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The unprecedented times are an impetus for meaningful lessons, profound changes, and re-evaluation of what we perceive as important. The aftermaths of 2020 were undoubtedly a catalyst that reminded us what matters the most. – Empathy.
Yet, compassion, understanding, and support are often missing in workplaces. For a long time, employees have been seen as labourers who get work done, not as persons who have aspirations, dreams, and personal struggles. The pandemic has shown us that nothing is certain.
With the shift to remote work and hiring, employers had to think about methods to maintain productivity and efficiency. But to have a satisfying output, first, they had to consider employees’ experience, wellness, and development as these are essential for a company’s success.
For instance, employee engagement increases productivity and makes businesses by 21 per cent more profitable. Thus, when employers and managers show that they appreciate their staff and its work, they are creating an incentive that will encourage 69 per cent of employees to work harder.
Workplaces are evolving and becoming more human-centric and empathetic, with an emphasis on growth, development, and well-being. Employee experience is not a buzzword any more, and companies seek ways to create environments that allow personal and professional development.
Here is how you can enhance employee experience by nurturing their growth.
1. FOSTER A PERSONALIZED EMPLOYEE JOURNEY
According to Gallup’s report “Designing Your Organization’s Employee Experience” from 2019, organizations still don’t meet elementary employee needs. As a result, only one in three workers believe that they have the materials and appliances they require for doing their job well.
Creating a personalized experience and trying to perceive things from an employee’s point of view is essential for providing them with what they need for a seamless work, achieving satisfactory results, and skills development.
Employers should consider what can ease the work in both physical office spaces and virtual environments. When evaluating necessary equipment and support, managers should think of employees as people, not only workers.
What will help workers enjoy their tasks? How can managers ensure that the staff is not in peril of burnout? Do they have everything they need to learn, go towards their goals and accomplish them?
By answering these questions with concrete improvements, employers are creating a personalized employee journey that encourages progress.
2. INTRODUCE VIRTUAL TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS
A seamless employee experience starts with providing the staff with an all-encompassing training right after the onboarding. These are the crucial moments to set the right foundations and ensure each employee has the needed knowledge for their position that they can latter improve.
Training shouldn’t stop after introducing a worker to their new workplace because 68 per cent of employees finds it to be a company’s most important policy. Instead, employers should continuously stimulate learning, skills and talent development. Relevant workshops will encourage career growth, make sure employees keep up with industry-related trends, and expand their interests.
Learning opportunities have an even greater value in tumultuous times when people are in lockdowns, work remotely, or spend more time at home than usual. Thus, 76 per cent of workers is more likely to stay in an organization if there are growth opportunities.
If employees have access to e-libraries, training, and workshops, that’s an indication of caring workplaces where they can advance and reach higher positions. It is essential to adjust these opportunities with work from home and create a big online database of learning options.
3. IMPLEMENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMES
A survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the University of Phoenix found that 81 per cent of respondents believe it’s significant for young people to have someone to look up to. Role models influence our major life decisions and perceptions, and they motivate us to pursue our goals.
Every employee should have someone who inspires and encourages them to be better, to do and know more. It is why mentorship programmes are invaluable, and companies should implement them to create an incentive for employee growth.
Even though 79 per cent of millennials see mentoring as crucial to their career success, only 37 per cent of professionals have one. Mentorship programmes present a transfer of knowledge and experience that allows young employees to gain skills perhaps they, otherwise, wouldn’t. It is also an encouragement and a reminder that hard work and learning pay-off and result in career advancement.
4. ALLOW INTERNAL MOBILITY
Nurturing reskilling and internal mobility opportunities is a great way to encourage skills improvement, productivity, and to develop professionals with a broad set of abilities. As many companies have been facing lay-offs and furloughs throughout the year, retraining became one of the principal HR trends of 2020.
But following a trend shouldn’t be the main reason to foster internal mobility. The 94 per cent of Employees saying that they would stay at an organization longer if employers invest in their careers is a much more convincing.
Employees want to feel that a company wants to invest in their abilities, promote their work, and acknowledge their aspirations. By introducing internal mobility programmes, employers won’t only increase employee growth. They will reduce high costs and eliminate a time-consuming pursuit of new talents that they will after have to train.
5. TRACK SKILL GROWTH PROGRESS
Learning and growth opportunities are of paramount importance. Yet, they're more valuable if one can assess the acquired knowledge and identify whether they need to work on particular abilities more than on others. Assessment platforms, evaluation forms, and tools that gather all the acquired skills and knowledge would allow both employers and workers to track the progress and plan future steps.
Being more than a tool and using immutability and transparency typical of blockchain technologies, TiiQu allows employees collecting and showcase irrefutable proofs of learnings and skills without exposing them to risks in a fully GDPR-compliant manner. In fact with the standalone certification system powered by TiiQu, proofs become anonymous and instantly verifiable without the need of any third party's platform. A way for employers to transform workforce experience and knowledge into a precious asset that employees can safely store and share, and which can help employers to forecasting skills-growth and validate L&D projections and budgets. The future looks bright for a more engaging future of work.