In any customer service-driven business, it makes sense that there is a good amount of emphasis placed on the customer experience, but giving attention to the employee experience can give one’s business a significant boost as well. Not only does enhancing the employee experience lead to higher job satisfaction among your staff and greater retention rates, but it can also give way to happier customers.
So, how does a business owner place focus on the employee experience within their service-based venture? Here are some ways that employees can be recognized, valued, and prioritized.
Starting with a solid hiring strategy
The employee experience within one’s organization actually begins before they are even hired. The interviewing experience tells prospective hires much about the job they applied to, and creating a welcoming and informative hiring and onboarding experience can help set employees up for success.
Organizations also want to be clear about identifying their ideal candidates. Making customers happy all begins with bringing on employees that know how to make them happy.
New employees want to feel valued for the particular skills and experience that they bring to the role — the same skills that you likely hired them for. The employee’s first impression of the organization matters deeply in whether they will succeed in their roles and end up staying with your company.
Empower your people
Your employees want to feel as if they have ownership of their roles and the ability to apply their skills meaningfully. This means that they should be empowered to give suggestions, make decisions, and be creative. It can give an employee an incredible feeling of accomplishment and agency in their positions to give them a little freedom — provided that freedom serves the company and the customer well.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion matter
Just as customers want to feel welcome and accepted by the service providers that they use, employees want to feel welcomed and included as well. DEI initiatives have grown in importance over the last decade, with most businesses including a DEI approach in their day-to-day processes, hiring, marketing, and managing.
Realizing the importance of DEI is also good for a business’s bottom line as well. For example, one recent study indicated that 75% of companies that enacted DEI initiatives saw a growth in revenue. When employees feel as if their diverse nature is respected and valued and believe wholeheartedly that they are an equitable part of the business team, they are more likely to feel secure in their positions, happy in their jobs, and willing to pass that down to the customer.
Respect the need for rest
Many customer service-orientated jobs can be taxing — mentally and physically. Positions such as waiting tables or retail can often mean long hours, busy days, and challenging customer interactions.
Business leaders that respect their employees’ need for balance and rest will see a return in those employees’ willingness to go the extra mile for customers and for the business as a whole. Work environments should include generous rest and break times, PTO, and benefits that can help employees practice self-care, such as robust health plans.
Recognize and reward great work
Everyone wants their effort to be recognized, especially by their boss. If you have great employees that are constantly knocking it out of the park with customers, let them know you see them by offering rewards for going above and beyond. Host contests for markers of success such as reviews or meeting sales goals, and recognize outstanding efforts with raises and bonuses.
While competitive pay is wonderful, that little “something extra” in terms of recognition could mean the difference between an employee who is simply comfortable in their role and one who loves their job.
Give opportunities for growth
One of the biggest complaints found within conversations over the last few years following the Great Resignation was the lack of opportunity available for growth within positions. If you wish for employees to stay with you and continue to dazzle customers, you must offer an opportunity for them to grow in their roles in the form of mentorships, continuing education, and ongoing conversations about growth trajectories. Employees that are invested in your business for the long haul are going to be apt to give the best service possible to customers.
Your employees and your customers are coming to you for different reasons, but they all want the same thing: to feel valued. By showing your employees how important they are and enhancing their employment experience, you will likely see the fruits of your labor in the smiles and rave reviews of your customers.
