BizTips from SCORE: A manager's guide to Improving the employee experience

If you truly believe that the core asset of a small business is their employees, then you have to believe that as an owner you need to be focused on their experience. Before launching into tactics that can be employed, let’s delve a little deeper into the “experience”.

First, what is it? Simply, it is the journey that employees take while employed by your organization. It answers the question how employees experience their workplace. It is the sum of all the interactions that employees and employers have during their journey. The feelings employees have about their journey impact their engagement, retention, performance and professional development.

Almost all employees go through seven stages of experience: attraction, hiring, onboarding, engagement, performance, development and departure. When viewing the journey there are several constraints that influence the quality of the employee experience: (1) quality of the relationship that an employee has with their manager, (2) clarity of their role, (3) the value they bring to the team, (4) the space and place where they work.

According to Gallup studies there are three crucial stages in an employee work lifecycle: Employee Engagement, Performance and Development.

Questions that might add texture to the stages of an employee’s journey are: Attraction – What elements of our culture are we highlighting to attract top talent? Hire – Does our hiring process feel fair? Does our process pick stars? Onboard – Do we affirm the decision employees made to join us? Do new hires experience our values during the employee onboarding process? Engage – Do our employees show up every day enthusiastic and involved in their work? Do we build on strengths and purpose? Perform – Does each employee performance review seem fair and accurate? Are we driving expectations to a higher level? Develop – Do our top performers see a future with us? Do we offer flexible personalized career paths? Do we continually coach career growth? Depart – Who are your talent competitors? Why does our best talent leave? Does our exit program create a positive experience? (Gallup, Inc Workplace)

Owners of small businesses can focus on several strategies to enhance the employee experience and boost retention and job satisfaction:Clear Communications: Ensure that open and transparent communication channels exist between management and employees. Regularly communicate company goals, expectations, and feedback.Employee Development: Invest in training and development opportunities to help employees grow both personally and professionally. This could include workshops, courses, or mentorship programs.

Team Building: Encourage team building activities and social events to strengthen workplace relationships.Recognition and Rewards: Implement a system to recognize and reward employees for their contributions. This could be through monetary bonuses, awards, or simply public acknowledgment of their achievements.Work/Life Balance: Encourage a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours and promoting vacation time usage.Leadership and Management: Developing Supportive Leadership: Cultivate leadership that is supportive, approachable and is aligned with the company’s values. Equip managers with the skills to lead effectively and support their teams.

Employee Well-being: Prioritize employee well-being by offering health and wellness programs, access to mental health resources, and promoting a supportive work environment. Implement formal recognition programs to celebrate achievements and contributions adds to employee well-being.Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular feedback mechanisms, such as employee surveys or one-on-one meetings, to gather insights into employee satisfaction and areas for improvement.Corporate Culture: Foster a positive company culture that aligns with the values and goals of both the business and its employees. Encourage collaboration, diversity, and inclusion.Fair Compensation: Ensure that employees are fairly compensated for their work by conducting regular salary reviews and benchmarking against industry standards.Professional Development: Provide clear pathways for career advancement within the company. This could include promoting from within, offering opportunities for skill development, and providing clear career progression plans. Regularly update resources and tools to keep pace with industry advancements.Employee engagement: Involve employees in decision-making processes that affect them and the company as a whole. This could be through employee-led initiatives, committees, or regular feedback sessions.By focusing on these areas, small business owners can create a positive employee experience that not only increases retention and job satisfaction but also contributes to overall business success.

Contributed by Marc L.Goldberg, Certified Mentor, SCORE Cape Cod and the Islands, www.score.org/capecod, 508/775-4884. FREE and confidential mentoring and webinars. Source: How to Improve the Employee Experience, Gallup Workplace, 2024.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: A business succeeds when employees are treated well, receive good pay