What is employee engagement? Let’s start with an example. Imagine walking into a retail store where you are greeted with heartfelt welcoming smiles, the best assistance and good customer service. You are not at all stressed in finding what you need. The store employees are helping you with selecting the best product and you had a good shopping experience. 

What about the other way around? Would you love to go again to a store where the staff members are very indifferent, uninterested and unhelpful in your needs? Definitely not. So how can you improve your customer experience? There is a huge underlying effort in terms of employee engagement and empowerment here.  

Let’s be familiar with a few facts and figures. Studies show that companies with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors by 147% in earnings, and organizations that give importance to employee empowerment report 50% higher customer loyalty rates. These figures highlight a crucial yet often overlooked truth: empowered employees lead to happy customers, and happy customers are the foundation of a successful business.

Understanding employee empowerment

Employee empowerment is the process where employees take ownership of their work, make independent decisions, and contribute to the organization in different meaningful ways. Employees enjoy the autonomy to act independently within their roles and they have the access to necessary resources to perform their tasks. Providing continuous training will enhance their skills and thereby the trust of their managers. The appreciation or acknowledgement from the leaders will help them to execute their responsibilities effectively.

What can empowerment do to an employee?

Better Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Abilities

Empowered employees are good in finding solutions for problems because they have the authority to address issues as they arise. This helps in fast and better decision-making, which ultimately improves organizational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Creativity and Innovation

When employees are given the freedom of choice and explore new ideas, they are more likely to come up with creative and innovative solutions. It encourages a culture of innovation, where employees feel safe to take risks and think outside the box.

Increased Motivation and Job Satisfaction

Employees are your first customers. When they feel valued and respected, it can motivate them to go the extra mile. They will also develop a positive attitude which can lead to higher job satisfaction.

Employee engagement: one stop to success

There is a huge difference between an employee and a trusted employee. Anyone can be an employee with just their skills, but it needs a specific level of engagement with the company to become a trusted employee. Employees who are emotionally and intellectually invested in a company can bring success in no time. They will be committed to their work and highly passionate to contribute to the company’s growth and development. 

Employee satisfaction is different from employee engagement. Satisfaction is how content an employee is with their job but engagement is the level of dedication an employee feels towards their company. Engaged employees are actively involved and committed to their work.

How to increase employee engagement?

Clear Communication and Proper Feedback

A company not involving employees in their crucial decision making will negatively affect their growth. Transparency needs to be there when dealing with the employees. Then only they can feel that they are a part of your organization. Moreover, regular feedback helps employees to track their performance and make decisions on what is to be improved for them as well as the company’s growth.

Opportunities for Growth and Development

Companies providing employees with opportunities to advance their careers and develop new skills can witness fast growth and success. You can enroll employees for different courses to enhance their skills. These courses will help employees personally and in their profession. Also conducting workshops to better understand the company can lead to better employee engagement. Collect workshop feedback from them to better know what needs to be done for improving the employee-employer relation. 

Try this registration form template to streamline employee hiring, management and engagement process. 

Recognition and Reward Systems

Recognizing and rewarding employees for their hard work and achievements can drive engagement. When employees know their efforts are being noticed and appreciated they tend to perform more. Reward your employees for completing specific milestones and excelling in their works. 

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Linking employee empowerment and engagement to customer experience

Customer experience (CX) is the most important when it comes to businesses as it directly influences brand reputation, customer loyalty, and revenue growth. A study by PwC says that 73% of consumers consider customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions, with 32% saying they would walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience. 

Customers consider the experience a company provides as important as its products and services. For any company to be successful, delivering an exceptional customer experience is a necessity.

How empowered employees improve CX

Ability to Go Above and Beyond for Customers

As we have discussed in the introduction, empowered employees will make the customers more welcomed and help them in every possible way. When you provide your employees the autonomy to act, they will try to delight customers by offering personalized solutions or handling the questions in their own creative way.

Faster and More Effective Problem Resolution

When employees are empowered and they clearly know about the company, they can solve problems on the spot without going for further complications. Customers appreciate such timely resolutions and gain trust above the company. This will increase the number of loyal customers. 

Personalization and a Human Touch in Customer Interactions

Empowered employees are better able to personalize their interactions with customers, understanding their needs and preferences. This human touch builds a stronger emotional connection between the customer and the company, making customers feel valued and understood.

Strategies to empower and engage employees

  • Creating a culture of trust and autonomy
  • Provide employees with the tools and resources they need
  • Investing in employee development like training programs, career advancement etc.
  • Implementing recognition programs, and offering incentives and rewards
  • Encouraging work-life balance flexible working hours
  • Promote wellness programs and provide resources for mental and physical health support.

Measuring the impact

How can you track employee engagement and customer experience?

Employee Surveys and Feedback

Conduct recurring surveys to gauge employee engagement levels and collect feedback on various aspects of their work experience. Let your employees speak up and voice out their concerns. You can use this data for improvement, track progress and make insightful decisions over time.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Use NPS surveys to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction. A high NPS indicates that customers are likely to recommend your company to others, reflecting a positive customer experience.

Customer satisfaction surveys and reviews

Collect feedback on the customer experience journey through surveys and online reviews. Analyzing this feedback provides insights into their experiences and helps identify areas for improvement.

Empowered employees are a company’s biggest asset. They are the ones who bring more customers and not just that! Retaining these customers and making them the ambassadors of your company is far more important. When you have empowered employees and happy customers, your company can expect not less than one hundred percent success.