Crafting a premium digital employee experience: do’s and don’ts

The digital employee experience – or DEX – is all about the way your employees interact with and feel about the technology in the workplace. This includes everything from quality to usability. Although it’s not a new concept, half the European employees (48%) still claim their organisation fails to meet their expectations. Here’s how to do better.

Do’s for a premium DEX

#1 Involve employees

Employees who feel that they have contributed, and been listened to, will adopt new HR tech more willingly. So, try to actively involve them from the start. Set up a diverse pilot group to analyse the possible impact of a digital application, benefits, concerns, optimisations, etc. and act upon their wishes if possible. They could also test the software.

You can only tick usability if you put your employees at centre stage and build outwards from their perspective. Creating tools for and by employees is your best chance at delivering digital experiences that hit the mark.

#2 Personalise it

Remote and hybrid employees tend to be less connected to their companies and less embedded in the culture. To counter that trend, personalised digital touchpoints and experiences have become more important than ever. From curated internal communication feeds to AI-powered talent marketplaces, solutions abound nowadays.

Using generative AI in your HR tech stack can be a real gamechanger to meet personal needs and preferences. That said, be sure to prioritise features that genuinely help your employees and not just wow them.

#3 Go mobile first

Mobile-friendliness is a no-brainer when it comes to optimising the accessibility of your digital workplace. Employees who don’t have access to mobile tools to get work done feel significantly less able to access the information they need. This is particularly the case for remote, deskless and frontline workers.

If the goal is to make work life as great as real life, we need to change our perception that phones don’t have a place at work. Instead, we should embrace mobile devices as a valuable means to complete tasks, send requests, manage workflows and much more.

#4 Focus on the entire employee lifecycle

The digital employee experience starts from the first moment a prospective employee interacts with you and runs all the way to development, performance and even offboarding. Our advice: use design thinking to map out the entire employee journey, so you don’t miss important touchpoints to capitalise on.

However, avoid having too many disparate applications and platforms. That could waste time, impede productivity and deliver a poor experience. Your HR tech stack should feel familiar to your team in terms of usability and interfaces.

Don’ts for a premium DEX

#1 Overwhelm people

We all know apps where you need to elbow your way through various screens and click multiple buttons to (hopefully) get where you need to be. Moreover, you’re also invited to create a dedicated account and remember a strong password. Can you feel your blood boiling already?

Therefore, choose digital tools that offer a clear purpose, have intuitive designs, aim for fewer clicks, and don’t boast unnecessary features. Keep it simple is a good rule of thumb when exploring new tools.

#2 Forget guidance

Yes, digital solutions have become highly intuitive. Yes, most of us are more tech savvy than 10 years ago. No, we don’t get everything straightaway. Without proper training from the start, there’s a chance that your employees won’t be able to navigate your new applications and will end up discouraged.

Some ideas to consider for a premium DEX: provide time to train, offer different training formats, set realistic deadlines to adapt a new way of working, incentivise training, and follow up appropriately.

#3 Sit back and watch tech take care of things

Don’t assume that because you’re thrilled about your digital strategy, everyone around you is too. List possible concerns and questions, as well as how to respond to them. Quite obviously, as you go forward, keep on gathering employee feedback. Two-way internal communication is central to creating a positive experience.

Remember, real-time feedback is the best type of feedback, because it’s typically more honest, relevant and contextual. Work with your IT team to integrate simple questions that pop up when people are using your applications.

#4 Digitalise directionless

To get your employees excited about what you have in store for them, define a clear, concise vision – a (big) picture of what the future looks like for your employees. This should entail a plan that aligns with both your company’s and employees’ aspirations, supported and bound by the same culture and values.

Step one: tie your digitalisation efforts to business objectives. Have you set goals for your digital tools? If not, you won’t be able to measure their success and ensure they enhance the digital employee experience beyond subjective emotions.

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Crafting a premium digital employee experience: do’s and don’ts