The Link Between Employee Engagement and Customer Experience

We all know the positive relationship that exists between higher employee engagement and better business outcomes.

Along with this, there is also a surprising link between employee engagement and customer experience (CX).

Customer experience and employee experience are deeply related. Every organization is in the chase to be the best in customer satisfaction today. This is because the customer is more powerful than ever.

Customers have a louder voice, with access to information on brands and their competitors at the touch of a button. They feel the need to get what they pay for, expecting full transparency and honesty on the brand’s part. They also have the power to voice their experiences and opinions through reviews on various sites.

They have grown to expect an increasingly awesome experience, as that is a WOW factor for customer retention and brand popularity. This is forcing organizations everywhere to tune their focus to customer satisfaction.

But who keeps customers happy? The employees.

Will they really go out of their way to provide an awesome experience to their customer every time if they themselves aren’t treated well at work? I guess we all know the answer to that question. In order to make customer satisfaction become a competitive advantage for a brand, organizations need to focus on having more engaged employees.

According to a study by Temkin Group, customer experience leaders have 60% more engaged employees.  Engaged employees are ones who feel food about their work and the company, find meaning and value in their contribution, and feel proud of what they do. This happens only when leaders of the company come forward and create a culture where everyone feels belonged.

HR Needs To Take The Driver’s Seat

HR also plays a very vital role in ensuring all the grievances are heard, and the cultural element is kept alive. According to Temkin Group’s research, when HR is significantly involved in CX, the organization is 50% more likely o be a cx leader! Creating a strong vision and mission statements that align with the larger goals of the organization can be a start.

Reward and recognition programs are also key in creating validation for employees, making them more committed to and happy about their work. HR can help continuously raise the engagement bar by identifying gaps through regular checks and fixing them as they come.

Highly engaged employees have a greater ability and will to deliver great customer experiences, a clear differentiator for top-performing CX companies. These are the same employees who feel the support of their managers, which acts as an emotional as well a psychological motivation for them to aim higher.

Leaders Pave The Way

Achieving customer experience engagement thus requires initiatives from top management and business leaders, who need to be willing to take a step forward for their employees. Understanding employees and their segments through surveys and general trends can help leaders assess what the current situation is and what needs to be done.

Data will obviously play a huge role in identifying these gaps. Apart from this, employees also need to be continuously educated about the importance of CX engagement and how important their contribution is in achieving the same.

Coaching, rewards, and genuine recognition strategies can be used to cultivate motivation in employees and retain them in the long run. Leaders need to display exemplary behavior and attitude for them to become role models for the rest to follow.