Discover ways to make your employee experience stick | Suresh Srinivasan | Vice President – Global Operations | Enquero – A Genpact Company

The most daunting concern in the business world today is creating the experience that drives value for both employees and employers. And the challenge is not getting any easier. Experience is everything. In a digital world, employees crave a sense of belonging. Hence, an integrated experience with an improved delivery model will create the much-needed space where employees can thrive and be part of the bigger picture.

While numerous factors help create the required experience, I feel three dimensions are most critical in today’s world – time, talent, and trust.

Be mindful of your employee’s time

Time is the most precious commodity. And with businesses rapidly changing inside-out, employers must pause and evaluate if they value an employee’s time enough. The fear of missing out is high. Employees are eager to pack it all in and experience more. This isn’t just about hybrid work models or return-to-office initiatives. We must learn to respect and appreciate the fundamental value of an individual’s time.

Most digital natives have started making necessary structural and strategic changes to capitalize on the time investment metric. However, there is a lot that needs attention. And more than an employer, it is time that employees act as investors. They must evaluate their return on investment at the end of each quarter. Designing workplaces, curating intelligent processes, and dissolving functional silos can go a long way in helping employees manage their time better and prevent burnout. Such conversations can help create a complete shift in our mindset and how we design workplace experiences.

Invest in talent development: the currency that always appreciates in value You can’t expect your employees to stick around if you don’t ensure 24/7 talent development opportunities for them. Being relevant is one of the top goals, be it for an employee or an employer. The hunger to learn and develop is at its peak. But how can organizations provide learning literally on the tap?

In today’s day and age, organizations are investing in providing access to learning platforms. But you must allow room for personalization. After all, one size never fits all. It would be best if you explored avenues that can mobilize self-driven learning and help an employee meticulously track their development journeys. Empower employees to be fearless and build a culture where learning is organic. From my experience, I have seen peer-to-peer mentorship programs work. These mentor-connects can breed a new generation of leaders if intelligently curated.

Establish a foundation of trust

The pandemic has laid bare the need for everyone to bring their most authentic selves to work. Our personal and professional lives have intertwined, whether we like it or not. An employer encouraging employees to share their needs, dreams, and fears will ensure a happy workplace. Managers and c-level executives must respond to these immense expectations. But how do we promote cultures and conversations where an employee’s true self is appreciated?

Employers must understand that it is crucial to inject emotional intelligence into their ecosystem. Micromanaging an employee is counter-productive. Instead, allow open communication and implement honest feedback loops. Give people their purpose and see them trust the process and grow.

The path forward: encourage active participation

Getting employee experience to stick is not a one-time activity. This journey requires the active participation of employers and employees. I am happy to see organizations eagerly engaging in such conversations, but we are far from getting it right. We know that what gets measured gets done. Hence, you would have an end-to-end evaluation pipeline with a designated point of contact to make an employee’s journey memorable. The future looks promising, and now is the time to let employees be the creators of their growth stories.