Work Smart
«Employee experience – the trump card in the war for talent»
Working from home, digital collaboration, work-life blending: employee needs are more important than ever. The employee experience is critical at a time of skills shortages. What does this mean for workplace design and the use of technology?
Text: Tom Hauk, Pictures: Swisscom
26 June 2023
Traditionalists, baby boomers, Generation X, Y and Z: the five generations on the labour market today could hardly be more different. The traditionalists born around 1950 tend to place a lot of trust in management and bring a strong work ethic and sense of duty. Generation Z, born from 1996 onwards, feels at home on the Internet, like a duck to water, and is looking for meaning in their work instead of a classic career.
Companies therefore need to create the right conditions that will motivate experienced employees to stay – while still attracting and retaining new talent. Both are essential for survival in the war for talent and succeed if the employee experience is right.
What does that bring? We'll show you in our video.
5 tips for a better employee experience
Employee experience, or EX for short, describes the overall employee experience in the workplace, from the first contact with a potential employer, through onboarding and development, to the last day of work and even beyond.
1. Sustainable corporate culture
A leadership culture based on understanding, trust and appreciation as well as an open and transparent feedback culture are important.
2. Career opportunities
Employees are motivated by further training and development opportunities for everyone, especially beyond the job description.
3. Flexibility, autonomy and modern technologies
Many employees seek greater flexibility and autonomy to balance work and life. Investing in modern technologies that support this flexibility, such as hybrid working, is crucial.
4. Intergenerational and virtual teams
Different strengths, skills and experience all come together in project teams. It is the skill set that counts, not rank or position. Diversity triggers engaging discussions and stimulates innovation.
5. Mentoring programmes and the reverse mentoring principle
Experienced employees show new entrants the ropes. Young Talent and trainees provide support and advice to experienced employees on new technologies and tools.
Employees: from a valuable to a valued resource
Employees are the most valuable resource of any company. But how do companies use this resource? Best-selling author Jacob Morgan finds that companies need to see themselves first and foremost as a laboratory and not a factory. This enables them to cope with changing influences and challenges. His book The Employee Experience Advantage is the result of an extensive research project in which he evaluated more than 150 studies and articles, interviewed more than 150 managers and analysed more than 250 global organisations. Jacob Morgan identifies three areas of employee experience:
1. Cultural environment
The company culture describes the common values, norms, behaviours and practices within a company. How do the employees feel about their work? Is it meaningful and valuable?
2. Physical environment
Workplace design, including the furnishings, colour, lighting and ceiling height, has a significant influence on a positive employee experience.
3. Technical environment
IT problems are major reasons for workplace stress. Who isn’t familiar with those horror stories when the onboarding of new employees fails because the IT isn’t ready?
Working together for successful implementation
The classic division of tasks between HR and IT is too short-sighted: HR and IT professionals both know that a positive employee experience depends on an optimally designed digital workplace. Wherever they work, employees need access to the technology and tools that help them be productive and engaged. At the same time the digital workplace must be secure, protected and integrated. Ensuring all this requires an ongoing process that is implemented integrally and continuously reviewed and improved.
Individual solutions rather than one-size-fits-all
HR and IT experts alone cannot take care of each and every aspect needed for a positive employee experience. A stable technological basis is one key element. It also requires the implementation of multiple digital disciplines that are aligned with the cultural, physical and technical environment. With the Enterprise Workspace solution, Swisscom is addressing this very issue and integrating forward-looking solutions to provide the best employee experience.
More employee autonomy with Swisscom’s Enterprise Workspace
Enterprise Workspace enables employees to set up their workplace flexibly, regardless of time and location. They are given more autonomy in designing their workspace while IT managers retain an overview. Enterprise Workspace can also improve the employee experience in your company:
One portal for everything
Is switching between different IT tools too exhausting and time consuming? The My Swisscom Business portal is your convenient central location for providing, configuring and managing workstations. Collaboration is simplified, orders are assigned immediately and processes are accelerated. You gain insights into your company’s workforce and make it possible to control the digital employee experience.
Onboarding
Onboarding with Enterprise Workspace can happen anywhere, at home, in the office or on the road. The entire starter package is provided in good time before the first working day at the location of your choice.
Management & apps
All employees are given the specific operating systems, apps and licences they need. Teams can access tools themselves when needed, which encourages independence.
Hardware
The main focus is on straightforward hardware administration and maximising reliability Repairs are performed directly on site within 24 hours. Employees also have the freedom to choose from the selection of hardware in the online shop or to use their own devices.
Security, services and support
Employees have secure access to data, applications and the right all-round services at all times, regardless of their location or device. The latest encryption and authentication features offer protection against cyberthreats Faults can be reported directly in the portal or centrally via the hotline. In addition, the Swisscom support team is available day and night.
Future Work Consulting
Enterprise Workspace allows you to start focusing on what matters: cultural change Do you want to enable modern, digital collaboration in your company and need support in cultural change? Let our team of experts support you and your employees with proven change management consulting, in addition to the Enterprise Workspace.
Discover what’s possible
Let our experts advise you on how Enterprise Workspace from Swisscom can have a positive impact on the employee experience in your company.