Applying a customer-centric approach to the employee experience

Last week I unveiled the 2024 trends for HR communications and kicked off a blog series that will explore each trend in depth. Each week, I will provide tips and insights on how these trends are poised to affect HR and communications professionals throughout 2024. This week’s trend focuses on creating a customer-like employee experience. 

What exactly is a customer-like employee experience? Think about your experience with companies like Amazon. From the second you browse a product on your app to the moment you purchase it, you can find up-to-date information on any device. Amazon can also give you reminders and personalize the experience based on what’s going on in your life and which communications channels you use the most, such as a mobile app, web browser, or Alexa. 

Say, for example, you recently searched for baby items. Later, on Amazon, you see recommendations for baby products and books about babies. On social media, you see articles with checklists as you prepare for the baby’s arrival. 

Imagine if this same customer experience existed for employees. Your employees would receive personalized, omnichannel information when and where they need it most.

A better way to communicate

Traditional digital experiences, such as sending mass emails on benefits or training programs, fall short. This is especially true for deskless employees—a substantial 80% of the workforce, encompassing 2.7 billion people worldwide. Many of them don’t even have access to emails containing essential information on employee assistance programs, open enrollment, performance deadlines, or safety training.

Furthermore, even if the employee does have access to email, they still may not read the message. Consider this: A mind-boggling 347 billion emails are sent daily. How do you cut through the noise and capture your employees’ attention?

The answer lies in embracing personalized communication, akin to the individualized experiences we encounter as customers. Think about the convenience of receiving notifications from Alexa about a delivered package or a reminder about your child’s birthday list. 

Now, imagine implementing the same level of personalization with your internal HR communications. Picture HR professionals being able to send customized communications—for instance, when an employee embarks on parental leave. This ensures they receive precisely timed, relevant information on actions like adding a dependent to their insurance, completing forms while on leave, and taking advantage of the organization’s amazing parental benefits. 

HR communicators in this scenario help break through the noise, ensuring that employees—especially deskless ones—can access the right information, exactly when they need it, through the most appropriate channels. Sending another generic email in 2024 will not result in completion of compliance training, lasting cultural changes, or employees utilizing their benefits. By the way, employee benefits are severely underutilized, and 58% of employees remain unaware of the benefits available to them. 

It’s time to update our HR communication strategies to be more like our great customer experience.

The right communication technology

Take, for example, Firstup customer AGCO. They’ve masterfully crafted a personalized onboarding journey that activates when new employees join the company. This journey shares pivotal company information, valuable resources, and essential training throughout the first 90 days. 

What sets the Firstup platform apart is its intelligence—the technology knows precisely how to reach each employee. Given that deskless employees make up a significant portion of AGCO’s workforce, the platform intelligently determines whether to convey communications through email or push notifications, catering to the unique preferences of each individual. 

The cost of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding employees is expensive, and employees typically decide whether to stay or go within their first 90 days. Imagine the time, money, and employee morale that could be saved by creating customer-like employee onboarding journeys to guide employees through their first few months at your organization. 

Are you ready to stop sending emails that no one reads or has access to? I know I am. Instead, let’s embrace what employees already know and love in the customer world—a modern employee experience that delivers personalized, omnichannel campaigns AND provides you with valuable engagement insights throughout the employee’s journey at your company.