A study by Gartner revealed that employers who provide flexibility over 'when' and the quantum of work observe that 55% of their workforce turn into high-performers. Therefore, in 2021, you will witness employers evaluating their worker's performance by their output rather than an agreed set of hours

Even though the term 'employee experience' is emerging only now, the feeling is universal. How do your employees feel working for your company? This notion takes into account the qualitative experience your employees have within your organization. It includes several stages of an employee's career path, from getting interviewed to onboarding to career progression, daily work environment, and even departure.

It’s no secret that the happier your employees are, the better your organization churns profit. Remember, how you treat your employees is how they will treat your business. Keeping in line with these thoughts, let us peek into the latest trends that boost employee experience:

Trend 1# Emergence of Stricter Workplace Safety Norms

Sure, workplace safety, whether it is security from harassment or other forms of exploitation, has played a critical role in boosting employee experience. But, with the COVID-19 crisis, workplace health and safety will become one of the most critical objectives for an organization. Activate your leaders to take this into account and start drawing out policies around the safety of your employees at the workplace.

Regardless of the industry you function in; if your employees feel safe coming to work, you can bank on their productivity. Simply drafting stricter health policies at the workplace is not enough. Make sure you initially set up a task force to enforce safety practices to the tee. Once you successfully establish new best practices for COVID appropriate behavior and safety, you can dissolve this task force.

Trend 2# Remote Work to Continue

The COVID-19 catastrophe altered our lives inexplicably. Even the air we breathe has become contaminated with coronavirus droplets, albeit temporarily. Until things clear up, which will be sooner than later, the trend of remote or virtual work will continue. And, what's more, this trend is much loved by a majority of employees. Working from home has extended them flexible hours and provided a better work-life balance.

This trend also has a positive impact on productivity. A Flexjob survey revealed that 66% of study participants admitted that their productivity went up when working remotely. Another research by Workforce Futures revealed that 83% of employees claimed they don't need to go to the office to be productive.

Simply put, remote work is here to stay for a substantial amount of time. This is why your HR or leadership department must develop programs to keep employees engaged and promote a sense of belonging among employees towards the organization.

Trend 3# Checking Upon Employees Will Gain Prominence

The present situation has been mentally taxing on countless individuals around the globe, and your employees are no different. This is why checking up on them from time to time is critical. Earlier, if you had a half-yearly or yearly system where they could talk about their problems or provide feedback on work pressure and other aspects, change it to bi-weekly or monthly.

This trend has the capability to boost employee experience and also improve productivity significantly. It is always nice to know that your organization cares about your mental well-being. The best way to check up on your employees is to ask them. Schedule calls with your team every ten days. Get the HR departments to plan activities to keep your team's spirits up, and you will likely notice your employees' morale go up.

Trend 4# Pronounced Flexibility in Timelines

As you already know, the trend of remote working that started in pandemic stricken 2020 is all set to continue in 2021. However, it is not just the work location but also the timelines that will become more flexible this year. Essentially, ‘when’ an employee is supposed to work will become more fluid, with employers providing broader deadlines.

A study by Gartner revealed that employers who provide flexibility over 'when' and the quantum of work observe that 55% of their workforce turn into high-performers. Therefore, in 2021, you will witness employers evaluating their worker's performance by their output rather than an agreed set of hours.

Trend 5# Employees Will Extend Means for Psychological Support

Employers are already acknowledging the mental adversities brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic on their employees. No wonder 68% of organizations in 2020 introduced at least one wellness benefit – free sessions with a therapist and such to support their workers.

While more companies will extend such benefits to their employees, in 2021, experts predict they will go a step further and conduct activities to de-stigmatize psychological health and subsequent counseling. Activities can include mental health workshops or shutting the company down for a day to celebrate "mental health awareness day."

Final Thoughts

Before investing in any of these trends, we recommend getting a feeler from your employees about the trend they are most receptive to. Perhaps float a short survey asking them whether they want to continue working remotely or in-office. You can also include questions that quiz them on timeline or deadline comfort.

Your employees may be receptive to all the above five trends or just one or two. The point is, once you figure out their inclination, draft solutions and implement them in phases. Ultimately, the goal is

to enhance your employees' experience within your organization. And, it is that much more difficult given the ongoing global health crises.

(The given article is attribute to Rati Singh Head- People Team, Get My Parking and solely created for BW People)