The Difference and Importance of Employee Experience vs. Employee Engagement

Employees are the heart of every organization. Without people, an organization would not succeed. The nature of today’s work environment has created a plethora of opportunities and freedom around where people choose to work. People chase passions! Are your employees passionate about what they do every day at work?

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs

Knowing the difference between employee engagement and employee experience can help you make the right decisions when it comes to making sure your employees are happy performing everyday tasks, whether they're passionate about them or not.

Part of the confusion around the terms employee engagement and employee experience is that they’re often used interchangeably. But, there are two key components to consider when distinguishing these terms.

Employee Experience: The journey an employee goes through when they’re employed. This journey starts as early as recruitment and everything in between. (Examples of this include your organization’s wellness program, free lunch, new technology, etc.)

So, while employee experience is the biggest picture of an employee life cycle, engagement is also a concept that goes into creating that experience.

Employee Engagement: The ongoing part of your employee experience. Engagement is not a perk or an incentive program. Employee engagement includes social and emotional needs that are met at work. Engagement comes mostly from relationships. Being happy in a job is more than just being able to work well. It also means that you feel as though your work is connected to the company’s overall mission.

Your employees' level of engagement is very important to your company's success. 

How Do We Improve Engagement in 2021?

The statistics are in and a little scary according to Gallup:

• Only three in 10 employees strongly agree they have the materials and equipment they need to do their work right.
• Four in 10 employees strongly agree that when they are at work, they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day.
• Three in 10 employees strongly agree that in the last seven days they have received recognition or praise for doing good work.
• Globally, only 15% of employees are engaged at work. In the U.S., 33% are engaged.

To say that engaged organizations have a competitive advantage is an understatement. Employee engagement is not enough to address all the aspects of the workplace, but it shouldn't be overlooked. If an employee feels disconnected from their culture, they may leave anyway.

“People don’t leave companies...they leave people.”

Both employee engagement and experience are critical factors for organizations to consider when it comes to improving their bottom line. Leaders must make these two areas their top priority in order to create a culture that values both. 

There are many tools and programs to help with both employee engagement and experience and EDCi has the expertise and experience to help. Contact us today to learn more about how artificial intelligence can work for your organization.