The working world is changing. Consider the ongoing digitization and customization of work, changing work environments, and an aging working population. To respond to these developments, it is important for organizations to be flexible… and at any time, ready for change. But how do you do that? Keeping an eye on how things are going both internally (what’s already going well, and what could be improved) and externally (what is happening in the market and with customers) is key in helping organizations respond to these changes. Although often overlooked, employees on the work floor often have a first-hand account on what is going on (internally and externally) and have ideas on how to improve. Smart organizations listen to their employees – they utilize their feedback and prepare for the future, together.
FLEXIBLE RESEARCH: GET EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW YOU WANT IT
Conducting an employee survey has become common practice for many organizations, for example looking into the work experience or satisfaction of their employees. For agile and sustainable successful organizations, performing employee surveys to gather insights once every one or two years, isn’t enough. Organizations need to utilize the feedback from employees on an organization-wide level with much more flexibility, considering both team and individual work experience – by measuring at any time, or on any given topic. For example, from gathering feedback during on-boarding to training processes, through to employee departure on how and why employees leave. In short, organizations need to gather feedback and listen to their employees throughout the entire duration of an employees’ career at an organization.
WHAT IS THE EMPLOYEE JOURNEY AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT?
We define the employee journey, as the career and development that an employee might take in a company. During this time employees are asked, at multiple and varying moments, to provide feedback about their experience at work within the organization. For example, the onboarding for a new employee, to the cooperation within a team or department, and engagement an employee experiences on a daily basis, are key points for feedback. By mapping out the employee journey, it’s clear what moments are important to both an employee’s career and the organization. The exact employee journey will vary by industry or sector, but there are three main stages of the journey are the same across the board:
1-On-boarding
2-Progress & development– The remaining course of the career of an employee within an organization.
3-Exit– The departure of an employee (for example, to another organization or retirement).
When organizations understand the employee journey and provide direction to employees throughout the duration of their journey, companies will maintain a criteria as an attractive employer, working to attain sustainable success.
During an employee’s career, or progress and development stages, employers often utilize an annual employee survey, however the use of Pulse surveys are on the rise. With Pulse surveys, feedback can be retrieved more often, with relevant measurable content.