Measuring EX
Measuring employee experience is critical for creating a positive work environment that fosters engagement, retention, and productivity.
In today’s competitive business environment, it’s crucial for HR professionals to regularly track employee experience (EX) metrics to ensure they’re meeting their employees’ needs.
The starting point for EX is establishing your baseline (your current score), deciding what metrics are critical for measurement and how often they should be measured.
Similar to customer experience (CX), there are several commonly measured EX metrics. However, it’s important to choose the right metrics that align with your organization’s goals and values. The three most commonly measured EX metrics are:
- Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
- Employee Satisfaction Score (eSAT)
- Employee Effort Score (eES)
Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
eNPS is built around the Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure employee loyalty:
eNPS measures the willingness of your employees to recommend your brand, your workplace or even your products and services to others.
eNPS is simple and quick to measure. However, it won’t give you a complete picture. We recommend it is tracked and measured alongside other metrics to create a more holistic view of employee experience.
Employee Satisfaction Score (eSAT)
eSAT is similar to customer satisfaction (CSAT):
We focus on eight distinct experience drivers when evaluating employee satisfaction.
- Engagement — This measures the emotional commitment towards the brand and the job. Engaged employees are more likely to stay with the company, be productive and provide excellent customer service.
- Inclusion — This measures how well companies support diversity, equity, and belonging. Feeling included and valued is critical to overall job satisfaction.
- Empowerment — This measures how much control employees have over their work and decision-making. Empowered employees are more engaged and productive because they feel valued and trusted.
- Teamwork — This measures the level of collaboration and communication among employees. Effective teamwork leads to better outcomes, higher productivity and greater job satisfaction.
- Well-being — Supporting physical and mental health is essential for a positive work environment. Flexibility in scheduling and work arrangements is becoming increasingly important for employees, particularly with the rise of remote work.
- Personal Growth — Employees want to feel challenged and have opportunities (e.g. training, mentoring, secondments, and career advancements) for personal growth.
- Employee Voice and Communication — This measures the effectiveness of communication with employees and how much employees feel they are heard. Providing regular feedback, involving employees in decision-making processes, and fostering a collaborative culture can help build trust and improve satisfaction.
- ESG — Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures how well companies support sustainability, ethical practices, and corporate social responsibility. ESG is becoming increasingly important because employees want to work for brands that align with their values.
Employee Effort Score (eES)
eES is similar to customer effort score (CES, NES):
eES tracks and measures how effectively and efficiently employees perform their jobs. It focuses on the effort taken to perform their tasks and takes into account factors such as bureaucracy, processes, and tools that might hinder employees from performing their jobs well.
Succeeding with EX surveys
To gather honest feedback from your employees, ensure your surveys are anonymous. This will build trust in the process and ensure participation in future surveys.
Quantitative metrics alone may not capture the complexity of the employee experience or provide insights into the reasons behind the scores. Irrespective of which metrics you use in your surveys, it’s crucial to include open-ended questions that ask ‘Why?’. This will help you to comprehend what is driving EX and what improvement initiatives are required. Complimenting these insights with other metrics such as employee retention, absenteeism, and turnover can also be beneficial in building a holistic experience picture.
From feedback to action and change
Once you’ve compiled the insights, share them with all your employees. Engage them with the findings and co-create action plans with them to drive acceptance and change.
It’s important to continually measure and analyze employee experience data to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Consider replacing annual/biannual employee engagement surveys with regular pulse surveys.
In conclusion
Measuring EX is critical for creating a positive work environment that fosters engagement, retention, and productivity. By incorporating these commonly used metrics in ongoing surveys, businesses can gain valuable insights into employee experience and take the necessary actions to improve it.
