A Totally Rad Total Rewards Glossary

Glossary of Employee Recognition, Total Rewards, and Company Culture Terms

Employee Experience

The employee experience encompasses all aspects of an employee's journey with a company, from the moment they apply for a job to the day they leave. It includes everything from the work environment and culture to employee benefits and opportunities for growth and development. In short, it's the sum total of everything an employee feels, thinks, and perceives about their employment.

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What impacts the employee experience?

The employee experience is influenced by a wide range of factors, including the company's culture, leadership, communication, compensation and benefits, and opportunities for career development. Put simply, everything the employee experiences at their job influences their…well, experience. Do they feel valued? Do they feel supported? Do they enjoy the work culture? Do they have friends? Are they challenged in healthy ways by their work? These are all employee experience considerations.

How does the employee experience affect employee motivation and engagement?

To show this, think of two different vacations scenarios:

One is to an amazing place with your best friends where you all see the sights, eat the food, and make awesome memories. You’d be very engaged in your trip, wanting to do everything you can while your time lasts, right?
The other trip is to a boring place with in-laws you don’t like. In this case, you’d probably be counting the days until the trip is over, right?

The employee experience is similar—when it’s fun, rewarding, and exciting, employees are going to be much more engaged and motivated to give their all. When it’s not, well, they’ll simply bide their time each day until they can go home.

What are some best practices for improving the employee experience?

To improve the employee experience, companies should focus on creating a positive work environment, fostering a culture of appreciation, and offering opportunities for growth and development. Simply put, employees need to enjoy their time at a company.