We’ve been told for at least two decades that the key to a great employee experience is what? 99% of answered probably one of two things:

1. Working for a great leader.

or

2. Having a best friend at work.

The reality is, the true key of a great employee experience is probably farther down the Maslow pyramid then we want to believe.

For sure it’s great to have a wonderful boss and great friendships at work, and those two things will give you a great employee experience, they will only give you a great experience is some others thing are first met. Things like being paid a wage that you feel is fair for the job you are doing and that is comparable with others doing the same job. Actually liking the job you are hired to do. Having the tools and technology available to you to be successful at your job.

PwC recently released their Tech at Work Report and found that while leaders believe they are attempting to deliver the right tools and technology (90% of executives believe they are paying attention to their employee’s needs when introducing new technology), only 53% of employees feel their leadership is actually delivering on this promise.

Our executives feel satisfied with their technology experience at work, while most employees are much less satisfied than their leadership team. Why? I would guess that most executives don’t live and work in the same tech environment as their teams, and while strong leaders will bring their teams in on those tech selection decisions, most do it so far into the process that employees will feel they can’t push back on decisions that have really already been made.

The PwC report also found that 73% of employees know of technology systems that could help them produce a higher quality of work. If that’s the case, that we aren’t giving our employees these tools, it will most likely lead to higher turnover. Employees will find work environments and work experiences that will assist them in being the most successful they can be, especially in today’s ultra-low unemployment environment.

Another critical factor found in the Tech at Work Report is that our employees want both digital and face-to-face interactions, but it depends on the interactions. For common HR/Work interactions (scheduling a vacation, IT help desk support, employee benefits, etc.) our employees prefer a digital experience. Whereas when we do things like training, communicating with peers, etc., we would much rather have those interactions face-to-face, and technology free.

So, how can we utilize technology to drive a great employee experience? 

First and foremost, we can decouple technology and the employee experience. These two things work together in a positive, or a negative, way when it comes to delivering a great experience. Also, the PwC report recommends:

– Don’t make technology decisions without knowing what the impact will be for the end-user. Sure you did that job, a decade ago, but have you done it recently?

– Get the right people in the decisionmaking loop who do know the current job and the impact new technology will have on the end user.

– Upskilling your workforce to new technology is not training, and we need to think about this process much differently. Employees who are upskilled are much more likely to value their experience and be retained longer.

Employee Experience is huge for 2019. With historic low unemployment and a demographic across the workforce that will keep unemployment low for the near future, it’s critical for organizations and leaders to understand how technology is driving positive employee experiences for great companies. Go check out the PwC report, it’s loaded with great information and advice!