Employee Experience Research 2024: How to Make Progress!

60% of HR professionals now rank employee experience (EX) as a (very) high priority within their organizations. However, only 1 in 5 organizations is truly making progress. So, what can we learn from the leaders in EX?

These figures are drawn from a study on employee experience in the Netherlands and Belgium conducted by Welliba and HXWork. Employee experience (EX) has rapidly climbed the list of HR priorities.

• In 2022, only 14% of respondents rated EX as a (very) high priority.
• By 2024, this figure had risen to 60%, placing it among the top 3 HR priorities.
• In both the Netherlands and Belgium, 70% of organizations have made a start, but only 17% consider themselves ‘advanced’ or ‘very advanced.’
• Smaller organizations with up to 100 employees are leading the way, followed closely by the largest organizations.

Interestingly, these outcomes are almost identical to those from 2022, indicating that significant progress has been slow. Organizations that had already committed to EX two years ago have made further advancements, proving that sufficient investment in EX pays off. But how? What are the ‘lessons learned’ from the EX frontrunners?

1. Understand: EX is Not Traditional HRM

Although EX often falls under the HR umbrella, it is fundamentally different from traditional HR management. EX requires a different mindset, along with new methods and approaches. Unfortunately, too many HR departments continue with the old, traditional methods. Old wine in new bottles won’t work! Familiarize yourself with EX knowledge before diving in. Read a book, attend training sessions, and engage in discussions with EX professionals. Seek experienced guidance, perhaps from internal colleagues in customer experience.

2. Build Support

EX is inherently cross-departmental. Therefore, build support among executives, management, support departments, and especially HR itself. EX begins with the desire to be an organization where employees want to come and stay. This means listening to employees, researching their needs, prioritizing them, and keeping them informed about improvements.

This approach has implications for the organization, the role of managers, HR, and other support departments. Allowing one’s own expertise and role to dominate decisions, rather than working collaboratively, is not compatible with EX. These implications must be accepted upfront before making employee experience a focal point.

3. Set a Strong Employee Experience Ambition

Develop a strong EX ambition, which can complement the Employer Value Proposition, if one exists. A strong EX ambition connects the organization’s purpose and core values with the target group for whom the organization aims to be a good employer. A strong EX ambition clearly and succinctly states the organization’s promise and how employees will feel when working there.

Translate the EX ambition into an organization-specific EX manifesto, detailing your definition of EX, why you’re committed to it, and the EX design principles that will guide your collaboration and decision-making.

4. Develop a Continuous Listening Strategy

Start where the value for employee experience is greatest. Never begin with a task to develop an HR product or system. Research what is needed, identify the problems that need solving, and delve into them through:

• Quantitative research (surveys and pulse surveys)
• Qualitative research (interviews, focus groups)
• Data analysis

Traditional questionnaires focus on engagement and gather employee opinions about the (work) context (communication, management, development opportunities). However, EX requires a holistic approach. Employees’ personal characteristics largely determine how they perceive their environment. Large annual surveys are no longer relevant; you need to listen to employees continuously, as changes happen quickly. Short pulse surveys or thematic questionnaires are essential for a continuous listening strategy that meets the needs of both the organization and its employees.

5. Use EX Methods

Implement specific EX methods, such as employee experience design. This creative method combines insights from user design, positive psychology, and marketing, perfectly aligning with the EX mindset of putting the employee at the center. The method involves several steps with corresponding work forms and is available in many training programs. Also, consider agile working and HR analytics for the best results.

6. Collaborate with Other EX Stakeholders

Work with other departments from the start. EX is not just an HR issue; it encompasses everything an employee experiences at work. This requires a company-wide approach, especially on topics like information sharing, onboarding, hybrid working, and vitality.

These topics can be addressed collectively with specialists from HR, Facility Management, Communication, and IT. Working from different perspectives is valuable. EX creates connections and bridges between disciplines, moving everyone out of their silos to develop a broader, more integrated perspective. EX that is jointly addressed internally leads to better measurable results.

7. Organize Manpower

Organize manpower and assign clear roles. For example: a development team tests the innovation, confirms the hypotheses, and then delivers a tested solution—the so-called Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—to the owner. This could be an HR specialist responsible for scaling, implementation, maintenance, and periodic measurement. This person can then approach the development team again if innovation is needed. The study found that only 20% of organizations have defined an EX role. However, this percentage is significantly higher among the frontrunners.

Work based on objective data and insights. The study revealed that 46% of HR respondents are unclear about the effects of EX initiatives. This was particularly true for organizations that had made little progress, but it also reflects a lack of (the right) data and insights. Therefore, work evidence-based and establish success KPIs in advance. Never forget the baseline measurement and monitor various indicators like eNPS, EX, and engagement. Always work data-driven.

Keep asking employees for feedback and continuously check and adjust. Let employees indicate which internal themes they want to discuss. Employees don’t quickly tire of surveys, but they do when there is no transparency about what happens with their responses. Providing good feedback is crucial and goes beyond presenting general results on the intranet or by email. Ensure that employees receive individual feedback, which can be easily achieved through scalable technological solutions. Proven results provide the energy and support needed to keep going, and this is essential!

8. Remember: EX is for Everyone

EX is not just for employees with (permanent) employment contracts. It should also cater to job applicants, temporary workers, freelancers, interns, volunteers, and contracted cleaners and catering staff. Don’t forget alumni and retirees. EX is for everyone who contributes to the organization and aims to make all involved feel valued.

Distinctions should only be made when relevant to the target group itself. This is not yet a given, as self-employed HR respondents who participated in the study reported experiencing the organization’s DE&I policy as demotivating. Inclusive HR policies are the future, so listen to employees who work temporarily in your organization.

EX is a Long-Term Journey

EX is a long-term process that is never truly complete. It’s important not to spend too long planning. Start small to gain experience. EX is about continuous innovation, testing, measuring, and improving. It involves taking many small steps. HR tends to get stuck in the planning phase—start instead! All those small successes together have a significant impact, as demonstrated by the small group of frontrunners.