Take a moment to consider your top five key user groups. Did your own employees make the list? In the rush to service customers, it can be easy to ignore the experience of employees. Yet, they are the key providers and enablers of the exceptional customer experience you’re looking to deliver.
This article explores how improving employee experience (EX) by investing in the UX of employee systems, benefits business. Creating a tailored ‘digital front door’ for employees – a portal or platform giving single-point access to an organisation’s resources and services – can lead to better employee productivity and satisfaction, boosting business outputs and revenue.
Does investing in employee experience really pay itself back?
Making a case for investing in employee experience can feel like a hard sell. However, it’s better to spark the EX discussion in your organisation than face the consequences of a negative employee experience. Poor EX results in decreased productivity, high turnover rates and negative brand image which can result in high losses for the organisation.
A 2022 Harvard Business Review study found staggering evidence of the impact of employee experience on revenue. They found that shifting employee experience from a rating of ‘poor’ to ‘excellent’ would result in a 45% increase in profits per person-hour. They also found that investing in employee experience can lead to a 150% ROI.1 Further, companies that invest in employee experience are 4x more profitable than those that do not, according to Jacob Morgan, author of The Employee Experience Advantage.2
Investing in employee experience is not just about creating a positive work environment; it is a strategic business decision that can significantly enhance profitability.
Higher productivity: Engaged employees are more productive, which directly translates to higher output and better customer service.
Reduced turnover costs: By improving employee satisfaction, organisations can reduce turnover rates, saving on recruitment and training costs.
Enhanced innovation: Satisfied employees are more likely to be creative and innovative, driving new ideas and improvements that can give the organisation a competitive edge.
- Better customer experience: Happy employees are more likely to provide excellent customer service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. This can result in repeat business and increased revenue.
What good looks like
In the competitive landscape of global retail, efficient management of internal service requests is crucial. We recently partnered with a large multinational client to transform their business services through a comprehensive ticketing system that acted as a 'digital front door' for their employees.
The client aimed to:
Simplify compliance requirements
Automate manual business processes
Eliminate emails and spreadsheets for service requests
Lay the groundwork for future automation
Enhance data richness for AI opportunities
Increase transparency and accountability
To address these concerns, we developed a scoped application based on user research with a pilot client department to create a unified portal for business services requests. The new system delivered:
Efficiency: Reduced time spent on manual forms and email clutter.
Transparency: Clear visibility of request status and fulfilment, reducing frustration and improving workload management.
Future-Readiness: Established a foundation for automation, reporting and AI integration.
Strategies you can implement in your organisation
If you’re looking to improve the usability of your employee systems, here are a few focus areas to get you started:
User-Centric design and involvement: Apply user-centric design principles to employee systems by involving employees in the design process to ensure the systems are intuitive and meet their needs. Out-of-the-box systems won’t do.
Streamlined and integrated processes: Simplify and automate routine tasks like payroll and leave requests, and ensure seamless integration between different systems to improve efficiency and reduce frustration.
Mobile accessibility and continuous improvement: Ensure systems are accessible on mobile devices for flexibility, provide regular updates based on user feedback, and offer comprehensive training and support to enhance usability and employee confidence.
By investing in the UX of employee systems and creating a positive work environment, your organisation will be able to drive higher levels of engagement, productivity, and ultimately, customer satisfaction. Balancing customer and employee experience isn’t just a strategic advantage; it’s a necessity in today's competitive business world.
If you would like help to drive a better employee experience through your organisation’s internal systems, contact bill.bovopoulos@au.pwc.com or natasha.spencer@au.pwc.com
