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What Employees Really Want

Employees Lead the Charge in Transformation

employee leading a meeting

Company leaders are on the lookout for disruption, trying to stay ahead of potential competitors and evolving expectations that may lead customers elsewhere. In some cases, companies are investing millions to upgrade technology and customer interaction channels to transform and disrupt themselves before someone else does it to them.

The 2019 Global Talent Trends survey by Mercer HR found that 73 percent of executives predict significant business disruption in the next three years, compared to only 26 percent in 2018. The pace and urgency of disruption has accelerated. 

But disruption is about more than just tech and innovation. It is happening in the employee sphere as well. Employee expectations are blurring with customer expectations for what they expect in a positive employee experience, and a wide-open job market makes employee engagement that much more of an imperative. These days, disruption has made top-tier CX that much more complex, requiring a more sophisticated workforce. It’s not only good for morale, but it’s good for business. There are tangible customer and business outcomes that result from engaged, empowered employees. 

This issue of the Customer Strategist Journal highlights how companies are engaging employees in disruptive ways to attract and retain the right people to influence customer satisfaction and growth. Hyper-growth startups like Allbirds and Article Furniture mingle with sturdy institutions like Harvard and Aetna insurance with how they succeed with a focus on the employee experience. They are thinking outside traditional activities to focus on areas that matter to employees like mindfulness, financial well-being, and C-suite involvement.

The old adage that happy employees equal happy customers is more than a nice saying. It’s a proven business strategy that companies can use to their advantage in a disruptive marketplace.