b'THE HR HANDBOOKWhat is it like to work with you?IVE RECENTLY BEENworking with a companyFeedback Loops: Continuous Improvementto conduct a large customer survey to pilot a newIn UX design, feedback loops are critical to refining product line. They have invested a lot of time andand improving a product. Designers rely on real-time energy to understand their customers experience.feedback from users to understand whats working Having worked as a coach in this organization, it struckand what isnt, then iterate based on that information. me how much less they knew about the experience ofThe same holds true for the employee experience. their employees. We are working to change that.Receiving continuous feedback is essential to under-Crafting an exceptional employee experiencestanding employee sentiment, identifying pain points, should be a strategic priority for your business toand making improvements in real time.attract, retain and engage top talent. Much like userThe traditional approach to give and take employee BY JONATHAN SHAVERexperience design (UX), an employee experiencefeedbackannual reviewsis no longer (has never is the president anddesign (EX) should strive to understand the interac- been) sufficient. Tools like pulse surveys, one-on-one owner of Envisiontions, emotions and perceptions employees havemeetings and peer reviews provide employees with an Partners LLC.during their journey with a company.opportunity to voice concerns, give (and receive) feed-back throughout the year, fostering a culture of open Empathy: Understanding Employee Needs communication and continuous development.Empathy is a foundational principle of UX design andActing on employee feedback is crucial. When of a positive employee experience. In the context ofemployees feel their feedback is ignored, it leads to UX, empathy refers to understanding the users needs,disengagement and reduced morale. Companies that frustrations and goals which are learned throughact on employee suggestions demonstrate that they direct observation, interviews and data analysis.value their workforce, which boosts loyalty and reten-Likewise, you should understand the unique needs,tion. Too often leaders dont even ask, for fear of not aspirations and pain points of your employees. being able to deliver on team member needs. Even One borrowed approach is to create employee seg- if you cant do it, telling employees why you cannot ments. Just as UX designers create personas to under- make the desired change makes them feel heard.stand user segments, we can use employee personas based on generational cohorts, job roles and individualPersonalization: Tailoring the Experiencepreferences to tailor employee development programsIn employee experience, personalization means tailor-or benefits options. Overuse of segmentation is aing the work environment, benefits and development watch-out, but it is a way to get organized. opportunities to meet individual employees needs. Personalization in EX can take many forms, from Ease of Use: Simplifying Processes offering flexible working hours, remote work options, Another central UX principle is ease of use. Whenor customized career development plans. Employees applied to employee experience, this principle signifi- who have some control over what, when, where and cantly improves how employees interact with work- how they work are more engaged and productive.place systems, processes, and tools.Organizations tend to evolve toward complexity,Consistency: Maintaining a Cohesive becoming bogged down with cumbersome softwareExperiencesystems, complicated communication maps andIn employee experience, consistency means delivering outdated workflows. By routinely assessing for unnec- a cohesive and positive experience across the entire essary complexity, you can save employees time andemployee lifecyclefrom recruitment and onboard-reduce frustration. You can also automate routineing to daily work and eventual offboarding, and for tasks, such as expense reporting or scheduling meet- employees at all levels and locations, in-person and ings to make employees lives easier. remote.SW80/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2024'