BUSINESS INSIGHTS
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
It ’ s clear that employee engagement is a crucial part of an organisation . Without fully engaged and happy employees , the company is going to suffer . If employees are happy then they are usually loyal and will do their best for the company they work for . David Liddle , CEO and Chief Consultant at The TCM Group , explains the importance of HR in boosting employee morale .
The link between employee experience , customer experience and profitability is well established . Research from US management consultancy , Bain , has shown that companies with highly engaged employees grow revenue 2.5 times more than those with low employee engagement . To quote Richard Branson : “ Loyal employees create loyal customers who create happy shareholders .”
The role of HR in ensuring this golden thread runs throughout the business is , however , less researched and discussed . My experience suggests that in many organisations , there is a disconnect between people professionals and the marketing , sales and product teams who are seen as the ‘ go-to ’ when it comes to delighting customers and getting the tills ringing .
So what exactly can HR professionals bring to the party , and how can chief experience officers benefit from a closer relationship with their people and culture colleagues ?
Employees as customers
Aligning an organisation ’ s Employee Value Proposition with its Customer Value Proposition is central to creating an engaged , productive and healthy workforce . A happy , harmonious workforce will be more enthusiastic , productive , in tune with customer needs and willing to go the extra mile to deliver outstanding customer service .
Ted Stone , Managing Director of the Customer First awarding body , who I interviewed for my recent book , Transformational Culture , explains it well : “ Your employees are the most important asset within your organisation . Make sure you treat them this way ,” he said . “ You can have the most fantastic product or service offering in your market segment , but if you have staff who feel overworked or undervalued , it will consistently degrade the customer experience . People buy from people – make sure your staff are valued and they will value your customers .”
Forward-looking HR professionals are increasingly recognising that one of the best ways to achieve this alignment is to view their employees as customers themselves . Employees are consumers within their own workplace . They consume leadership , internal culture and the HR processes ( such as performance management systems , rewards and
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