HRO Today March 2021 - 8

Upside
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WORK
The Employee
Experience Gap
Amplifying
Recognition
After a year of never-ending disruption, employee
experience (EX) has emerged as a top priority for business
leaders. According to Forrester and SAP SuccessFactors'
Close the Employee Experience Gap study, more than onequarter
of HR leaders say EX is the most important element
of their HR strategy (up from 9% two years ago), while
42% say it is very important.
However, while companies recognize the value of EX, the
research shows that HR leaders still struggle in several
areas.
* Employee feedback isn't consistent. Just over one-third
of employers are capturing employee interactions and
mapping employee journeys, only 36% have voice-ofthe-employee
feedback programs, and only 30% conduct
ongoing employee engagement surveys.
* EX initiatives lack executive support. Only 24% of teams
have a designated C-suite level executive responsible
for EX. This may explain three of the top five challenges
HR leaders face trying to impact EX: lack of investment,
insufficient tools, and insufficient headcount.
* EX efforts are not cross-functional. While 60% of
respondents admit that business leaders outside of HR are
often a key influencer of EX, on 21% write EX goals into all
business unit strategies.
* Measurement is insufficient. Thirteen percent of
organizations do not track any key performance indicators
linked to EX and 37% don't currently have a method for
measuring overall EX.
* Organizational silos complicate EX efforts. HR professionals
claim that a complex matrixed organization and lack of
visibility into teams is holding them back from improving
EX.
* Data remains a challenge. Seventy-one percent of
respondents said that they struggle to gather real-time
information about EX; 61% struggle to integrate gig
worker data with permanent workforce data; and 41%
find integrating experience and operational data a
challenge.
As workforces become more dispersed and employees
continue to confront the challenges of COVID-19, business
leaders need to create more consistent EX strategies to
drive long term business results. Those that succeed with
see better quality of work (80%), greater workplace agility
(59%), and higher retention (65%).
[8]
HRO TODAY MAGAZINE | MARCH 2021
Workhuman's new survey of 1,000 U.S. workers reveals
that business leaders cannot afford to neglect employee
recognition in 2021. Having faced significant hurdles in
2020, employees expect greater connection, appreciation,
and humanity from their employers. When asked what
humanity in the workplace looks like, 60% of respondents
said offering a simple " thank you " was key, followed by
celebrating accomplishments and milestones (45%).
Additionally, 34% of respondents who said they would
be unlikely to stay with their current employer for one
to three more years report not feeling valued as the top
reason why. Those who don't feel appreciated in the
workplace say it's because they're underpaid (36%) or their
work isn't noticed (22%). There were several other key
findings.
* Over half (56%) of respondents revealed that a bonus
from their employer would make them feel appreciated in
the workplace.
* Fifty-four percent of people claimed a " thank you " could
ease the pressure around performance while working
remotely. Currently, around 52% of employees always
or often receive a " thank you " from their employer or
colleagues.
* Thirty-one percent say gratitude directly impacts
motivation to success and 24.5% suggest it increases
productivity.
* Women are unequally recognized in the pandemic
workplace: Over one-quarter of men stated they always
receive " thank yous, " compared to less than 19% of
women.
Shortcomings of
D&I Programs
A new research study from Josh Bersin, Elevating Equity:
The Real Story of Diversity and Inclusion, raises serious
doubts about the impact of traditional approaches to
diversity and inclusion at a moment when people of color
are facing the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19
pandemic. Five trends appear within the research.

https://mailtrack.io/trace/link/fd876496f4619f239db2f148b3107c812e6a6685?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnyl.as%2Ft1%2F138%2F6xjeo3ubehn8jzfrjtpa8fxcz%2F1%2F70b890d4a2c5865421782c6fe4cf9ddad9ff73c0a30012b84d2e8711470b452f&userId=4692392&signature=717be924aed764a8 https://www.sap.com/programs/experience-wins.html?pdf-asset=00c9dcac-c07d-0010-87a3-c30de2ffd8ff&page=1#forrester https://ss-usa.s3.amazonaws.com/c/308463326/media/7667603358a67626883312490210463/202102%20-%20DEI%20Report_Final_V2.pdf https://ss-usa.s3.amazonaws.com/c/308463326/media/7667603358a67626883312490210463/202102%20-%20DEI%20Report_Final_V2.pdf

HRO Today March 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of HRO Today March 2021