Workplace Experience: What Is It And How Do You Improve It?

Workplace experience refers to the overall atmosphere, environment, and culture that employees encounter during their time at work.

Unlike work experience, which focuses on skills development… Workplace experience is about creating an engaging, efficient, and supportive environment that contributes to employee satisfaction and productivity.

A positive workplace experience can lead to higher retention rates, improved performance – and a more motivated workforce. In its State of the Global Workplace report, Gallup finds that the global economy loses 9% of GDP due to low employee engagement.

In today’s competitive job market, businesses are realising the importance of prioritising workplace experience to attract and keep top talent.

What is workplace experience?

Workplace experience is all that an employee experiences while at work including the physical space, technology and company culture, and relationships with colleagues:

• It is about creating a place at work where employees are seen, and are supported, and feel empowered to do their best.
• These are things such as the office design, the use of technology, access to the tools that are needed (or even the company ethos that seems to shape how things are done).
• It gets deeper than employee benefits in the traditional sense and gets into the concept of how the workplace impacts job satisfaction and how the operations run day to day.

A workplace experience that’s carefully designed can improve morale, reduce stress, and create a more cohesive environment where employees are likely to stay and grow.

The role of a workplace experience manager

A workplace experience manager is important in shaping and maintaining the working environment in companies. They are focused on improving employee experience, with a special focus on how all the components of the work space, from the office design to the digital tools the workers use.

The responsibilities of a workplace experience manager may include:

• Managing physical workspaces: Ensuring that the office environment is clean, comfortable, and designed to support productivity.
• Facilitating communication: Enabling an environment where employees are openly encouraged to share their ideas and feedback.
• Improving technology: To implement systems and tools within the workplace, that will help employees to work more productively and without the frustration of complications.
• Developing wellbeing initiatives: Making programs and policies that help employee mental, physical, and emotional health.

This vital role can help businesses to create an environment that meets their worker’s needs and ultimately improves productivity as well as job satisfaction. Discover how to boost employee productivity with a clean office.

Improving workplace experience involves addressing several key components that influence how employees feel and perform. While every business is unique, there are common areas that all companies can focus on to improve workplace experience.

#1 Office environment and design

How employees feel during the working day is directly related to the physical workspace. An office that is properly designed will enhance concentration, enhance collaboration, and even enhance creativity. To enhance the office environment, companies should consider:

• Comfortable furniture: Ergonomically designed chairs, desks, and workstations can reduce discomfort and prevent health issues like back pain.
• Natural light: Studies indicate that natural light has a positive effect on mood and raises energy.
• Collaborative spaces: Breakout rooms or open plan spaces can help employees to work together and brainstorm well.
• Quiet areas: People also need spaces to concentrate and get close work done without distractions.

Regularly reviewing and moving the office layout around to match the workforce needs is important to retain a good environment. See how to optimise your office space planning here.

#2 Technology and tools

A good workplace experience relies on good technology. Employees require reliable, easy to use tools to do their job.

If a company spends money on cutting edge software and hardware, then it is more likely to have productive employees that have fewer technological barriers.

The more tools and technology we give our employees, the less they need to overcome systems that limit their ability to get to work.

#3 Company culture and values

Workplace experience is based on a strong, positive company culture. It defines how employees work together, how they interact with the company as a whole. To improve workplace experience, businesses should cultivate a culture that:

• Promotes inclusivity: It means that whether one’s background or one’s role in the company, an employee should feel accepted and valued.
• Encourages open communication: A culture of transparency means that team members are free to speak up and worry about assembling, and a culture of assembly can ensure that misunderstandings do not occur.
• Celebrates achievements: Employees can attain morale and to maintain performance when you recognise and reward them for their activities.

If you have clear company values which align with employee’s own beliefs and aspirations, this can positively impact employee engagement and loyalty. Company culture is a key part of employee experience management.

#4 Health and wellbeing

Employee wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a key part of the workplace experience. 

Businesses that prioritise the mental, physical, and emotional health of their employees tend to have happier, more productive teams. Ways to improve wellbeing at work include:

• Mental health support: Providing access to counselling services or mental health resources can help employees cope with stress and maintain their overall wellbeing.
• Physical health initiatives: Encouraging physical activity, such as through gym memberships or organised fitness challenges, can improve energy levels and reduce absenteeism.
• Work-life balance: Offering flexible working hours or remote work options allows employees to balance their personal and professional lives more effectively, reducing burnout.

Taking a proactive approach to employee health can lead to a more engaged and productive workforce.

Consistent cleaning is one of the best ways to support health and wellbeing at work. It leads to better air quality, the reduced spread of illness and better safety.

Beyond physical health, regular cleaning also improves staff morale and psychology, with positive knock-on effects for employee engagement and productivity.

For more details, take a look at this guide – is daily office cleaning necessary in London? 

How to improve the workplace experience

To create and improve workplace experience, we need a solution that touches on the physical, technological and cultural components of the workplace. Some specific strategic actions for companies to improve employees’ work environment:

• Conduct employee feedback surveys: These surveys should cover subjects like workspace well being, availability of tools, and general job content. Companies can make changes that make a better work environment by listening to employees. Also, find out more about suggestion box ideas.

• Implement flexible working options: Having the ability to work from home or do hybrid working vastly improves the workplace experience allowing for flexibility. In fact, such flexibility is one mechanism businesses can use to also reduce stress and increase job satisfaction for employees because not all employees want to work in the same environment.

• Invest in professional development: When giving the employees opportunities for growth and development it is an indication that the company does care about the future of its employees. They provide training programs and workshops for employees to help them get a fair idea of what is expected from their role.

• Prioritise team building: Whether it’s as simple as a team building workshop, a social event or a collaborative project, these sorts of activities can help strengthen the bond and communication in the team. Here are some indoor team building activities and ideas.

• Improve communication channels: That doesn’t mean regular meetings, feedback sessions, or informal catch ups will make everything work, but it will contribute to better communication and collaboration.

The role of a workplace experience manager can be instrumental in ensuring these components are well-managed and continuously improved.

Final thoughts: Office image and the workplace experience

Workplace experience is all about how employees feel about their jobs, influencing their productivity, satisfaction, and commitment to the company.

By focusing on elements like office design, technology, company culture, and wellbeing… Businesses can create a more positive and engaging environment.

Last but by no means least, evaluate your workplace’s physical image. Find out how to improve your office’s image with professional cleaning services.

How your workplace looks is a symbol for employees, the company brand and the standards you set. To maintain a strong image, make sure your workplace looks its best – consistently.

From window cleaning to specialist floor cleaning and the communal areas, we do what we say we are going to do – every time. Check out the daily office cleaning services London businesses trust. 

We believe Think FM is the #1 commercial cleaning company London has ever seen! To find out why, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

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