Smiti Bhatt Deorah, Co-Founder & COO of Advantage Club shared some brilliant insights on not just how organisations can benefit from building a world-class employee experience (EX), but also the critical pillars of making that happen in her keynote at TechHR India 2023. Data extensively shows that EX is fundamental for driving engagement and productivity while reducing attrition. But what are those areas businesses and leaders must focus on?

Here are five fundamental pillars.

The first impression of structured onboarding

Recruiting the talent is one thing but ensuring they stay for the long term is the real challenge. The first impression of a new hire is perceived through a number of processes that happen during this crucial stage of onboarding from aligning with cultural values, to speed of the overall processes, the employee sentiments all around and whether they see themselves as brand ambassadors of the company. 

Flexible engagement as a winning force

This rests on building strong workplace communities through initiatives that revolve around hobbies, driving celebrations that mark important milestones and making support groups for instance. Fostering those connections will make employees feel connected to one another because as Smiti shared, when employees leave, one of the things that they miss the most is the community they were a part of. 

Rewards and recognition to reinforce purpose

Rewards award various kinds of behaviours-aspirational (best in class), motivational (performance), intentional (drive and innovation), cultural (purpose and values) and situational (problem-solving). They are also rolled out through formal, informal, daily and approval-based processes. But what makes them an important part of EX is how they are a powerful motivational factor that not only inspires employees to do their best but also strengthens workplace relationships and reduces talent loss.

Holistic wellness frameworks to show you care

Wellness is foundational to building a robust employee experience. It is not only a testament of how much an organisation cares but has become extremely important in the aftermath of the pandemic. Physical, mental and financial wellness offerings must be provided simultaneously and address the diverse wellness and care needs of a multi-generational workforce.

The power of choice with flexible benefits

While digital tools and solutions accelerate standardisation, hyper-personalisation is the driving force of successful EX frameworks. When employees are given the opportunity to choose from an ambit of wellness offerings, there is undoubtedly greater impact and greater success. 

Summing up, here’s what organisations must get started on immediately:

• Defining the employee journey stages
• Mapping the employee touchpoints
• Understanding employee needs and expectations
• Creating consistency and alignment
• Supporting work-life balance and wellbeing
• Ensure a positive transition during exit

Designing the employee journey is a process that must be done with care and a future-forward vision. It is important to set the right groundwork so that organisations can truly retain their people for the long term. Because at the end of the day, as Smiti concluded, “A well-rounded employee experience creates a future-ready work culture.”