Understanding Live Employee Experience: The Future of EX Technology

The employee experience (EX) used to be centered around the in-person workplace experience for most workers. But with the surge of virtual and hybrid workplaces, companies can no longer rely on engagement tactics that only work in a traditional setting. Employers typically think of employee experience in a more basic sense: “What do my employee engagement surveys say about what we’re doing well versus what we need to change? What EX hiccups did we learn about in exit interviews?” However, there’s a more accurate way to get live, in-the-moment EX information through new technologies. These tools – known as Live Employee Experience platforms – provide real-time analytics and up-to-date information about EX.

According to Willis Towers Watson’s “2021 Employee Experience Survey,” 92% of organizations are prioritizing EX enhancements over the next three years – up from 52% in 2020. With more workplaces than ever before experimenting with hybrid or fully-remote workplaces, the live EX platform has great potential for organizations looking to update their EX strategy.

How Live EX Benefits Your Organization

Generally, an EX platform provides employees access to job-related activities, including onboarding, benefits, compensation, performance management and the communication tools they use throughout the day. Live EX takes this to a new level. Real-time analytics help organizations be more dynamic. Leaders and managers get information they need to respond to employee feedback as quickly as possible. This can positively impact the employee experience in many ways. It helps employees feel more connected to their work and colleagues, and can lead to outcomes such as improved retention and engagement.

In the 2021 Willis Towers Watson survey, only 9% of respondents said their organization has a transformative employee experience. (In this context, transformative EX is defined as “having an EX strategy that’s integrated with business strategy” and “Using technology to fundamentally transform EX.”) Live EX is one clear example of technology specifically designed to fuel EX efforts.

Interestingly, the survey also found that compared to organizations without a defined EX strategy, organizations with a transformative EX strategy see higher metrics in areas like organizational culture, employee engagement and employee well-being. Other benefits include higher productivity and lower annual turnover rates.

Roadblocks to Accomplishing Live EX

Organizations everywhere have gone through a lot the past couple years adapting to new types of workplaces and striving to keep their employees engaged from afar. Simpplr’s “State of the Employee Experience 2022” survey found that only 8% of organizations said they are working fully in-person in an office. Most respondents (53%) are using a hybrid model, and 25% have employees who primarily work remotely.

In such environments, employees and managers infrequently see one another in person. This makes reconnecting with employees in a fully remote or hybrid workplace imperative. Communication and analytics tools that increase employee engagement can help organizations bridge this gap and keep people connected and engaged.

The Tools and Tech You Need to Achieve Live EX

AI and behavioral science are integral parts of a Live EX platform, allowing organizations to tap into deeper insights and providing leadership with in-the-moment insights that speak to employees’ true opinions, attitudes and motivations. This type of information includes what employees truly feel about company culture, what excites or frustrates them, and what part of common processes confuses them. This intelligence can help leadership make informed decisions on their EX strategy, identifying where changes may be required or slight tweaks are needed. With this type of platform, organizations can also see in real-time the impact of the changes they’ve made, making ROI easier than ever to obtain.

Get Live EX in Your Organization

Making transformative change to your EX strategy isn’t easy, especially when you’re relying on the same old metrics for employee engagement. While pulse surveys and exit interviews have value, they don’t collect all the necessary intelligence to make informed decisions in the hybrid workplace. To learn more about live EX, check out the webinar below.

Watch the on-demand webinar now at simpplr.com.