, and

technology have a significant impact on how people

handle appreciation. Without policies that clearly

prioritize employee recognition, processes to make sure

it happens, and technology to make it a more enjoyable

and a more efficient experience, people in the company

are left to make it all up as they go along.

APPRECIATIONThe most memorable recognition comes most often from:

MANAGER’SMANAGER

28%

HIGH-LEVEL LEADER OR CEO

EMPLOYEE’S MANAGER

24% 12%

CUSTOMER

10%

PEERS

9%


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People also need to know their work matters to

their company, and their company matters to the

community and to the world. It’s not enough for one

to be told they are doing a good job.

One needs to know that the good job they’re doing makes people’s lives better — even in some small way. That could be through the

products the company brings to market or the

charitable work done in the community or around the

world.

Employees today feel that prosperous companies

have a social responsibility to give back to the

communities that contribute to their success.

Therefore, corporate social responsibility initiatives

can have a significant impact on feelings of purpose

and meaningfulness.

6. Kazoo’s Employee Experience Study

MEANINGFUL IMPACT

76% of executives believe meaningful impact affects employee productivity.6

72% of employees said knowing how their work matters affects their ability to deliver a high quality customer experience.7

76%

72%


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Finally, we come to growth.We know the most important driver of happiness is a

good job. But what is the most important driver of a

good job? A recent survey by The Starr Conspiracy

identified “growth” as the single most significant

driver of engagement.

People want opportunities to master roles and

subjects. They want to advance in their positions

and they want to grow their status within their

communities in their professional and personal lives.

Facilitating growth requires leaders who provide

continuous feedback and ongoing support for

the career aspirations of their team. By regularly

setting goals, increasing learning & development

opportunities, and creating clear expectations around

career advancement, employees will be more engaged

and willing to stay with their company longer.

7. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/284081/meaningful-feedback-means-millennials.aspx

GROWTH

87% of millennials rate professional or career growth and development opportunities as important to them in a job.8

87%


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THE FUTURE

OF EX

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It may appear that Sophia left her company for many reasons. In fact, she left her company for one reason — that company had not yet experienced the necessary shift in perspective that places people and their emotional needs at the center of business strategy.

Like many organizations, Sophia’s company needs to evaluate their policies, processes, technology, and people based on the quality of emotional connections they create for employees during significant moments in their employment journey.

Specifically, the company needs to evaluate the four pillars of employee experience – connection, appreciation, meaningful impact, and growth – to ensure their culture can balance alignment and inspiration so their people can truly thrive.

THE FUTURE OF EX


PICTUREBIG

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The future state of Sophia’s company’s performance – and the performance of all companies grappling with their employee experience – hinges on which side of the EX revolution they support.

Will they defend decades-old attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that discount the emotional experience of employees? Or will they lead the company into the future by creating a culture where people feel they belong, their work has meaning, their efforts are appreciated, and their opportunities for growth are unlimited?

The choice is theirs to make and is made in moments both large and small every day in every company around the world.

The EX Revolution is here. Is your company ready for it?

FUTURE STATE


STATEFUTURE

We believe companies flourish when their employees are both aligned and inspired. This only happens when employees find meaning and growth in the work itself, and when employees feel appreciated by and connected to their colleagues and company.

To achieve this, companies need to turn outdated approaches to performance management, recognition, and engagement on their heads. They need to adopt a new way that’s continuous, manager- and employee-led, and people-first.

We believe this vision is not just possible — it’s critical to the future of work. And it’s made possible by Kazoo.

[email protected] E 9th StSte 1502Austin, TX 787011-877-44-KAZOO

Get a demo today

Helping people-first companies create amazing employee experiences.

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THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE Basic Human Needs · The Four Pillars of EX The Future of EX 03 07 19 25...

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Transcript of THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE Basic Human Needs · The Four Pillars of EX The Future of EX 03 07 19 25...