Employee experience (EX) is one of the key drivers of organizational success. A well-rounded EX strategy positively impacts employee engagement, retention, and overall productivity.
However, many companies fall into the trap of trying to manage employee experience programs manually or relying on a patchwork of tools that fail to address the full complexity of employee needs. In this article, we will explore where employee experience strategies often fall short and why relying on in-house, manual, or one-off approaches is no longer the best approach.
Considering managing your employee experience program in-house?
Managing an employee experience program in-house may seem easy, but DIY strategies often lack the depth to address a wide variety of employee needs effectively. Without purpose-built EX software, many companies rely on free tools, manual processes, or external consultants for help—approaches that each come with major drawbacks. These approaches can result in soaring costs, unnecessary program complexity for team members, or a full-time employee who is forced to spend 40 hours a week manually mailing out Years of Service awards instead of doing more strategic work.
Common ways companies attempt to manage employee experience in-house include:
Free or manual tools: These low-cost solutions, such as free employee recognition tools, are often pieced together in a disjointed manner. This creates inefficiencies and leaves gaps in reporting.
Consulting firms for one-off surveys: Organizations may also engage external consultants to conduct employee surveys, but these engagements don’t provide the type of continuous employee feedback mechanism that has been proven to boost employee trust and actions taken by leaders as a result of employee feedback.
Now we’ll explore why these common methods fall short when it comes to delivering a great employee experience.
The 'Frankenstein’ approach: mixing free and manual tools
Many organizations attempt to manage their employee experience by piecing together a variety of free or manual tools, such as ad-hoc survey templates, spreadsheets, or DIY recognition Slack channels. However, this “Frankenstein” approach can be inefficient and problematic for a few reasons:
- Data disconnection: With no centralized system, insights from different tools end up siloed. This makes it hard to gauge overall employee engagement and satisfaction.
- Scalability challenges: As organizations grow, managing disparate tools can become complex and unwieldy.
- Basic functionality: Most free tools provide only the most basic capabilities. They often are missing valuable features, such as reporting, or have limits on how many surveys or recognitions can be sent.
- Gap between feedback and action: The time required to manually field and analyze employee survey results means that any response to employee feedback by the organization often happens months later. These delays make it difficult to respond promptly to issues and build trust with employees.
- Prone to human error: Manual data entry and analysis increases the likelihood of mistakes, which can lead to inaccurate data or misguided decision-making.
- Reactive rather than proactive: Manual processes for both surveys and employee recognition force organizations to react rather than act proactively. Feedback arrives too late to prevent disengagement, and recognition is delayed, missing crucial moments of real-time celebration or motivation. This reactive approach leaves companies constantly playing catch-up.
Using consulting firms for one-off surveys
Consulting firms are often hired by large organizations to conduct one-off surveys or short-term employee experience initiatives. While these firms can offer valuable external perspectives, the promise of confidentiality, and detailed reports, they aren’t always the most sustainable solution due to:
- High costs: While consultants can offer short-term insights, relying on them repeatedly for employee experience surveys quickly becomes expensive and doesn't provide the long-term return on investment (ROI) that more scalable solutions like survey software featuring unlimited surveys offer.
- No long-term support: Once the survey is over, organizations are left without a system in place to continue tracking engagement or sentiment. Once their engagement is done, consultants don't typically leave behind tools or resources for long-term monitoring.
- Lack of actionable feedback: Consultant-driven surveys often provide static reports with little room for continuous, actionable feedback that evolves with employee needs, leaving organizations without the ability to implement real-time improvements in the future.
The pitfalls of not having an employee experience strategy
Without structured efforts to engage their employees and provide a great place to work, companies miss the opportunity to understand, celebrate, and respond to the needs of their workforce. They also lose touch with their employees. This creates a disconnect that weakens company culture and engagement. In fact, systematically neglecting the employee experience can lead to several significant challenges that will harm your organization over time by contributing to:
- High employee turnover: Disengaged employees are more likely to leave, increasing future recruitment and training costs. A poor experience makes it difficult to keep top talent.
- Reduced productivity: Unmotivated employees produce less and contribute less.
- Poor corporate culture: A poor employee experience weakens workplace morale and contributes to a poor or toxic company culture.
- Loss of trust: Employees lose confidence in leadership when their needs are ignored.
Regular feedback and consistent recognition help employees feel valued and supported, which in turn fosters a more positive and productive work environment.
When companies listen to their employees through surveys and act on their feedback, leadership teams are able to identify issues earlier and address them before they escalate. Employee recognition programs, on the other hand, provide employees with the acknowledgment they deserve, boost morale, and inspire continued high performance.
Regardless of how you choose to do it or the tools you choose to use, implementing an employee experience program is critical to building loyalty, driving motivation, and fostering long-term success.
Why employee experience technology is the best choice
Dedicated employee experience technology often ends up being the most efficient and cost-effective choice for organizations. Employee experience software takes a more effective approach to employee engagement and culture-building.
Key benefits of employee experience technology:
Facilitates real-time surveys & recognition
EX software enables employees to receive specific, meaningful, and timely recognition from both managers and peers. The software’s ability to run real-time surveys, such as pulse surveys, offers real-time insights into employee sentiment throughout the fiscal year. This helps leaders instantly understand and address evolving needs rather than trying to fix every problem just once a year.
Inclusion, equity & engagement
Peer-to-peer recognition broadens the scope of appreciation. This fosters a more inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone can give and receive recognition (versus just executives). Frequent surveys ensure that every voice, regardless of role, background, or position, can be heard.
Enables proactive, data-driven decisions
Real-time surveys empower leaders to address concerns early and effectively, while real-time recognition technology allows for swift acknowledgment of employees’ efforts. This combination creates a proactive environment where issues are resolved quickly and employees feel consistently valued.
Centralized, robust data
A key benefit of employee experience technology is its ability to centralize data into one cohesive platform. This data integration enables leaders to easily access insights into employee engagement and satisfaction, removing the fragmentation caused by isolated tools. With a unified system, organizations can better track trends, identify problem areas, and make informed decisions. Most EX software also plugs directly into HRIS systems, thereby reducing the manual load on HR team members.
Strategic partnership
Most employee experience software solutions offer ongoing support and expertise after initial implementation. An ongoing partnership helps organizations maximize the value of the technology and also continuously adopt the latest best practices over time. This means organizations are not left without resources, but rather, they have an adaptable system in place that supports sustained engagement and growth.
Choosing the right approach for your organization
To select the right tools, evaluate your organization’s unique needs. Look for a balanced solution that integrates multiple components into one platform, such as employee surveys and employee recognition. Look beyond just a technology provider. You need a true partner who will collaborate with you. This partnership should align with your culture and goals, offering ongoing support that evolves as your organization grows. By selecting a partner, not just a provider, you will create a workplace where employees feel heard, valued, and motivated to perform at their best.
WorkTango is an award-winning Employee Experience platform that helps leaders and organizations improve employee engagement, increase retention, and boost performance while reducing costs with Employee Surveys and Recognition & Rewards software. Want to see how WorkTango can transform your organization? Request a demo today.
