IBM- the giant information technology company- wanted to take employee engage ment to the next level. They found that employee engagement explained two-thirds of their client experience scores, which have a strong impact on their revenue.? So what did IBM do? They focused on redesigning processes to improve employ. ces' experiences at work. They started with employee recruitment and moved through their entire time working at the company. This Employee Experience approach "Te. quired a shift in mindset," said Diane Gherson, chief human resources officer at IBM They asked employees to co-design changes that affect them and alter processes that previously might have been overlooked. In the past, IBM might have updated their first-day orientation class for new hires. But now, as part of their Employee Experience approach, they asked new hires for feedback about how their onboarding experience was. Comments about delays in receiving laptops or in accessing work email highlighted where changes could be made. IBM realized that to get the first-day experience right, they needed to involve their security department to ensure badges were there and work with their networking department to get email access quickly. Beyond employees' first day of work, IBM also redesigned their employee learn. ing platform and performance evaluation process with employee input. Their new learning-management system is organized like Netflix, with different channels and user ratings. There is a live-chat advisor who helps answer questions employees might have as they navigate the system. Their performance evaluation system was redesigned after receiving input from 100,000 employees. Employees now receive richer feedback more often and can continue to offer suggestions for improvement through internal company blogs. Airbnb and General Electric also are leaders in Employee Experience. Employees* Workspaces were redesigned at Airbnb's corporate headquarters based on employee input. Paul Davies, GE's head of Employee Experience, explained their approach as "We ask our employees, our people leaders, and our candidates what matters most to them, we listen to their stories, listening especially for emotions. "

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

15-11. Why do employees with high employee engagement scores provide better customer service?

15-12. Why might a company's investments in their employees' experience result in benefits to behaviors (e.g., productivity, absenteeism, turnover) and attitudes (organizational commitment, perceived organizational support)?

15-13. What are the benefits of "listening for emotions" when asking employees what matters to them?

15-14. What do you think it would take to make an Employee Experience approach effective? What could make an Employee Experience ineffective?