An experience gap will exist between people who are frequently in the office and those who work remotely most, if not all, the time. And so leaders can’t be expected to provide an identical employee experience (EX) to all, however they must endeavour to provide a fair and equitable experience in which employees feel united by the organisation’s purpose, values and culture. In such an organisation, everyone should be made to feel empowered, trusted and appreciated with development opportunities open to all. But how can such an EX be created and nurtured within a hybrid workforce? John Nicklin, MD of workplace technology provider, Sorce, provides his insights.
What employee experience do you want?
As it stands, only 18 percent of today’s employees believe they work in a “high fairness” environment, which is a massive issue when trying to create an EX that treats everyone on an equal footing. To address this problem, and move towards an EX that is similar for all employees, HR leaders must first be intentional about the type of experience they want to create.
The HR leader has to be clear what the ideal EX ‘looks like’ in a hybrid world and how it should make employees feel. How can you ensure everyone is included and feels valued and trusted to do their job? All employees must have the same starting point, the same access to resources and information, the same ability to connect with others and the same opportunities to grow and be part of the decision-making process. And all support and opportunities must be designed to be universal with open conversations about why certain decisions have been made.
And the digital employee experience (DEX) must be considered as part of this so the organisation understands how real-life and online moments intertwine to deliver similar experiences.
Tips on designing an equitable experience
Once it’s clear what the EX (and DEX) is looking to achieve, HR leaders must create a hybrid working guide that covers organisational expectations and what’s considered acceptable in terms of where and when people are expected to work. This should be created in partnership with employees so everyone (including the organisation itself) are bought into the vision, and can be held accountable for abiding by the rules and regulations.
Managers must also be trained on how to lead a hybrid team with fairness, compassion and understanding – never assume they know! In fact, Gartner research reveals that 72 percent of managers are favouring on-site workers for promotion, which is automatically putting remote and hybrid workers at a career disadvantage. So managers need to recognise the importance of an equitable approach, and be aware of situations when they may unintentionally exclude individuals or groups such as remote workers, parents, older workers, those with disabilities or certain religious groups.
Plus, the management training must emphasise the importance of connecting with remote workers, highlighting how this requires proper planning so everyone is a part of the discussions, not just office-based workers. And of course, to make this logistically possible requires everyone to have the right tools and set-up.
Investing in tech that supports EX
Clearly, having the right technologies in place is crucial if those who are remote working have an experience aligned with their office-based colleagues. First and foremost, this means investing in a central IT platform, such as an intranet, that brings everything and everyone together, allowing all employees to have access to the same information, conversations, support and opportunities.
The platform must act as a ‘virtual office’ and reflect the organisation’s purpose, values and culture, with all key apps integrating with it to ensure a streamlined experience. By having a central system that signposts people to the information and documents they need, enables collaboration with colleagues, and supports all aspects of the EX – from onboarding and staff recognition through to learning and development – employees are given a replicable experience regardless of whether they’re working from home or a location on the other side of the world.
And importantly, the online platform can be used to reinforce what’s important to the organisation and its people, while giving everyone the opportunity to speak-out and be heard. With the modern intranet of today far more advanced than even just a few years’ ago, it provides the ideal podium for employees to have their opinions heard, and using the integrated ‘social’ functionality, easily interact with colleagues and leaders.
The EX can’t be left to chance!
Inclusion and equity are the backbone of a fair employee experience, and to ensure fairness across a hybrid workforce, HR leaders must take their EX vision and ensure the right training, support and infrastructure is put in place. With employees who regard their employee experience as fair performing better and staying at their organisations for longer, HR leaders simply can’t leave the EX to chance but must invest in making it equitable for all.