Creating a meaningful employee experience goes beyond competitive benefits. It’s about building a workplace where employees feel valued, supported and connected. When organizations prioritize well-being, growth and connection, they see higher engagement, stronger retention and a culture where people thrive.
Every interaction shapes how employees view their future with your company. Whether you are refining existing initiatives or building a new framework, these actionable insights will improve the employee experience and empower employees to do their best work.
What is employee experience and why does it matter?
Employee experience (EX) includes every interaction employees have with your organization, starting on day one. It covers onboarding, career development, workplace culture and the day-to-day work environment. Each touchpoint shapes how employees feel about their role and their future with your company.
When organizations take a thoughtful approach to EX, they can better align employee needs with business goals. This helps create a workplace where employees feel supported, engaged and motivated. It also drives measurable results. According to the SHRM, 36% of workers in the U.S. ranked employee experience in the top two most important HR priorities.
Focusing on EX doesn’t just benefit individual employees. It helps build a culture of trust and belonging that supports long-term success.
9 ways to build a better employee experience.
Here’s how to build a better employee experience:
1. Understand employees’ needs and wants.
Building a better employee experience starts with listening. Use employee feedback surveys and focus groups to understand what matters most to your employees. These surveys can uncover how supported employees feel by their managers and whether their roles align with their strengths. Then, take visible action based on that data. When employees see that their feedback drives change, trust and engagement increase.
2. Promote well-being through workplace initiatives.
Holistic well-being is personal, dynamic, subjective and multidimensional. It includes not only physical and mental health, but also social connection, financial stability and how people experience work. Coaching, care navigation, financial tools and culture-building initiatives can all play a role in helping employees feel supported in every area of life.
Our latest research shows a strong connection between well-being and employee engagement. According to the WebMD Health Services Center for Research, well-being scores among highly engaged employees were 70% more favorable than among disengaged employees. When well-being improves, so does the employee experience.
3. Create a seamless onboarding process.
First impressions matter. A strong onboarding program helps new employees feel welcome, understand expectations and get comfortable in their roles faster. Introduce new hires to their managers early on and clarify how their roles fit into the bigger picture. One way to do this? Give new hires a clear roadmap for their first 90 days.
4. Set clear expectations early on.
Starting a new job can feel overwhelming and uncertainty only makes it harder. Set performance expectations and check in regularly to help new employees build confidence. Employees are more likely to feel connected and motivated when managers provide consistent feedback.
5. Support employee growth and development.
Employees want to grow, not just in their roles, but throughout their careers. Offer opportunities like mentorship, leadership training or skill-building workshops to help them expand their strengths. Encourage managers to have regular development conversations and shape roles that evolve with each employee’s goals. Post internal job openings and support lateral moves to help employees grow within your organization.
6. Embrace a culture of collaboration and teamwork.
Strong teams fuel innovation. Encouraging cross-team collaboration through brainstorming sessions, project-based teams or company-wide initiatives helps employees feel connected and engaged. Managers play a key role in setting the tone for collaboration and making sure each team member understands their role and how it contributes to shared goals. Plus, when teams work well together, productivity and innovation naturally improve.
7. Keep top talent engaged.
Retaining high performers starts with creating a workplace where people feel supported and know their contributions matter. Engagement grows when employees are trusted to bring their strengths to the table and see the impact of their work. Recognize great performance, involve employees in meaningful decisions and check in often to understand what motivates them. While flexibility and well-being help, it’s purpose, autonomy and belonging that keep top talent invested.
8. Conduct structured performance reviews and career discussions.
While real-time feedback supports daily engagement, structured performance reviews set the stage for long-term growth. Quarterly check-ins provide clarity on progress and future goals. When managers treat these conversations as two-way discussions focused on performance and potential, they build trust and help shape evolving roles. This alignment helps employees grow in ways that also support organizational goals.
9. Maintain positive relationships during offboarding.
Employees’ last days at your company are just as important as their first. A smooth offboarding process like exit interviews, knowledge transfer sessions and alumni networks keeps the door open for future collaboration. Today’s departing employee could be tomorrow’s best rehire or brand advocate.
Leadership and HR shape the experience.
A great employee experience doesn’t just happen. It’s shaped by the people at the top. Leaders set the tone for workplace culture, while HR teams bring those ideas to life through structured programs and policies.
Leadership plays a big role in fostering trust. When managers communicate openly, recognize hard work and create space for honest conversations, employees feel more engaged and supported. Still, burnout is highest among in-office workers, 9% higher than hybrid and 3% higher than remote workers.
HR teams focus on turning strategy into action. They introduce well-being initiatives, solicit employee feedback through surveys and create career development plans that make work more meaningful.
Feedback only works if you act on it.
Crafting a strong employee experience isn’t just about collecting feedback. It’s about taking action so that employees feel heard and valued. If employees raise concerns about workload or career growth, leadership should acknowledge the issue and communicate next steps. Sentiment analysis and anonymous surveys can help spot trends, but trust is built when employees see real follow-through.
When organizations commit to listening, responding and improving, employees feel more connected.
Organizations may face challenges in building an employee experience.
In the past several years, organizations have experienced changes in how they support different work arrangements, and many have struggled with how to adapt to hybrid work models. Finding the right balance between collaboration and flexibility in the workplace can be tricky, especially when some employees are remote while others are in the office.
Another challenge is aligning the employee experience with company culture. If employees don’t see leadership following through on company values, engagement efforts can feel hollow.
Ignoring these obstacles can lead to high turnover and low morale. That’s why it’s critical to listen to employees, adapt to changing needs and take a proactive approach to building a workplace where people feel valued.
How to measure the impact of employee experience initiatives.
Creating a great employee experience is one thing. Knowing if it’s working is another. Organizations can track progress through key metrics like employee engagement scores, retention rates and productivity levels. If engagement surveys show rising satisfaction or turnover rates start to drop, it’s a sign that initiatives are making an impact.
Real-time feedback tools help leaders identify trends. If data reveals that employees feel disconnected in a hybrid setup, leadership can introduce more virtual team-building activities or improve communication tools.
The key is to measure, learn and adjust. A good experience isn’t static. It evolves based on what employees need to feel supported and successful.
Designing an impactful employee experience starts here.
Creating a meaningful employee journey requires actionable strategies, ongoing evaluation and a commitment to improvement. By prioritizing initiatives like seamless onboarding, employee growth opportunities and workplace health initiatives, organizations build a workplace where employees feel valued and supported.
Treat employee experience as an ongoing effort rather than a one-time project. With a focus on engagement, communication and innovation, you can create a culture that attracts and retains top talent. Solutions like TINYpulse by WebMD Health Services support this effort by helping you gather real-time feedback, understand employee sentiment and take action.
Want to build a workplace where employees thrive? Contact WebMD Health Services today for expert strategies and solutions that drive employee well-being.
