When we think of journey maps, we usually think of customer experience. But when done correctly, employee journey mapping can be a tremendous method to understand the moments that genuinely matter to employees. It can enforce the standard experience that the organisation should provide to its employees. With this, employees will know what to expect during their time at an organisation.
What is the Employee Journey Map?
The journey begins when an applicant first sees your job posting. It continues through the recruitment process, their first day and first triumphs. It ends when they leave the company regardless of the cause of this step. During these times, everything your employee does, sees, feels, is part of their journey.
The employee journey map is used to create predictability in standard operating procedures. The process experience is influenced by the full set of internal rules, procedures, platforms, systems, and communication behaviours. How conventional and well-known are they?
There is a set of useful tools that each EX leadership team should be familiar with and use consistently:
- Employee Journey Procedure
- Flow diagram
- The RACI diagrams
- KPI diagram
- Support documents (job description, standard communication for different events, performance management files etc).
Recruitment
This stage encompasses everything that a people-centric organisation should do when seeking a new employee. Before the first day of work, the EX journey begins. The hiring process provides candidates with an insight into the corporate culture. It creates the framework for their experience as an employee.
From the message delivered through the job advertisement, to the interview and final answer, all of these actions play a significant role in employer branding. This applies for both candidates and the broader market. Details matter and we should keep this in mind when developing the recruiting section.
Onboarding
It is during this stage that workers form their initial impressions of the organisational culture. At this stage, new hires arrive with a fresh mind and a desire to contribute.
The first few weeks are spent learning about the organisation, team, and internal environment. An impactful onboarding process provides knowledge needed to complete their primary objectives. It enables them to build a sense of community with their team and manager. The new employee must feel as if they are settling in and becoming a part of the organisation.
Training and development
Employees must constantly increase their competencies and talents to outperform. This stage encompasses everything an employer does after onboarding for employees to succeed in their job – regardless of their position. In this stage, the organisation defines the entire process for collecting the employees needs and design a development strategy, including opportunities for ongoing education, mentorship requirements and coaching.
Performance management
Your staff are the essential ingredients for performance if you clearly explain expectations and provide the necessary tools and mentorship. However, it is not that simple. The company must establish performance criteria, procedures, and game rules. Not to mention the qualitative performance, which offers the most pleasing Customer Experience.
Internal job mobility
For talent retention, you must seek feedback from your employees on a frequent basis and throughout the employee life cycle. Adhere to best practices to keep them engaged. The old-dated annual employee survey is no longer enough. You need to keep an ongoing dialogue and for regular insight. Surveys and always-on feedback can meet today’s employee life cycle challenges.
Leadership
How can you improve your leadership skills? What can managers do to make their lives easier? These are the primary questions we address when developing the Leadership stage travel map. Leaders are accountable for operations, KPIs, and people management. They must engage people and mentor the next generation of leaders.
Recognition and rewards
Rewarding and recognising employees enhances employee engagement, which increases retention and contributes to a more favourable overall workplace environment. Implementing a rewards and recognition program improves employee engagement, which leads to numerous benefits for the organisation, such as greater productivity and retention.
Exit – the last experience with the organisation
No matter the reason, every exit can be an opportunity to listen to an employee’s voice. Leavers, regardless of the situation (retirement, outside opportunities, lack of engagement etc), can be ambassadors of the organisation if their journey was well adapted.
When employees resign, many organisations fail to listen. However, this is an important element of the employee life cycle because it allows for honest feedback from employee exit interviews. Make sure you conduct departure interviews in a professional manner, examining the information offered by departing employees. This knowledge may assist you in making changes to promote staff retention and improve your employer’s brand. Showing that you are still listening at this point in the employee life cycle demonstrates your commitment to employee engagement throughout the journey.
Building an employee-focused culture
From onboarding through exit, your employees’ journey involves crucial milestones. A detailed employee journey map is also required to better understand your co-workers.
Listening to your people at every point of their job life cycle is the key to perfecting employee experience in any business. Your employees collaborate to help your company expand, keep a positive work environment, and build and retain customers’ happiness. The entire employees’ journey comes natural as a need for the foundation of their customer-centric culture. Only starting with a predictable experience for your employees, they will treat customers with a high standardised quality service.