The hyperlink between an engaged workforce and a profitable organisation is actually not ‘new information’ for HR professionals, as our current Financial Worth Examine introduced information to the forefront that flagged engagement as a strategic necessity for long-term organisational viability.
However HR leaders within the UK and different European nations are nonetheless dealing with a big problem relating to appreciation and engagement. Our Appreciation Index examine discovered that the UK is notably falling behind different nations relating to office appreciation, which is broadly recognised as one of many core drivers of engagement.
And maybe unsurprisingly for a nationwide workforce that’s feeling unappreciated, a 2024 report discovered that solely 10% of UK workers are actively engaged with their work. In truth, Europe has the lowest proportion of engaged workers in your entire world, with the UK rating thirty third within the checklist of the 38 European nations included within the analysis.
With appreciation waning, engagement dropping and office norms evolving at a fast tempo, many organisations are on the lookout for methods to higher assist their individuals. And introducing an worker expertise platform is a superb first step towards enhancing worker expertise.
On this weblog publish, we’ll discover what an worker expertise platform truly is, the way it can profit an organisation, and the way to decide on the perfect one to your firm.
What’s an ‘worker expertise platform’?
An ‘worker expertise platform’ is a digital resolution that places worker appreciation within the highlight by streamlining the digital office and uniting worker advantages, recognition & reward, wellbeing and communication.
Sometimes called an ‘EXP’ or an ‘EX platform’, it makes life simpler for workers by making a extra environment friendly and people-first working atmosphere. Typically totally tailor-made to the organisation’s company model, it empowers workers to do their finest work by spotlighting all the totally different ways in which they’re appreciated by their employer.
Within the easiest of phrases, an EX platform is a centralised hub that unites a very powerful instruments, info, advantages and sources that workers must entry.
At Reward Gateway | Edenred, we frequently work with purchasers which might be already providing workers a incredible package deal of advantages, perks and recognition choices, however are involved by low utilisation charges. One of many key challenges is usually that their individuals merely aren’t conscious of the advantages, or can’t simply entry them. An worker expertise platform is an efficient resolution to extend profit utilisation, assist workers to really feel extra appreciated, and – in the end – enhance engagement.
Key options of the perfect worker expertise platforms
There are just a few key options that we all the time advocate HR groups search for in an worker expertise platform – as not all platforms are created equal! However the perfect ones could be a actual sport changer, revolutionising the worker expertise.
At the beginning, a very good EX platform ought to change into the central hub of the digital office. Which implies it must have the performance to combine a number of totally different HR platforms that workers use daily, which 90% of HR leaders say is a high precedence.
Recognition is top-of-mind for organisations world wide, as an growing quantity of analysis surfaces displaying a direct connection between efficiency, engagement and emotions of worth within the office. Integrating options reminiscent of peer-to-peer recognition programmes, manager-led reward schemes and personalised reward redemption is important if you wish to see the perfect outcomes from an EX platform.
Inside communication ought to be one other key function, facilitating collaboration and protecting everybody linked. Options like customised blogs and content material pages, together with instruments to schedule and section content material, permit organisations to publish well timed and related content material that reaches all workers. And whereas it ought to go with out saying, having a completely mobile-enabled resolution is essential for frontline employees.
Worker wellbeing can be a core component of all good worker expertise platform. Offering instruments and sources that assist workers’ psychological, bodily and monetary wellness is a high precedence for almost all of HR groups, and an worker expertise platform is the proper place to unite and promote this content material.
On high of being totally tailor-made to your organisation’s company branding, an EXP ought to have the power to ship a segmented strategy for various worker teams. The vast majority of HR leads that I converse to are proactively searching for methods to personalise the digital worker expertise, however lower than a 3rd of worker expertise and inner comms professionals say they’ve the potential inside their present platforms to successfully section content material.
Lastly, each good EXP should present data-driven insights and real-time analytics. Getting access to detailed metrics permits groups to constantly enhance and additional improve the engagement technique. The analytics are additionally an necessary a part of demonstrating the platform’s ROI, which is important for future price range requests and enterprise circumstances.
What are the advantages of utilizing worker expertise software program?
For my part, essentially the most vital good thing about an worker expertise platform is that it turns into a centralised channel by which to formalise your organisation’s strategy to worker appreciation. An EXP presents a number of the most actionable methods to proactively recognise and have fun an worker’s contribution to their organisation.
We all know that workers who really feel extra appreciated and valued at work are 43% more practical, report higher wellbeing, and are much less more likely to depart their organisation. 91% of HR professionals agree that recognition reward positively impacts retention, and 90% say it helps drive total enterprise outcomes.
On a sensible stage, organisations investing in a complete EXP can count on to see higher profit utilisation, an uplift in worker engagement scores, and a discount in employees turnover.
However once we look just a little deeper, a very good EXP with worker appreciation at its coronary heart has the ability to remodel firm tradition, making a extra motivated and productive workforce that feels genuinely valued.
Worker engagement vs worker expertise platforms
The phrases ‘worker engagement’ and ‘worker expertise’ can be utilized interchangeably when speaking about employee-focused platforms, so what’s the distinction?
It’s a little bit of a ‘rooster and egg’ scenario. As a result of it’s not possible to enhance the worker expertise with out specializing in worker engagement, however it’s additionally not possible to extend worker engagement with out enhancing the worker expertise.
I like to consider worker expertise as a wider abstract of your entire worker journey, and worker engagement as extra of the end result that we’re working in the direction of.
Worker engagement is the tip objective, and an EXP is the answer.
An worker expertise platform is a holistic, sensible instrument that considerably improves the overarching worker expertise by specializing in appreciation. Worker engagement is the measure of the platform’s impression.
How to decide on the suitable worker expertise platform to your organisation
There are just a few necessary issues to contemplate when choosing essentially the most appropriate EXP to your organisation. At the beginning, I all the time encourage groups to consider their organisational targets, and their individuals wants. Let’s discover every one in just a little extra element:
Organisational targets: A brand new EXP must be totally aligned with the organsiation’s overarching targets and strategic route. An organisation that’s coming into a chronic interval of downsizing could have completely totally different wants to 1 that’s increasing.
Folks wants: The EXP will change into a basic a part of your engagement technique, so the answer must be chosen in keeping with the wants of the workforce. Have a look at key themes and traits from current worker surveys, and think about the demographics and breakdown of desk-based versus frontline groups.
When you’ve established the high-level necessities for an EXP, you can begin entering into the small print.
Each platform is totally different. Take into consideration issues like ease of cellular and desk-based entry, scalability, and integrations with different integral platforms that the organisation is utilizing.
Does the platform you’re contemplating have all the options the organisation is anticipating? Examine the extent of element you’ll be capable to entry relating to analytics and reporting, and ensure you’re pleased with the alternatives for customisation and personalisation.
The way forward for worker expertise
With such a rising physique of proof displaying the connection between an engaged, productive workforce and total organisational success, worker expertise will proceed to be a central space of focus for employers.
Enhancing the worker expertise by doubling down on appreciation is among the simplest methods to extend engagement.
And an worker expertise platform is step one. It’s not the lacking piece of the worker expertise jigsaw – it’s the desk upon which you construct the jigsaw.
When you’d like to seek out out extra about our complete worker expertise platform, schedule a free demo or chat with one in every of our engagement consultants.
