Could a Bad Employee Experience Destroy Your Business?

“Many years ago, I remember walking into the first day of my new job. Nobody knew who I was. I was left at the desk, trying to figure out my way into the office. My manager wasn’t there and hadn’t told anyone I was starting.”

“I was gone three months later. I didn’t even bother mentioning this company in my resume. A few years later, I walked into another company and everyone in the office welcomed me by name. HR brought me on a tour around the office, I was then settled with my laptop, stationery, notebook ready on my desk.”

“I stayed in the company for nearly five years. Till today, I continue to promote that company and recommend my friends to join even though I haven’t worked there in seven years.”

This was an explanation from a candidate I recently interviewed when I asked her to describe a bad employee experience.

That’s why it is vital to establish a connection between employee experience and employer branding. Your role as an employer should bring these two tactics together to form strong employer brands that attract great talents and keep them.

Why does attracting and retaining the best talent matter?

Talent attraction and retention are significant drivers of shareholder value. Companies that strategically align talent management practices with business objectives outperform others by 16%, retain 30% more top performers, and achieve 34% higher employee performance.

Essentially, when you manage to keep your employees, it directly reflects on how you are as a leader and to represent your organisation. The higher the retention rates, the more likely your company will attract great talents.

So, what are the warning signs of a bad employee experience?

1. Lack of training in the workplace

Technology is catching up, competitions abound. No matter how talented your employees are, it is more important than ever that your workforce is adequately trained with the latest knowledge and skill levels to work productively.  

No ambitious employees would turn down a job that allows them to develop and upgrade their skills. A recent case study on Singapore Airline’s employer branding showed that their reputation for investing in talent development is one of the main factors in attracting a strong talent pipeline.

It is the skills that employees learn on the job that motivates them to stay. Align your business goal with a comprehensive learning and development strategy by utilising the tools that are currently available on the market. Choose from a wide selection of learning management systems (LMS) amongst other offerings of a full Talent Management suite that align with your organisation’s goals.

2. Poor internal communication

If you have barriers in communicating with your team, your employees are likely to run into problems at work because of their unmet criteria, inevitably leading to more disappointment.

Don’t be surprised when your best employee leaves for a better opportunity that appreciates them more. Keep your employees in a frequent communication cycle to avoid any discrepancies. Unaddressed issues will only create an impression of poor management.

Clear and open communication is a two-way street to maintaining a good relationship between senior leaders and employees, especially in managing expectations at work. Make sure everyone is on the same page about the organisational directions, expectations, and objectives.

3. The cost of bad hires

A bad hire not only costs you money but also decreases productivity, losing clients, and a damaged reputation. In a study, 34% of CFOs agreed that bad hires compromise productivity, and managers spend 17% of their time (at least one day a week) supervising poorly performing employees.

According to the Wall Street Journal, hiring the right people from the start is the best way to reduce employee turnover. Individuals with the best resume and work experience don’t necessarily are the best candidates for a company. Make sure you pick the ones you can work together with.

Ask unique, investigative interview questions that can target certain personality traits you need for the role. Focus on hiring for the culture you want for your team. Ultimately, trust your instincts — make sure you pick the ones you can work together with.

The power of an engaged workforce

Large corporations such as McKinsey & Company, Accenture, or Unilever produce career-focused content like employee stories to excite their potential candidates and better understand the role they are applying for and know what to expect when working for the company.

The last thing you want for your organisation is employees leaving you. The better reputation you have as an organisation, the higher the employee retention. While employee experiences directly affect a company’s reputation, keep your employees motivated on the job by providing them a positive experience at the workplace.