The New Worker

A learning management system (LMS) is a software-based platform that supports the administration and delivery of corporate courses, training programs, and learning and development programs. An LMS is typically delivered as a hosted service or software as a service (SaaS), meaning it is Internet-based and requires no installation, thereby making it perfect for modern learners.

An LMS helps companies deliver training materials and because it's accessible on mobile devices, it makes it easy to reach people wherever they are. An LMS works well when it's scalable and adaptable to the needs of your learners. It offers features like course creation, scheduling, reporting, analytics, and much more. Most importantly, it allows you to combine multiple types of learning into one cohesive experience.

The power of an LMS as a training management system lies in its ability to support a wide range of learning strategies, including both formal and informal methods of learning. For example, you might use an LMS to provide training on how to perform certain tasks, certify employees, promote compliance, or develop your brand's culture.

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Who needs an LMS?

LMS systems are used globally, across numerous different industries, and for enterprises of all size. They are useful for corporate training, so they are used by SMBs, non-profit organizations, cooperatives, etc.

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Discover how an LMS system can benefit your SMB

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Types of learning management systems

The benefits of a learning management system are evident, but it can be difficult to decide what type of LMS will most benefit your company and your learners. Below is a list of some of the most common types of learning management systems on the market.

Cloud-based vs. on premise

A cloud-based learning management system (LMS) is hosted on a secure server and allows users to use it via multiple devices, including smartphones and tablets. This type of software offers several advantages over traditional LMS solutions. Cloud-based LMS such as Enterprise LMS are easy to implement, require no upfront costs, and offer scalability. They're often used by organizations, such as SMBs, non-profits and coops to provide online training courses.

On-premise LMS are traditionally offered as standalone products, meaning they must be purchased and licensed separately from the rest of the courseware. These systems are usually customized to meet the specific needs of each organization. 

Closed-source vs. open-source

In both web-based and installed software, you have closed-source and open-source learning management systems. However, there is no such thing as a purely open-source system. Open-source LMS primarily derive their name from the fact that they are free. They are also considered open-source because they often have communities of users. 

This kind of system has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it gives you freedom. On the other, it comes with responsibilities. You must accept that everything you do is being watched. If you want to make changes to something, you must ask permission. If you want to use someone else's code, you must acknowledge where it came from. 

Objectives of a Learning Management System

The main objective of eLearning systems is to enhance the learning experience and manage and track online training. An eLearning system does not just deliver content. It also manages enrollment, tracking, and reports. Most eLearning systems are web-based and are utilized in various organizations for training purposes.

They are used in various industries and settings like finance services, compliance training, computing-based training, online assessment, collaborative learning, application-sharing, etc. Some eLearning systems also incorporate a performance management system that includes employee appraisals, competency management, skill gap analysis, and so on. 

1. Enable mobile learning

One of the key purposes of learning management systems is to enable mobility while learning. A mobile LMS provides your team with instant access to organizational training materials whenever they're needed. This gives employees more freedom to learn without being tied down to their desks.

2. Streamline learning processes

An online learning management system allows employees to easily access important information about company policies, procedures, and processes through a central hub. Employees can access important documents such as job descriptions and handbooks from anywhere. They also have one place to go to find helpful tutorials, videos, and Q&A sessions.

3. Engage employees

These days, employees are more distracted than ever and companies are paying the cost. Learning management systems provide workers with a blended learning experience. Content is presented in various forms including written, audio, video, etc. to support learning objectives.

4. Track and assess performance

An LMS is a great employee training tool. Apart from imparting instruction, it can enable businesses to keep track of the progress made by their employees. It allows businesses to check in to see how well their employees are doing, and whether or not they’re following through with the required tasks. 

Employees and managers can also utilize the LMS to check if anyone needs to review certain principles to get a better understanding of them. The LMS can also help ensure that training goals are being met.

5. Save money

A learning management system saves businesses money because they do not have to pay trainers to travel and update employees on new materials. By setting up an LMS, businesses remove the overhead associated with teaching new information to employees, such as compliance training costs, boarding, lodging, etc.

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Why use an LMS for employee training?

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Benefits of learning management systems

• Provides better control over the entire training process. You can easily set up the schedule for your training sessions, assign tasks to team members, and monitor how well they are performing.
• Helps create a balanced learning experience. Each learner requires a different approach to learn effectively. A good LMS allows you to customize the training session, according to the learner’s needs.
• Makes it easy to communicate with learners. With an LMS, you can send messages to your learners via email, SMS, chat, etc. This enables you to keep your learners engaged throughout the training program. Users of Workleap LMS benefit from the Zapier integration to unlock this tool.
• Improves collaboration among trainers and administrators. Everyone has their own account but different roles can be assigned to optimize collaboration.
• Allows you to make changes quickly. In case there are any mistakes during the training process, you can fix them immediately

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Choosing an LMS to train your team better: why, when and how?

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How to choose a modern LMS?

With so many learning systems on the market, it can be difficult to know which one will be best for your company. Here are tips to help you make an informed decision when choosing a modern LMS:

• Identify your needs. With 600+ learning platforms to choose from, selecting one isn't easy. There are numerous factors to consider when choosing the best solution for your organization, such as the type of learners you have, the type of system that will work best and how they will access the system.
• Decide the features you need. After defining your learning management system (LMS) needs, it's time to determine the specific features, functions, and capabilities you want. This step involves identifying the learning goals, objectives and audience demographics. Once you've determined these things, you'll want to think about how the system will support your organization's current practices and future plans.
• Browse the market. The third step in the vendor selection process is to explore the market. This includes researching the different types of learning management systems, comparing products based on functionality, price, and support options.

The best Entreprise LMS

If you want to get the most out of your learners and reach your corporate goals, a digital learning solution is the way to go. In today's digital age, learning environments are ever-changing and enterprises need to adapt to these changing environments. The best way to manage the learning process is to invest in a learning management system.  

At Workleap LMS, we prioritize learner engagement and customer satisfaction. We’ve designed the best online management platform used for teaching and learning. From user monitoring to personalized learning paths, our LMS system is specially designed to help your business grow.

Each LMS client creates their own training platform and chooses a package depending on the nature of their project. To help you better understand and use our tool, we attach great importance to educational content.

It's impossible to overstate the role that employee experience (EX) plays in productivity, workplace culture, and overall business success. Happy, engaged employees perform better, stay in the organization longer, and are more likely to recommend your company to other talents in your industry.

Employee journey mapping allows you to assess employee experience throughout an employee's tenure: identifying pain points and developing a plan for improvement. Learn how to glean valuable insights throughout the employee journey mapping process and use your knowledge to boost employee engagement and enhance the entire employee experience.

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What is the employee journey?

The employee journey, also known as the employee lifecycle, comprises the employee's entire relationship with the company, from the initial application at a career fair to the moment the employee leaves the organization.

Whether the employee spent decades or only months at the company, the typical employee journey includes the following stages:

• Recruiting: The hiring process includes all the steps from resume screening to job interviews and signing a work contract.
• Onboarding: The onboarding process introduces employees to the organization's values, culture, vision, and structure.
• Engaging: This phase covers an employee's integration into their new team, connecting with their direct manager, and setting initial goals.
• Development: During the development phase, an employee settles into a work routine, has their first performance review, and performs future performance planning.
• Progress: The employee's upward progress within the organization includes promotions, professional career development, and assuming additional responsibilities. Some employees never reach this stage but pass directly from development to offboarding.
• Offboarding: The employee's resignation, dismissal, or retirement.

The employee's entire journey includes major events like the first job interview, important moments in career advancement, performance reviews, and more. Employee experiences during those key moments often determine the employee's level of engagement, job satisfaction, and loyalty to the organization.

What is employee journey mapping?

Most business strategists and entrepreneurs know the term "customer journey mapping," which describes the stages from initial interest to becoming a loyal customer for an archetypal customer persona. Although the customer journey varies, the typical customer journey map includes motivation, search, evaluation, conversion, and loyalty.

Just as a customer's journey map can offer valuable insights for improving customer satisfaction, an employee journey map can benefit both the employee and the company. Employee journey mapping helps HR teams and company managers improve the employee experience by identifying the strong and weak points throughout the typical employee's lifecycle. A great way to identify these strengths and challenges in the employee experience journey is to check in on your team with employee experience survey questions.

For example, if company data points out that many employees run into difficulties during their first weeks in the company, HR can create a work plan that focuses on new employees and helps them achieve a smoother onboarding experience.

On a practical level, the employee journey map is a table that gives leaders and managers a bird's-eye view of the core stages a typical employee goes through, points out moments that matter, and highlights the expectations and difficulties of each step in the journey.

💡Need help getting your new employees started at your company? We're here to help with our employee onboarding complete guide!

Why employee journey mapping is so important

In a large organization, an individual employee's experience may fall through the cracks simply because managers and team leaders are too busy or unaware of the potential problems that may crop up during key moments in the employee's career. For instance, a direct manager might not realize that a specific new team member needs a little extra support at the start of their employee journey.

Employee journey mapping helps circumvent these difficulties by increasing awareness of what each employee needs throughout their journey within the organization.

Learn more about what matters to your team by implementing an invaluable employee feedback system.

The many benefits of employee engagement make it a pillar of business success. Engaged employees are happier, more productive, and more loyal to the company. Employee journey maps help keep employees engaged by zeroing in on steps that require attention, like onboarding or transitioning to a new department.

Additionally, an employee journey map can:

• Help managers visualize employee experience by presenting the employee journey in a clear, easily viewable format.
• Highlight pain points like an inattentive onboarding process or inefficient performance management.
• Save your organization time and money by improving communication, productivity, and employee retention.

The 5 steps for creating efficient employee journey maps

So how do you create an accurate and helpful employee journey map? Let's look into the stages in the employee experience journey mapping process.

1. Gathering data

Start with statistics that you already have, like turnover rates, the average length of employee tenure in your company, or the most common reasons for resignation that employees share in their exit interviews.

Clue in to topline insights on the state of the employee experience to learn how companies and leaders can shape this new landscape.

Next, study your employees' opinions on their work goals, needs, expectations, and challenges. The best and most efficient way to gather this information is through employee surveys. A streamlined, people-oriented platform like Officevibe can help you run quick custom surveys to evaluate EX in your company.

2. Creating employee personas

Employee personas are fictional but believable archetypes of employees in your organization. This concept derives from the user experience (UX): just as you have "John Smith, 42, lives in California, tech-savvy and loyal to brands he trusts," you can have "Mary Moore, 30, started at Accounts 6 months ago, excited to work with us."

Employee personas may include:

• Adam, 24, fresh out of college. Entry-level data analyst with motivation to boot but minimal experience. Thrives with ongoing learning and constant communication.
• Steve, 38, IT support. Married with young children. A highly efficient, results-driven employee who prioritizes flexibility and independence.
• Victoria, 50, CMO. A senior manager who recently joined the organization as head of the marketing team. Organized, communicative, and focused on problem-solving.

3. Identifying moments that matter for each persona

Understandably, Adam, Steve, and Victoria each have different goals, expectations, and potential obstacles within the company, which will influence their journey mapping.

Adam may require additional training and will work hard toward a promotion. His level of engagement may drop, and he may start looking at job postings if his advancement within the company is slower than he expects.

Steve will appreciate flexible hours that allow him to spend more time with his children. An adaptable work schedule and generous health insurance coverage for the whole family will cement his loyalty to the company.

Victoria is a go-getter who values the freedom to make bold decisions. She thrives on recognition and will work even harder if the organization applauds her efforts during performance reviews.

4. Creating an employee experience journey map

Once you have created the personas, you can proceed to the employee mapping process, leaning on your statistics and experience within the organization. Focus on crucial moments like onboarding, performance reviews, progressing to new positions, or the exit interview. For example:

• Adam has a positive onboarding experience and shows a lot of promise. However, a year later, he accepts a job offer with a different company, citing a lack of opportunities for professional advancement as his main reason for quitting.
• Steve leaves the company after five years when he moves to a different state. His exit takes place on friendly terms and he remains an enthusiastic advocate for the company.
• Victoria considers resigning when some of the senior management criticizes her strategies. Acknowledging her accomplishments during a company-wide meeting helps avoid the loss of a valuable employee.

Make your team members' day by sending them a heartfelt employee recognition message!

5. Taking action

Look at each employee journey map and try to come up with solutions to improve EX at each crucial point. For example, more open communication during Adam's first performance review could have helped align expectations and a career development program may have boosted his job satisfaction.

Ask yourself:

• What can we do to give promising candidates the support they need during online and offline recruitment?
• How can we improve performance management to foster transparency, accountability, and healthy team culture?
• How can we ensure that our offboarding process helps us stay on friendly terms with exiting employees?

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How to measure employee experience

To improve EX during moments that matter, you need quantitative data. While employee experience is highly complex and personal, focusing on the following core KPIs can help you assess how happy employees are in your company and what you can do to improve employee satisfaction.

1. Employee satisfaction index (ESI). This metric measures overall employee happiness and fulfillment at work.
2. Employee net promoter score (eNPS). ENPS helps you find out how many of your team members would recommend your organization as a workplace to a friend or colleague.
3. Employee turnover rate, both across the organization and in different departments. Low employee engagement strongly correlates with high turnover rates.
4. Worker absenteeism. Absenteeism ties in with employee wellness and engagement. Happy and engaged employees are less likely to miss work days.
5. Successful hires. This stat helps assess the hiring process and onboarding procedures in your company. A high number of workers who leave the organization after a short time may mean that your company needs to pay more attention to integrating new employees.
6. Internal promotion rate. Employees who have sufficient growth opportunities within the organization are less likely to start looking at job listings.

Employee satisfaction is key to the long-term success of your company. Learn how you can measure employee satisfaction to improve it on your team.

Strategies for enhancing employee experience in your company

You've gathered your data and mapped out your typical employee journeys. Now what? Employee journey mapping is only a means of improving employee experience during the entire time an employee spends with your company. Depending on the strengths and weaknesses you have learned from internal data, you may consider the following strategies to make your organization a better workplace.

• Invest in your employees' onboarding experience. Onboarding is a crucial step that can make or break the employee journey. New team members may need extra attention and help long beyond their second or third day at work.
• Support ongoing learning. Always encourage your teams to adopt new methods, practices, or software that boost efficiency and growth.
• Promote employee recognition. Employees who get timely, meaningful recognition at work are happier, more engaged, and likelier to go the extra mile for the company.
• Identify what matters to employees at each stage of their ongoing journey in your company. Is it payroll and benefits policies, flexible schedules, or professional growth? Knowing what makes your workers tick will help you keep them happier and more productive. Send your people an employee satisfaction survey to gauge how they're feeling.
• Foster connections. Encourage employees to join company social networks, participate in team events, and promote a workplace culture that makes everyone feel welcome.

It's crucial to actively promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Try these five activities with your team to get the conversation going.

How Officevibe helps improve the employee experience

Officevibe is an engaging, streamlined, easy-to-use platform that helps companies measure employee experience and engagement through pulse surveys and feedback tools. We help you access business-critical information that makes it easier to answer questions like:

• Do your employees have a positive relationship with their direct manager?
• Does your organization have healthy inter-team relationships and company culture?
• Do your team members feel that their work is meaningful, motivating, and exciting?
• Do employees feel that your organization recognizes and celebrates their accomplishments?
• Do your employees have access to critical health and wellness resources?
• How well do your employees understand your organization's values and vision?
• Do your team members feel generally happy and satisfied with their work?
• How many of your employees would tell a colleague, "You should apply for a position with our company"?

Regular surveys can help you build a more accurate employee experience journey map and improve EX. Making meaningful changes based on employee feedback fosters a more productive employment lifecycle, improves employee retention, and sets your business up for success.

Once your team has completed their surveys, it's important to review your employee survey results and take appropriate action from there. Give your employees a safe space to offer feedback and suggestions and start improving your overall employee experience.

Starting a new job is never easy, but there are things employers can do to make or break an experience. And when we say “things”, we’re not talking about providing free cupcakes to all of your new hires.

Not only does the reality of remote work make the delivery of treats logistically difficult, but as hiring becomes more competitive job-seekers have less of an appetite (pun intended) for symbolic gestures. Instead, they’re looking for an authentic, welcoming experience that not only prepares them for their next career step but offers full integration into a new company—an experience that is inherently intimidating.

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What's in this article

• Why New Hire Onboarding is Important
• What Makes a Successful Onboarding Experience?
• Examples of a Successful Onboarding Experience
• How to use Workleap's New Employee Onboarding Template

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If you’ve landed here because you’re looking to improve your onboarding experience, then welcome. You’ve come to the right place. Sadly, we don’t have any cupcakes to offer you. But we do have something even better—a new hire onboarding template (you can find it here).

Why New Hire Onboarding is Important

Onboarding sets the tone for new employees. It determines how likely they are to have a successful experience within your organization, including how long they plan to stick around.

Did you know? Research shows that organizations with a great onboarding process improve employee retention by a whopping 82%.

Companies with strong onboarding processes improve employee retention by 82%

As an HR who was once a new hire yourself, you know firsthand how important of a role you play in creating a positive and effective journey from day one. 

Think back to the last time that you started a new job. Chances are that you left each work day feeling exhausted and overstimulated, overwhelmed by the new faces that you’ve yet to memorize and willing to let your brain turn into a sponge if it only meant you could soak up information faster. 

Fortunately for us, there’s no need for our brains to give up their soft tissue state. Like so much in the world of business ops, your onboarding process is really what you make it. There is nothing that says that it has to be boring, repetitive, and confusing. You too can join the ranks of people-focused companies that are choosing to demystify the most important week (or weeks) in every new hire’s employment journey.

What Makes a Successful Onboarding Experience?

If you were to wrangle every great onboarding experience and put them in a room together, you’d notice that they all: 

• Put people first: processes are an important part of learning a new job, but what really makes people feel like they belong is a warm welcome from their colleagues.
• Are engaging: there is no reason why, in 2022, we should allow onboarding experiences to be a total snoozefest. There is no shortage of fun activities that you can do with your existing team and new hire(s), including creative activities that are perfect for Zoom. “Powerpoint roulette” is always an instant hit—it’s where a volunteer has three minutes to give an ad-lib presentation to go along with random images on powerpoint slides. It’s way more hilarious than it sounds.  
• Offer a centralized database: just because most of us spend our work days with 20 tabs open at once (*cough* guilty of this one), it doesn’t mean that we like to jump through hoops to access onboarding materials. It’s best if they’re all in one spot. 
• Are structured: if the hiring manager seems lost, it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the newcomer. You can make sure everyone is invested in the success of the new hire by involving them in the process early on. 
• Are empathetic: starting a new job is hard. The best onboarding processes put themselves in the new hire’s shoes and offer a pace that’s conducive to success. It also doesn’t hurt to ask for feedback along the way.  

There are also certain components that go into determining the difference between a good and a great onboarding experience, namely:

Preboarding

The time between an employee accepting a job offer and having their first day on their job is a great opportunity to give a warm first impression by sending welcome emails and letting them know what to expect during the onboarding process.

It may be tempting to “protect” your new hire(s) by limiting them to introductions within their own department. But prolonging the inevitable intros will just lead to silo’ing. Employee onboarding is a team effort, from the IT department working hard at comparing computers and setting up software log-ins to team members to office managers (or community managers) noting dietary restrictions. It’s best to fully integrate your new team member from the get-go by giving them an overview of who’s who across the board.

Onboarding

You know the drill—onboarding acquaints your new hire with your team and company (and vice versa).

While the nitty gritty takes place during the fast few weeks, it may surprise you that onboarding doesn’t actually take a matter of weeks or even months. It takes years for an employee to fulfill their potential, which makes a solid foundation so important.

Training

Onboarding and training often overlap, but they’re not the same thing. While onboarding is about introducing employees to the team (including people and processes), training is more detailed and focuses on how to succeed at the technical aspects of a job.

Examples of a Successful Onboarding Experience 

Sold on the idea of a successful onboarding experience and wondering who you can emulate? We’ve already compiled a selection of new employee onboarding examples that we think really hit the mark. Here are some takeaways that all of these examples share:

• They don’t hesitate to define roles and responsibilities—they make these clear from day one so new hires (and their existing teammates) aren’t kept guessing
• They make use of some kind of “buddy” system that encourages interaction between new peers
• They welcome the role of feedback from day one, i.e., the ability to give feedback is open to all and doesn’t have to be “earned” with experience
• They each take a “big picture” view of the “why” and “how” of each company
• They leave room for humanity and don’t just focus on operations and processes

The onboarding process is not going to look the same at all companies. Part of this is because every company is going to have a different budget, approach, and culture. The other part is that you don’t want your onboarding process to look like every other company. You’ll want to take the best practices into consideration and add your own unique touch.

Sounds Great. How Do I Get Started?

Getting started is exactly what the Workleap Onboarding platform and its templates enable you to do. Let’s take a comprehensive look at how to use our new hire onboarding template.

How to use Workleap's New Employee Onboarding Template

Drag and Drop 

When you work with Workleap Onboarding, there’s no need to learn a whole new software. If you know how to drag and drop, you know how to use our system including our new hire onboarding template. 

Our proprietary platform makes it easy to drag and drop onboarding activities on a calendar view that’s viewable by both the onboarding manager and new employee. Embarking on a hiring spree? We make it easy to onboard employees in groups with bulk actions. Customize each activity for every newcomer.

Introduce

Speaking of newcomers, the onboarding template makes new employee introductions seamless. Through this portal, you can also set up a new employee onboarding checklist for your latest hire(s). This helps you both keep track of which i’s have been dotted and which t’s have been crossed.

Schedule

Unlike less sophisticated onboarding options that require you to manually set up calendar events, Workleap Onboarding lets you sync to Outlook and Google calendars directly from the platform. A total relief for remote companies working across multiple timezones. Never schedule an intro meeting while your coworkers in London or Rio are sleeping ever again!

Track Progress 

We know you have a million and one things on your mind. Keep track of your new hire’s progress with a quick glance by tracking their progress on Onboarding. Plus, you can organize all of your resources in one place, so you don’t have to firehose your new hires with different links and platforms.

Customize

When incorporating a new platform, some companies worry about losing their unique branding. With Workleap Onboarding, you can customize each template so that it looks like it’s coming from you—what better way to get your new hires comfortable with your company’s overall image? 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—50% of HR leaders still use an Excel or Word document for their onboarding processes. Or worse, they use multiple programs, which turns the onboarding process into one great big game of telephone where there is no winner. 

If we were to eliminate employee onboarding, there would be chaos. Onboarding doesn’t discard the concept—we just make it work for you. 

Ready to see for yourself?

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What's in this article

• Good vs. bad onboarding: what’s the difference?
• Real and expensive: The consequences of poor onboarding  
• Room to improve? How to know if your onboarding needs adjustment
• Better onboarding for the greater good

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The differences between good versus bad onboarding can be obvious — some less so. So what makes an onboarding experience a bad one? What are the hallmarks of a good one? And what are the potential risks, like turnover rates, and their costs, if onboarding isn’t improved?  

Good vs. bad onboarding: what’s the difference?

Onboarding should constantly evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of employees. Aiming for perfection from the get-go is unrealistic. That said, there are ways you can identify if your onboarding strategy is meeting today’s standards or if it’s missing the mark.  

In the end, the real difference between good and bad onboarding is found in the numbers. Lower levels of employee morale and productivity, and missed revenue targets, point to lousy onboarding. Higher levels of employee engagement, performance, and cultural integration can be credited to good onboarding. 

How to spot bad onboarding

A bad onboarding process can be one that doesn’t include enough content, or it creates so much work that it takes away from core objectives. It could also be the case where onboarding experiences aren’t cohesive across different teams.  

There are many possible ways onboarding can fall short. Here are tell-tale signs of bad onboarding: 

• Paperwork-heavy: Proper onboarding shouldn’t add more work, so if yours is process- loaded and headache- inducing, you might need to consider ways to streamline your approach.  
• The process moves too quickly: Well-thought-out onboarding cycles around 12 months, as there are essential checkpoints to anticipate even after the initial welcoming phase. Onboarding that lasts a single day is a red flag. 
• There are no defined objectives: Onboarding should set multiple goals for new employees. Some goals are shared, like learning about corporate culture. While some might be unique to the individual and their role. Objectives should be clear and time-bound, mapped out on a timeline. 
• There are not enough follow-ups: Support is everything, especially for new employees. Ensuring that follow-ups are regularly scheduled, be it as one-on-ones or informal check-ins, even after the initial training period is over, makes all the difference. 

Setting the standard: What good onboarding should look like

There are two ways to ensure your onboarding experience meets expectations: avoiding the above and going the extra mile. The hallmarks of good onboarding include: 

• Set clear expectations: The worst thing about being new to a role is feeling lost in what to do next. Good onboarding means setting goals, tasks, and deadlines for new employees, so they know what is expected of them. 
• Prioritize formal and social learning: Standard corporate training and social integration are equally important for new employees to connect with their new role and the company culture. Make sure to balance tasks that fulfill both types of learning throughout the onboarding plan. 
• Invite everyone to pitch in: Onboarding used to be reserved just for HR — but those days are long gone. Everyone should contribute to a new employee's onboarding experience: managers, team members, and company experts. Anyone with knowledge to share, welcoming energy, or indirect support to offer can help enhance an onboarding experience. Nothing showcases community values like collaboration.  
• Creative and engaging content: There are ways you can reimagine onboarding moments for the better. Instead of having remote team members send text-based welcome emails, get them to record a welcome video message. Offer new employees a user-friendly platform where everything they need, from training materials to dynamic goals checklists, can live under the same roof.

Real and expensive: The consequences of poor onboarding  

If onboarding a new employee has a cost, onboarding a new employee poorly has an even greater price. Let's break down some of these potential risks so you know what a proper onboarding process can prevent.  

How bad onboarding impacts retention

Onboarding has a major influence on retention.  

A solid onboarding strategy and execution ensures employees stick around. By improving their onboarding process, organizations see improved new hire retention rates by 82% and productivity increases by 70%.  

On the flip side, bad onboarding is thought to be one of the major causes of employee turnover. When they do not receive a structured onboarding, 41% of employees consider looking for another job — and 22% of employees actually do. That’s 63% of employees who factor in onboarding before committing to a role long term.  

Remember that employee turnover costs are high -- up to 200% of an employee’s salary each time. Poor onboarding is a problem companies can’t afford to ignore.

Is the impact of poor onboarding underestimated?

Onboarding is widely understood as critical to the employee journey, yet 76% of HR managers believe onboarding is underutilized.  

There could be many factors at play: companies have not invested enough to update their onboarding practices, are lacking the right tools to onboard efficiently, or are not involving the right people to do good onboarding justice. 

57% of managers feel they lack the capacity to be more involved in onboarding, so a lack of time and resources is a common barrier to improving the process. 

But managers aren’t the only ones concerned — employees have their say too. Only 12% of employees feel their employers do a good job onboarding new hires, meaning 88% of employees feel onboarding could be improved.  

It is important to listen to everyone involved in onboarding (from HR to the hiring manager, immediate team members, and more). They are the ones that can provide the most valuable insights and who are most impacted by poor onboarding. 

Room to improve? How to know if your onboarding needs adjustment

Like any good business housekeeping, you need to routinely check in with your managers and employees and analyze whether your onboarding approach is up to snuff. It is important look at every aspect of your onboarding: strategies, plans, templates, tools. 
 

Some questions to ask yourself to help you establish whether your onboarding approach needs revisiting: 

☝️Is your onboarding creating more work than it should?

While personalization is important, and every onboarding deserves special attention, automation is also vital in making onboarding planning and execution efficient and productive. The last thing any company wants is to add more work than their teams can already manage.  
 

Ask the people involved in onboarding — HR and managers — if they feel their current system creates more work for them. Good onboarding should be structured and strategic, not solely administrative. 

☝️Do your tools enhance your onboarding experiences?

Good onboarding tactics avoid creating more work than needed for managers, and efficient tools help streamline the planning and management process. Unfortunately, 69% of managers feel that onboarding is too time-consuming.  
 

Ease of experience for new employees is also crucial. Is the plan provided easy to understand? Is the format user-friendly? Are the tools provided easy-to-use, intuitive, and engaging? Do they help the employees access the right resources without wasting time? Good onboarding tools help newcomers feel motivated, get up to speed on their new organization’s processes and culture, and complete training faster. 

☝️What do others think?

Ask around. Are the managers finding it easy or time-consuming to design onboarding plans? Are new employees feeling engaged and excited by their experience, or do they feel overwhelmed and confused? 

The opinions of the people participating in onboarding — managers, new employees, and other participants — can be helpful. They are the ones going through the experience: their insights might help you spot less obvious gaps outside of technical aspects.  

How to collect feedback: 

• Anonymous surveys are good for honest insights.  
• Routine 1:1s offer opportunities to ask how the onboarding is going. 

What other ways can help you gain direct insights to understand where your onboarding might need improvement? Check out these 5 ways to collect honest employee feedback. 

☝️What are the numbers telling you?

Nothing like hard numbers to tell you how it really is: 1/3 of new employees begin searching for another job within six months of being with their employer, and 1/4 leave before the one-year mark. 

Considering onboarding sets the tone for the rest of the employment experience, high turnover rates amongst new employees are more than often linked back to poor onboarding. 

Productivity and goal-reaching are also things to consider. What is the success rate of newcomers reaching onboarding milestones on time? Are tasks getting completed, or are they falling behind  schedule? Onboarding tools that provide insight reports offer helpful in-progress visibility. 

Better onboarding for the greater good

Onboarding is an integral part of the employee experience — and impacts the entire employee lifecycle. The challenge for companies remains: How can onboarding be improved to optimize integration, prevent short and long-term losses, and ensure new employees have everything they need to succeed and more? 

Great onboarding sets up employees for success, and achieving this is possible with the right mindset, strategy, and tools.  

Workleap Onboarding is a solution that addresses onboarding needs at all levels. A one-stop-shop platform to help managers build onboarding plans more efficiently, a place for new employees to integrate their roles and teams faster, where employers see higher levels of engagement and productivity all around. 

Ready to make a change? Create your free Workleap Onboarding account and experience how improving your onboarding approach can help other aspects of your business.

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What's in this article

• How (good) onboarding increases employee retention
• Great onboarding also boosts recruitment efforts
• Why it matters to align onboarding experiences to the overall employee journey
• Ambassadorship as a true marker of spectacular onboarding
• Cost-saving: How onboarding can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars… and more

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Today, most companies understand that onboarding plays an epic role in building and sustaining a high-performing workforce. However, other crucial activities, such as hiring efforts and retaining employees, are often prioritized. Solely investing in hiring strategies does not protect your company from its top talent leaving. Why is that? A bad retention rate is often the consequence of poor processes. And the foundational process of any company begins with onboarding. Onboarding activities not only overlap with sourcing talent and retaining them — they also work hand in hand with each other.

In other words, good onboarding leads to employees sticking around longer and spreading the word about the great employer they work for (which makes recruitment even easier). Onboarding is a worthwhile investment. We say use it to your advantage.

How (good) onboarding increases employee retention

As Forbes puts it, employee turnover can kill a business. When you consider that replacing an employee costs about 33% of their annual salary, this statement is far from dramatic. The good news? 75% of turnover is preventable, and we think onboarding is (likely) the answer. 

First impressions matter

Onboarding sets the tone for the environment that your new employees join. Bad onboarding gives the impression of a disorganized culture that doesn’t prioritize welcoming new hires. Good onboarding highlights a structured, thoughtful organization that cares about them and that anyone would be excited to work for.  

Want to wow your new recruits? Read how 4 major companies nailed the onboarding experience to their (and their employees) benefit. 

A butterfly effect of positive repercussions

When employees fall in love with the company they work for, everything else follows. Great onboarding experiences get new hires excited, keep them motivated and focused, and help them integrate the work culture. This not only helps them achieve optimal productivity faster, it also develops stronger feelings of loyalty and commitment to do good work. 

Great onboarding also boosts recruitment efforts

Retention aside, you can make onboarding work in your favor for recruitment objectives too. How is that possible? Because great onboarding increases your overall employer brand (i.e. reputation) and people want to work for great employer brands.  

Sure, investing in onboarding helps retain your employees. That said, some may still leave. There are many reasons for that to happen, and some might not be personal at all. That doesn’t mean that the positive effects of onboarding stop there.  

Ex-employees who have had great onboarding experiences, who have felt a positive connection to their job, are more likely to leave positive reviews of their time at your company for others to see. They might refer their friends to new job openings you advertise … and even apply to come back and work for you years down the line. 

You can kill two birds (or three, or four!) with one stone, now or in the future, thanks to a solid onboarding strategy. 

Why it matters to align onboarding experiences to the overall employee journey

We previously highlighted the importance of designing onboarding experiences to be integrative, comprehensive, intentional and human. That’s because onboarding experiences follow and shape the overall employee journey —  both need to work hand in hand. 

From the very first impression, throughout the entire employee journey, and even in the context of reboarding, crossboarding and offboarding scenarios, investing in solid onboarding has its advantages. 

Onboarding: Key at each step of the employee journey

Some examples of how thoughtful onboarding can benefit different stages of the employee life cycle: 

• Before being hired: Thanks to a former employee’s positive onboarding experience, a new hire prospect read a good review of your company and applied immediately. 
• Before the first day: HR managers and others involved in the onboarding of upcoming new hires quickly and efficiently design onboarding activities and get ready because great onboarding is one that is planned ahead. 

• On the first day: Your new hire immediately engages in the steps to get set up and familiarized with company processes because onboarding covers this. 
• Throughout their employment: Great onboarding sets up employees for success because it encourages teamwork, includes touch points for feedback, offers opportunities for improvement, and feeds belongingness.  
• During and after departures: Leaving a job can still be a positive experience, as ending things on a good note can be as memorable as a first impression. Former employees will continue to advocate for your company if they had a great experience while they were there. 

Ambassadorship as a true marker of spectacular onboarding

It’s great to read good things being said about your company, isn’t it? Glassdoor, LinkedIn recommendations, and social media platforms can be chock-full of rave reviews. But company ambassadors bring more value than just flattering your ego. 

Remember: Social proof is the most valuable advertisement there is. This is no different for employer brands.

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📊 Statistics show that prospective candidates would trust your employees and former employees 3X more than your company itself to provide credible information on what it’s like to work there.

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Putting efforts to turn your employees, current and former, into your ambassadors is not something to snooze on! 

Cost-saving: How onboarding can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars… and more

We all know this: losing an employee is expensive. And often, we think of this in terms of hard costs, including the:

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69% of employee are more likely to stay with a company for at least 3 years when receiving a positive onboarding experience

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What’s in this article

• The importance of employee onboarding
• What should be included in employee onboarding
• What is team onboarding
• Why managers should be part of your onboarding process
• Great onboarding leads to company success

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In a recent webinar by Workleap, Chief People Officer Kahina Ouerdane dissects the important conversation all professionals — from business leaders to employees — are having at the moment: Onboarding remains an integral part of the employee experience. The challenge is: how can we make it better? 

Watch it here 👉 Webinar “If you think onboarding is just an HR thing, you’re doing it wrong!” with Kahina Ouerdane, Chief People Officer, Workleap 

There has been an interesting shift in 2022: onboarding conversations are no longer reserved for HR professionals. As they say, it takes a village — and in the case of new hires — an entire team of managers, peers, and more, to onboard them adequately. 

If you thought onboarding was just an HR thing, think again. Onboarding is everyone’s business. Here’s why.

The importance of employee onboarding 

Onboarding helps new employees integrate into their new roles and environment, and navigate your company culture — the better the onboarding, the faster the feeling of belonging. And belongingness snowballs into a multitude of positive effects — increasing productivity, motivation, retention, and engagement — all of which are important to any well-functioning company. This is especially important to consider in today’s current climate of modern workplace adaptations and distributed workforces. 

Great onboarding helps increase employee productivity, engagement, and retention. 

Employees who feel a sense of belonging in their workplace demonstrate higher engagement rates. And higher engagement means higher productivity and lower absenteeism — which can also mean up to 21% higher profitability. 

It showcases your company culture even further. 

Because onboarding is such an integral part of the employee experience for new employees, there are many opportunities to pepper in your company culture — your corporate values, beliefs, and systems — within onboarding activities. After all, you want to make sure new hires get a feel of what your company and teams stand for from the get-go and set them up for success early on. 

How can you leverage the onboarding process to showcase your culture? You could do so by providing resources that expand on your company’s inclusivity and diversity commitments or by scheduling weekly 1-on-1s to demonstrate the value of communication.  

Corporate culture plays a big role in retaining employees and in attracting new talent — 47% of people consider culture as an important company attribute when looking for a new job. It is important to  communicate your company culture from the inside out accurately and effectively. 

Onboarding helps mitigate the challenges of remote environments.

More than ever before, creating a sense of belonging is a challenge. In an era where remote and hybrid work is normalized, how do you ensure new employees feel like they belong with a group of people they have never met in person? How do you create cohesive experiences for everyone with employees displaced across different cities and time zones without the help of sharing the same office?  

The need to create onboarding experiences that connect employees with each other, and ensure everyone is on the same page, no matter where they are, is now more critical than ever. 

We’re not saying it’s easy, but belongingness through a digital lens is achievable — it requires creativity, care, and the openness to “re-learn” past processes and ways we interact. There may not be set-in-stone best practices yet, but the key is to create intentional and human moments throughout the onboarding process, and to be consistent. 

What should you include in employee onboarding?  

The basics of great onboarding are pretty straightforward: 

• Make a plan, map out a timeline, and set milestones 

Planning ensures you know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and in what amount of time. You should include a clear structure with milestones and time-bound objectives in all your onboardings. This organization is helpful for both the one supervising the onboarding and the newcomer.  

A comprehensive onboarding plan usually spans one year and includes the pre-boarding, first day, first month, and first year stages. There are onboarding activities specific to those periods, while others can be overarching throughout the entire plan.  

💡 Check out our super useful templates with employee onboarding checklists that cover pre-boarding, first day, first month, and first year stages. 

• Provide useful documents and resources 
  You should include additional resources your new employees can access at any time throughout their onboarding to help them better integrate into the company. Such resources could include the office rule book, process guidelines, or case studies on past projects.  

One great Onboarding features is a resource library, where you can quickly assemble everything in one place and share it with new employees. 

• Enlist the help of peers 
  And by that, we don’t just mean HR peers —  we also mean team leaders, direct managers, colleague, IT experts, and anyone else that a new employee should know and/or will work with. Great onboarding thrives from collaboration, so ask peers to help you bring to life some of the onboarding moments you’ll plan.   

With Workleap Onboarding’s video recording feature, everyone can create dynamic and engaging introduction messages or clips sharing something that is important to them, which is a neat way to meet and get to know new colleagues remotely. 

• Prioritize communication 

We cannot stress the human component enough when we talk about great onboarding experiences. And the best way to humanize those is with face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) 1-on-1s that encourage communication, feedback, and relationship building.  

Like a pancake, your first onboarding may be more laborious than the rest. However, the time you invest planning onboarding experiences for one employee is worth it as you won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. You can turn any great onboarding plan into an onboarding template that can then be tweaked and personalized at need. 

👀 Discover the top best practices to onboard a new employee like a pro.

What is team onboarding?  

By now, you’re probably up to speed on what onboarding is and why it’s so important. But what about team onboarding? How is team onboarding different from regular onboarding? 

Team onboarding is the introduction of a new employee to their direct team and how they will work together. It is part of the broader onboarding of a new employee joining your company for the first time. Team onboarding can also happen with existing employees who are already well integrated into the company and are moving teams or departments, or returning from leave. 

Proximity experience has influence 

Our work experience is, more than ever, a proximity experience. Most of our interactions and collaborations happen within our direct circles — in a company environment, that usually means our immediate team. Naturally, employees create deeper connections with a smaller set of colleagues that work in proximity to them. 

It is important not to underestimate the influence that team experiences have on new employees. They play an integral part in creating a sense of connection and belonging. That said, belongingness needs to happen not just at a team level but also at a company level. Hence why you need to be intentional about every team onboarding moment.  

Proximity experiences — team onboarding experiences — should be leveraged to aid the big-picture of a new employee’s onboarding.  

Example of good team onboarding activities 

Is it possible for team onboarding activities to work hand-in-hand with the general onboarding of a new employee? Can team-specific activities still satisfy the objectives of onboarding from a wider lens? Absolutely. 

Why managers should be part of your onboarding process  

Managers play an essential role throughout onboarding journeys in two ways. Firstly, they have leadership responsibilities — they bridge the gap between the employees and the company  and represent your company’s culture. Secondly, they are part of the proximity experiences that heavily influence what new employees live through daily. 

Managers are often the leading facilitators of onboarding activities, holding 1-on-1s and being first in line for help and support throughout the onboarding process, so they should be included at all onboarding stages — including the planning, implementation, and adjustments of onboarding experiences. 

Great onboarding leads to company success

Today, we understand great onboarding experiences to be integrative, comprehensive, intentional, and (most of all) human. And for that to happen — all hands on deck are needed:  HR managers, team leaders, team members, indirect peers, and more. 

The return on investment of thoughtful and comprehensive onboarding strategies benefits every aspect of company activities, from recruitment to performance. This can be measured in both tangible and intangible ways. 

Great onboarding increases employee happiness

Employees who experience effective onboarding are 30x more likely to report job satisfaction

Read more:

• Onboarding and its impact on recruiting and retaining top talent 
• Goodbye spreadsheets: Rethinking your onboarding process a more human way 
• The hidden costs of bad onboarding 

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We cannot emphasize the importance of onboarding enough. And while we’ve covered the importance of investing in a solid onboarding strategy and how that can benefit your corporate brand and improve your bottom line, we have not yet dived into how to go about it best. We’re talking about the tools that will properly capture your onboarding process and help you achieve your desired results. 

Changing times calls for changing our ways for the better

The workplace is an entirely different environment today compared to 10 years ago. For most, the “office” is now a virtual ecosystem in which colleagues connect with each other from home through a laptop. But as unrecognizable as our professional worlds have become, our need for connection hasn't changed. We would argue it’s only grown.  

How we approach our employees now needs to translate remotely, but it also needs to feel human, even more so than before. Our old ways of working, heavy with paperwork and one-dimensional, must be refreshed with forward-thinking methods so your new employees can start off the right way from day one.

In 2022, there are no excuses! It’s not like the tools don’t exist — we know because we invented one!  

Spreadsheets: Why they don’t work for employee onboarding  

Let’s make something clear: we love spreadsheets. Just not for onboarding new employees. They are a great tool for capturing, displaying and manipulating data in an organized fashion, but they don’t offer much engagement, interactivity, or automation. When 1 out of 25 employees report leaving their company due to substandard onboarding experiences — it’s time to up your game. 

Decrease your administrative efforts (and save time!)

Spreadsheets are basic in functions compared to the other great tools available on the market that offer onboarding solutions.  

They can help you plan with filtered lists and even help you map out a timeline (if you’re good at formatting), but they’re limited in terms of creating a workflow that integrates other tools and platforms your onboarding process needs to include.  

Even with a well-thought-out spreadsheet, you still have to save other essential onboarding documents, like HR forms and reading materials, somewhere else and provide separate instructions to find them. And you would still have to manually schedule onboarding meetings, check-ins, and reminders, as well as assign tasks outside of your spreadsheet. And you would still need to offer a separate means of communication, such as a chat tool, for peers to connect. Lastly, each new spreadsheet starts as a blank canvas — you have to start from scratch every single time. 

Fool-proof flexibility and automation

You need an onboarding method that allows you to be flexible and saves you from making mistakes. Spreadsheets are very manual, so if you need to make one change, you must align everything else accordingly for your onboarding timeline to line up.  

When too many manual changes are required to personalize onboarding plans, data corruption can be costly. For example, it is too easy for a collaborator to change the contents of one cell or adjust one formula and accidentally delete something important without realizing it. Or, with standard file sharing, spreadsheets can be duplicated, and the wrong version can get saved and used instead.  

You’ve probably already experienced making these mistakes, and the risks of repeating them are not worth it.

Capitalize on first impressions

The data-focused nature of spreadsheets doesn’t offer much interactivity and engagement. New employees need to feel excited about the onboarding plan they are given at the start of their employment. There is a real opportunity for employers to capitalize on the “first impressions last” phenomenon. Do you want to be seen as a company offering a run-of-the-mill, bland approach to welcoming employees? Or do you want to be seen as an organization that stands out from the rest? 

If you can WOW your new hires from day one with a structured onboarding experience that captures their attention, they are 69% more likely to stay at your company for at least 3 years. 

Remote and hybrid work requires more creativity

The onboarding process needs a reshuffle with remote and hybrid work dynamics becoming the norm. Modern onboarding needs to meet the needs of today’s higher standards of virtual interactivity while compensating for the lack of organic human connection a physical office provides. 

The cost of loss in human connection is hard to calculate in real terms, but the cultural connection is at risk. Although there are many ways to counteract this — all it takes is creativity and care.  

A few ideas complementary to onboarding: 

• Organizing virtual coffee chats 
• Using video platforms with breakout rooms 
• Investing in on-demand feedback solutions 
• Allocating a budget for employees to upgrade their home offices  

Swapping spreadsheets for memorable experiences — with the right tools 

Onboarding should be more than just paperwork — it should be an experience that flows and feels human. Sorry spreadsheets: onboarding is about presenting data within a more meaningful context. 

Working smarter: Consolidating your onboarding process

For example, you might have onboarding tasks that require booking people. Spreadsheets don’t link to email calendars, so finding availabilities and booking time is painfully manual. The right onboarding tool could simplify and automate this process, making planning and booking a meeting a one-step action.  

Another example: Designing a plan that allocates time for training and provides the reading materials for training should be the same. It seems simple enough, but new employees can spend up to 1/5 of their time looking for documents. Offering an onboarding tool that hubs all materials under one roof will save everyone time: it's about centralizing everything, keeping track of documents, and keeping versions up to date at all times. 

Adding interactive, engaging, and more human aspects

There is a real opportunity to inject your corporate brand, values, culture and spirit within your onboarding process. Doing so is necessary to promote belongingness — especially in a digital era. How can you do that? For starters, not with spreadsheets. Unless your brand is blah (which we doubt it is).  

Some helpful pointers: 

• Engage new employees with dynamic video messages. It’s more compelling than reading a wordy email. 
• Break up the days with informal, virtual coffee chats to promote inter-office friendships (which is super healthy).  
• Automate feedback moments through onboarding milestones to make a new employee feel like their opinion matters.  
• Provide a fun and fresh user interface to experience it all through to make the information more enjoyable and digestible.

The efficiency of onboarding tools outweighs the costs

Your company probably already has spreadsheet software available for you to use. So, you might be thinking about the initial costs of adopting a new tool to help with your onboarding needs. Trust us — the gains will most certainly outweigh the costs.  

By implementing tools tailored for modern-day onboarding, you’re saving time (hello, customizable templates!), increasing productivity for both you and your new employees, and promoting higher employee engagement in the long run (meaning higher profitability — up to 21% more, actually). 

If financial concerns are the blockers, we’ve got you covered. Not only do we offer several tiers of pricing adapted to your needs, but we also offer a free plan, so you can try out all the features before committing. 

Better onboarding to showcase your human philosophies  

Companies that not only take the time to think about their new employees’ onboarding experiences, how they can improve their methods, and also do something about it are the ones that get ahead. They are the ones who show they value their employees by empowering them in their experiences, gaining longer-lasting loyalty and a permanent fanbase. 

We’re not trying to be biased — spreadsheets work, but Workleap Onboarding does it better. Try it for free, and you’ll know what we’re talking about.

Businesses have traditionally crafted their surveys from a customer standpoint, with questions on customer satisfaction, how to acquire new customers, and on ways to boost customer loyalty. But today, business leaders across industries understand that employee satisfaction is just as vital to the operation of the organization.

Just as a customer NPS (Net Promoter Score) can help companies map out the customer journey and identify unhappy customers, the employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) helps organizations gauge employee experience and get actionable feedback to improve employee engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.

What is an eNPS survey, and how can businesses use online surveys to build a healthier company culture? Read on as we share some helpful insights and provide employee Net Promoter Score questions you can use in your next survey.

What is an eNPS survey?

Fred Reichheld of Bain & Company* created the net promoter system in 2003. He discovered that using an NPS survey to calculate a company's promoter percentage helps organizations develop more effective marketing strategies and improve both brand recognition and brand loyalty.

Since 2003, many companies have implemented NPS in their market research. More recently, workplace culture-oriented organizations have begun applying this method to their employees as well as their customers.

* Net Promoter Score and NPS-related emoticons are Bain & Company's registered trademarks.

Employee NPS and employee engagement

Employee NPS is a metric that helps you know how employees feel about your organization and whether they would recommend it as a good place to work. ENPS works very much like customer NPS but treats employees as the customers and your organization as the product package you're trying to "sell" to top talent in your industry.

The eNPS formula has a tight relationship with employee engagement, which impacts just about every aspect of your business, from employee retention to long-term success. Engaged employees are more productive, more creative, and likelier to remain in the company.

Measuring eNPS: How to calculate employee net promoter scores

How do you measure employee loyalty, engagement, and satisfaction? It may seem extremely complicated, but in fact, employee net promoter score surveys use a simple eNPS formula.

The eNPS score revolves around the following question: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company as a workplace?"

The respondents fall into three categories:

• Promoters: Employees who rated your company at 9 or 10
• Neutrals: Employees who gave your organization a rating of 7 or 8
• Detractors: Employees with ratings of 0 to 6

Promoters' feedback marks the happiest, most loyal employees who are likeliest to recommend your company to others. Detractors are dissatisfied employees who are unlikely to promote your organization and may also leave their position if a different work opportunity crops up.

This is how you calculate employee net promoter scores:

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eNPS = Percentage of promoters - percentage of detractors

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For example, if your organization has 100 employees on its roster, 25 of whom are promoters, 10 are detractors, and the rest are neutrals, your employee net promoter score (eNPS) equals 25 - 10 = +15.

What constitutes a good eNPS score? Anything above +10 shows that your company has a healthy percentage of generally satisfied employees. Leading companies that invest quite a few resources in keeping their employees happy often boast an eNPS score of 40 or higher. HubSpot, which is well-known for its investment in employee loyalty and satisfaction, has an eNPS score of 77.

You should track your employee net promoter score over time and always aim for a higher eNPS. However, the eNPS score as a standalone metric isn't enough to evaluate employee satisfaction and engagement. Longer and more detailed employee engagement surveys will help you separate happy but passive employees from engaged and active team members that drive company success.

20 examples of employee Net Promoter Score questions

The primary employee Net Promoter Score question is always some variation of, "On a 0 to 10 scale, how likely are you to recommend our organization as a workplace to a friend or colleague?"

For more useful and detailed employee feedback, you should also include at least one follow-up question in your survey. We list 20 survey questions below that typically yield useful results in eNPS and employee engagement surveys.

1. Please share the primary reason for your score.

What made this employee rank your company at 10, 7, or zero? Does it have to do with workload, salary, or other factors?

2. What would prompt you to give our company a higher score?

Would your employees value more flexible hours, more helpful management, or a broader healthcare package?

3. What do you enjoy most about working in this company?

Discover what your employees value most about your organization. Is it the opportunity for professional advancement, a positive company culture, or perks like a free lunch program?

4. Is there any specific factor that would prevent you from recommending our company to potential employees?

While this question may yield some potentially uncomfortable answers, like "low salary" or "toxic managers," you can use it as a springboard for improvement.

5. Would you say that your experience of working at our company has improved or worsened over the past 6 months?

Employee Net Promoter Score and employee engagement are all about trends. Even if the current situation could use improvement, this question can help you discover whether your organization is on the right track.

6. Would you say our company invests enough resources in employee satisfaction and well-being? Yes/no.

This type of question can give you easily quantifiable results ("60% of our employees believe that this organization should invest more in employee well-being").

7. On a scale of 0 to 10, how helpful is your manager when you encounter a problem at work?

A high percentage of low ratings here, coupled with a generally low eNPS score, could point to a management-level problem affecting employee engagement that you may wish to discuss with your team leaders.

8. Do you see yourself working in this organization for the next five years?

You may structure this as a yes/no question or offer a more open format by adding, "Why or why not?" Either way, you may gain helpful insights into the risks of employee attrition in your company.

9. On a scale of 0 to 10, how recognized and valued do you feel in our organization?

Employee recognition is a major driver of employee engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty. Low scores in this area may indicate that your organization needs more recognition initiatives.

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💡Check out these 8 tips to increase recognition in the workplace!

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10. How exciting or interesting would you say your work is, on a scale of 0 to 10?

Employees who give your organization an overall high score but rank low in this question may be laid-back team members who will do their job yet are unlikely to go the extra mile.

11. Would you say our organization is more or less attractive to employees than its industry competitors? (More, less, the same)

Do many of your employees believe that other companies in your industry offer their employees a better deal? Consider looking into your competitors' employee engagement practices.

12. Did recent changes in our organization improve, impair, or have no effect on your work experience?

This question may be useful if your company has recently undergone major changes like restructuring or increased automation.

13. What would potentially induce you to move to a different organization?

Is it a higher salary, an expanded benefits package, or a company-sponsored vacation in Hawaii? Knowing the answer can help you circumvent your competitors.

14. What is your biggest challenge/difficulty in working here?

This question gives your employees an opportunity to voice their concerns: from lack of training to inefficient software.

15. Why did you choose to work with us?

Answers like "the chance of professional growth" or "a competitive salary" can let you know what attracts employees to your organization.

16. From 0 to 10, how closely would you say our organization met the expectations you had when you started working here?

This follows up on the previous question: for example if a worker stated "flexible hours" was their main attraction to your company but gave a score of 3 here, you may wish to look into employee schedules.

17. Which of the following, in your opinion, should we prioritize to improve? a) work-life balance, b) employee incentives, c) workplace culture.

Close-ended questions of this type help you focus on relevant answers and achieve measurable data.

18. For promoters: What makes our organization a good choice for employees?

This question focuses on your organization's top players and aims to find out what makes them happy about working with you.

19. For detractors: What is your biggest obstacle to achieving a positive work experience in our organization?

Show your least satisfied employees that you validate their experience by asking a question that focuses on their needs.

20. For neutrals: How can we take your work experience from ordinary to great?

Find out what steps you can take to turn disengaged workers into enthusiastic, driven team players.

Types of questions in eNPS surveys

As you see from the examples above, your employee Net Promoter Score survey questions may fall under the following categories:

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• Digital scale questions ask the respondents to rate their experience or the strength of their agreement with a particular statement on a 0 to 10 scale. The survey's first and most essential question belongs to this type. Digital scale questions are convenient because they yield easily measurable results.
• Open-ended questions. While an open-ended question gives harder results to group or calculate, it also allows participants to offer personalized, detailed feedback that provides valuable insights. An open-ended question is, "What, in your opinion, is the most important step the company management could take to improve your job satisfaction?"
• Yes/no questions. Despite their rigidity, yes/no questions produce focused, quantifiable results that can help you evaluate employee experience. Questions like, "Are you happy with our transition to new CRM software?" work well in a yes/no format.

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Employee Net Promoter Score survey structure

Every employee Net Promoter Score poll starts with the core question: asking your employees to rate their workplace on a 0 to 10 scale. It proceeds with at least one follow-up question that encourages the employee to elaborate on their first answer and can help you glean useful information about that employee's experience in your company.

To get the most accurate and useful survey results, we suggest that you:

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• Send out eNPS surveys once a quarter. Quarterly surveys will regularly assess your employee Net Promoter Score without over-surveying.
• Keep the survey brief. A classic eNPS survey consists of just two questions: the 1 to 10 scale rating and another question that gives insight into the respondent's first answer. You may include a few additional questions, but keep the survey short to avoid survey fatigue.
• Ensure anonymity. Some employees feel uncomfortable giving negative or constructive feedback if they believe the management can identify them. To encourage unbiased answers, assure your team that all responses will remain anonymous.
• Encourage honesty. We all like a pat on the back, but that's hardly the purpose of your survey. You want the results to reflect reality as closely as possible, just as if you were doing market research. You may include a statement like, "We value your honest opinions. Please let us know what you really think, even if it means giving a low score."
• Motivate participants. It's easy to forget about answering a survey in the middle of a busy workday. To encourage higher participation rates, you can give your staff a nudge via email or your company's work operating system and say something like, "We hope you'll take the time to answer our recent survey. Your feedback helps us consistently work towards making our company a better place." A targeted, easy-to-use survey platform like Officevibe will help promote survey participation.

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Officevibe: The people-first platform for helpful employee feedback

Happy employees are the key to your company's success. Officevibe's people-friendly, employee engagement solution will help you measure engagement, gain actionable insights to improve employee satisfaction and work towards continuous improvement in your company's culture.

Check out more articles by Workleap to dive deeper into how employee surveys work and how they can help promote your organization's values.

Recognition in the workplace is an important part of employee culture and a company's values. As a manager, recognizing your team for their efforts is the cornerstone to building trust and employee engagement. However, it's equally important to make sure peers share recognition. Peers have different vantage points regarding knowing each other's strengths and how each employee contributes to the team.

Taking the time for peer-to-peer recognition helps shape a positive culture, further strengthening team relationships and motivation. Having a peer recognition platform in place can hugely impact the team and each individual's self-esteem in the workplace.

In fact, according to Bonusly, 86.57% of all employee recognition in 2020 (given by Bonusly users) was peer-to-peer. A notable increase worthy of a closer look.

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What is peer recognition?

Peer recognition is the act of employees giving recognition to other employees. It's part of employee recognition as a concept that extends beyond manager recognition or human resources, as it doesn't always have to come from the top down. A peer recognition model can come in all shapes and sizes, but the benefits of peer recognition are felt across the board.

Giving praise on all levels helps make recognition collaborative and meaningful.

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88% of Officevibe survey respondents agree that their organization encourages employees to give recognition to one another.{emphasize}

Receiving peer recognition enables employees to give each other the boost they need to push projects to the finish line and achieve great work. Ultimately, developing a collaborative approach to recognition means acknowledging each other for things like your peer's skills, efforts, accolades, and strengths. Employee recognition should be a central part of your company values.

But here's the thing, it takes more than a rewards system to motivate employees. Integrating frequent peer recognition practices on your team can positively impact morale and employee engagement. Using a peer recognition program will help tremendously.  As a manager, the first step is to identify where to start. 

Officevibe helps you spot where peer relationships might be lacking. Using poignant data helps you contextualize where to increase initiatives that facilitate peer-to-peer appreciation. It also gathers data to help you recognize where peer-to-peer recognition is needed.

💬 Another way to figure out your team's recognition needs? Ask them! Use this free survey template to know what kind of recognition your people seek and what makes it meaningful.

What makes peer recognition important?

As a manager, it can feel like the onus is on you when it comes to making sure that your team knows they are valued contributors. Manager recognition is absolutely essential for team engagement and performance. And yet, our data reveals that employees want more recognition.

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40% of employees negatively rate the frequency at which they receive recognition.{emphasize}

By encouraging and facilitating a culture of peer recognition, the weight gets distributed, employees feel valued, and strong professional relationships are built. Creating a positive recognition experience doesn't just stem from HR professionals. It's a necessary and valued exchange between peers.

Peer recognition helps boost employee performance and company morale. Not only is recognition a catalyst for peer appreciation, but doing so on a group level develops a strong sense of support and camaraderie.

Keeping this in mind, it's clear that peers play a vital role in employee satisfaction. Consequently, integrating a peer recognition program contributes to positive company culture.

The benefits of having a peer recognition program

Peer recognition diminishes employee turnover

When it comes to preventing turnover, employee recognition goes a long way. Without credit, people tend not to feel appreciated by the company, making them more likely to leave.

A solid employee recognition program helps people identify more with the company culture and values and feel a greater sense of belonging. As a result, you up the chances of your employees sticking around.

Peer recognition increases employee engagement

Many factors help increase employee engagement, peer-to-peer recognition being one of them. Peer recognition programs play a significant role in job satisfaction and happiness in the workplace. Regular kudos helps increase engagement, which benefits the employee and the entire team.

Harvard Business Review reveals that having an effective peer recognition program makes for happier, more engaged employees and a 14 to 29 percent increase in profits.

Peer recognition develops trust

The more your team is capable of expressing recognition amongst one another, the more they'll learn they can trust each other. When individuals feel they're being recognized for their work, they dilute sensations of competitiveness and replace them with collaboration.

Peer recognition boosts team morale

When teammates know that efforts are being noticed and appreciated: morale increases. Doing so consistently ensures that your team's happiness remains consistent, prompting more productivity and job satisfaction.

Knowing how to make peers happy with simple gestures of appreciation and gratitude develops team spirit. As a result, you nurture resilient employee-to-employee relationships, and co-workers strengthen their bonds! 

Peer recognition increases motivation

When people feel recognized for their work, they feel seen. In turn, it encourages employees to contribute, learn, and develop their skills. Motivation reframes any burden of high objectives – crucial to a successful organization. After all, a high momentum environment keeps its foundation strong.

Peer recognition amplifies strengths

A robust peer recognition program amplifies people's strengths. Giving meaningful peer recognition and genuine compliments prompts employees to reflect on and highlight great work. Building a strengths-based team culture is one that drives employee performance.

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6 ideas to help implement peer recognition with your team

There are several peer recognition programs or ideas that you can easily implement with your team to increase employee happiness. We took the liberty of weeding through which employee recognition programs are most effective to set you and your team up for success. 

Here is a short list of peer recognition and rewards initiatives that are accessible and easily implemented.

1. Create a kudos board or train

Turn internal communications tools into a peer recognition tool! A helpful way to make peer recognition a habitual part of your organizational values is by starting a kudos board. Using Slack or Miro, fellow employees can encourage each other to participate in sharing peer appreciation.

But keep in mind that public recognition might not be the best way to recognize everyone. Some might enjoy receiving public praise or social recognition, while others are more comfortable with a private exchange. (Officevibe Good Vibes is a great recognition platform to exchange one-on-one peer-to-peer recognition, which we'll explore in #6.)

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Tip: Encourage a kudos train! Ask each employee to give kudos to a colleague who then pays it forward to another colleague.{emphasize}

2. Celebrate milestones collaboratively

Milestones come in all shapes and sizes. Whether your team celebrates an employee who has completed a big project, achieved a personal goal, or is celebrating a work anniversary, the team can recognize this together.

How about celebrating a colleague's work anniversary with a shared Miro board?

For example: One person can be in charge of setting up a celebratory Miro board, the other organizes a small gift delivery (with contributions from the team), another can set up social media shout-outs from the company, and so on. 

{emphasize}Tip: Have each team member look after a detail to celebrate their peer through genuine expression. Encourage them to get creative and have fun!{emphasize}

3. Integrate peer recognition into daily rituals

Peer recognition programs encourage employees to share their appreciation for how involved others have been in their success. The goal is to make sure that recognition feels baked into the company culture in everyday practices like morning meetings or retrospectives. The key isn't to have lengthy discussions but to acknowledge what each person brings to the table often. Frequent recognition is key. 🔑

{emphasize}Tip: Lead by example. Teams follow their leaders, so if you start the trend of giving recognition, your team is sure to follow. It can be as simple as “I'm feeling very grateful for our team today. One thing that stood out recently was X's contribution to our goals. Does anyone else have appreciation they can share about their team members?”{emphasize}

Feel free to get inspired by more than a few examples of employee recognition messages.

4. Encourage peers to build meaningful connections

During uncertain times, peer recognition does not always need to be linked to achievement. It can take the form of recognizing one another's realities and allowing an open and safe space to share each other's needs. Recognition means appreciating and also seeing one another and actively listening. It's important to recognize peers in a meaningful way.

Tips for managers to help foster supportive connections:

• Encourage your team to check in on one another and take a break.
• Make sure they feel equipped to be productive and supply them with the right recognition tools if needed.
• Let your team know they're there to support each other just as much as you guide them.

5. End the week by sharing one way a teammate helped another

During your Friday morning meeting, encourage each team member to highlight one thing the group or individual did to help them that week. Ending your week on a high note makes a big difference, especially during times of high stress. Creating a recognition culture will be appreciated by all.

{emphasize}Tip: Each team member goes around the virtual table to bring to light one action item that was made possible by the team or by a peer.{emphasize}

6. Send Good Vibes for peer-to-peer recognition

There are many ways to deliver peer-to-peer recognition. Officevibe's Good Vibes feature is a fun and easy recognition platform that helps highlight positive efforts and gives your employees a simple, human way to recognize each other.

Not everyone wants peer feedback in the form of a public shoutout. Good Vibes creates a more personal connection between colleagues and managers by sending meaningful notes directly (like a social media DM via the Officevibe app), rather than using noisy praise walls, a competitive rewards program, or a point-based system.

{emphasize}👉🏼 It's important to recognize employees in the most receptive way, so peer programs like this provide that more intimate and less public option.{emphasize}

Building a culture of positive feedback

Why not make every day co-worker appreciation day? Developing a culture of peer-to-peer recognition is easy, accessible, and fun. Once you implement a successful peer recognition program, you'll notice how co-workers strengthen their camaraderie and work relationships, connect more with core values, and show greater support between team members. It can even increase employee morale and boost self-esteem.

In the long run, a peer-to-peer recognition program can be the spark of genius you need for your team to achieve their goals, build team spirit, and have fun in the process. Genuine praise is an essential part of a positive workplace. And when companies focus on creating a great workplace culture, great things happen. Start sharing the good vibes today!

Did you know that 47% of people say they regularly feel overwhelmed at work? And that more than a quarter of employees report an unhealthy balance between their work and personal life?*

That’s pretty rough. But it doesn’t have to be. Companies that foster positive company culture and prioritize employee satisfaction and happiness will stand out above the rest in an increasingly competitive employee marketplace.

While it can be challenging to measure something as crucial yet intangible as employee satisfaction, it’s comforting to know that no person is an island and there are tools out there to help you gauge how your people are feeling and make improvements so you can go the distance together. Ask the right employee satisfaction survey questions with this curated template and start tuning in to satisfaction levels in your workplace. 

* According to Officevibe data

What is employee satisfaction?

Employee satisfaction: the industry term on everybody’s lips – with good reason. Also known as job satisfaction, it refers to how content an employee is with their:

• Daily tasks 
• Relationship with manager and peers
• Workplace culture
• Salary, benefits, and perks
• Overall employee experience

Employee satisfaction is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Most professionals are no longer content with simply clocking in and biding their time at the office; employees want to immerse themselves in productive and meaningful work, feel connected to the company’s culture, and feel valued for the time and effort they contribute to the big picture. 

Why is it important to survey employee satisfaction?

Don’t discount the importance of employee satisfaction: according to recent Officevibe data, 53% of employees who answered our Pulse Survey questions have searched for a new job in the past year. Considering that so many have actively sought new professional opportunities, companies should be looking at implementing long-term solutions to boost employee engagement and satisfaction and improve employee retention if they want to assert themselves as forces to be reckoned in their industry.

Happy employees are generally more engaged and productive, but did you also know that higher employee satisfaction also results in:

• Lower turnover rates
• Better collaboration (with peers and leadership)
• Stronger company loyalty
• More positive brand association

{emphasize}Psst! Learn more about the importance of employee satisfaction and how improving it can make for a more engaged workforce.{emphasize}

How to survey employee satisfaction

While there are many ways for HR professionals and team leaders to measure job satisfaction, the most important thing is to actually check in on how your employees feel about the organization and their positions within it. Let’s dive into some of the ways you can gauge employee engagement and satisfaction. 

Pulse surveys

If you’re not sure where to start on your quest to assess employee satisfaction, pulse surveys may be your new best friend. Workplace pulse surveys generally feature a short series of questions meant to give managers a clear understanding of how their teams are feeling on a range of topics including:

• Work-life balance
• Company culture
• Work environment
• Employee engagement
• Employee well-being

Employee satisfaction survey questions can be answered using a qualitative sliding scale (i.e. strongly agree - strongly disagree), or with a quantitative scale (i.e. 1-10). It’s also important to note that survey answers should be anonymous to ensure employees feel comfortable giving honest feedback. Keep your questions concise, and opt for fewer questions to avoid survey fatigue.

{emphasize}Resources like Officevibe’s employee pulse survey tool help you ask the right questions to gather insight into what your company is doing well for your employees, and how it can improve employee satisfaction and increase engagement.{emphasize}

Anonymous employee feedback channels

Another great way to measure employee satisfaction is to create a safe space for your people to express themselves freely and give their honest opinions on anything from company initiatives and culture to how happy they are with their career progression or with their role within the business.

Gathering anonymous employee feedback will help you get a clearer picture of how you can improve as a manager, overcome roadblocks, and foster a healthier and happier workplace for all your employees.

One-on-one meetings

Along with annual performance reviews, holding more frequent one-on-one meetings with your employees will help you get a better sense of how satisfied your people are with their jobs. These meetings can be formal, scheduled sessions or shorter, more informal touchpoints throughout the week or month. 

Regardless of how frequently you hold your one-on-one meetings or send out your pulse surveys, it’s fundamental to be thoughtful with how you respond to this feedback so that your employees feel seen and valued.

{emphasize}💡Need a hand coming up with some talking points in your next chat? Try these useful one-on-one meeting questions.{emphasize}

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10 Employee satisfaction survey question examples

Now that you’re filled in on the ways you can check in on your team and measure their job satisfaction, we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of some employee satisfaction survey questions you might want to introduce into your next satisfaction survey.

1. Do you feel like you have all the resources you need to succeed at your job? 
2. Do you feel like there is an opportunity for career growth here in this organization?
3. How reasonable do you feel your workload levels are right now?
4. Are you satisfied with the frequency of recognition you receive?
5. Do you enjoy what you’re currently working on?
6. How would you rate your work-life balance?
7. Do you feel you are fairly compensated in your current role in the organization?
8. Do you feel a sense of fulfillment from your work?
9. How satisfied are you with the number of touchpoints you have with your manager?
10. How would you rate your employer-employee relationship?

To generate deeper feedback from your employees, consider including a section where they can expand on their answers. With Officevibe, employees have the option of keeping their feedback anonymous so they can feel comfortable giving their honest opinions.

{emphasize}Want more question ideas? Check out these 30 employee satisfaction survey questions that are sure to produce actionable results.{emphasize}

Benefits of using employee satisfaction surveys

The benefits of conducting an employee satisfaction survey are endless, especially if you’re using a dedicated platform where you can centralize all of your questions and responses. When you can keep track of what matters to your employees, you’ll be able to highlight problem areas and nip issues in the bud before they escalate, or keep improving on what they think makes your organization great.  

Conducting an employee satisfaction survey gives your people the opportunity to express their opinions, builds trust between the management team and their direct reports, and fosters a culture of transparent dialogue.

{emphasize}💡Compliment your employee satisfaction surveys with Officevibe’s guide to employee engagement surveys to get the full picture of how your team is really feeling.{emphasize}

How often should you conduct an employee satisfaction survey?

Every business operates differently, so it’s only natural that the frequency at which they’ll send satisfaction surveys will vary. There’s no universal rule of thumb for how often you should conduct a survey, but we recommend against only sending lengthy and time-consuming annual surveys. Instead, opt for shorter, more frequent touchpoints. 

Before sending out your surveys, build yourself a schedule or plan based on your employees’ needs and workloads; the whole point of sending out an employee satisfaction survey is to identify how you can boost your team’s happiness, so make sure it works for them!

What to do with your employee satisfaction survey results

Conducting a staff satisfaction survey is the first step toward fostering a happier employee experience for your team, but how you address the feedback you collect is arguably the most crucial piece of the puzzle.

Recent Officevibe data shows that 52% of managers reviewed survey results but took no action; don’t become another casualty of this unfortunate statistic and act on the data you collected. Remember that employee satisfaction looks different for everyone, so take the time to discuss employee survey results with your team individually to brainstorm new ideas and initiatives together.

How Officevibe can help you measure employee satisfaction

There’s really nowhere to go but up when you take the time to listen to what matters most to your people.

Employee experience platforms like Officevibe make it easier for you to gather data-backed insights to help you brainstorm new initiatives for both employee and company growth and success. We like to think that a bigger picture is a better picture, and Officevibe can help you get a clearer understanding of how you can engage your teams and turn insight into action.

Request a free demo and learn why Officevibe is trusted by more than 3,200 businesses worldwide.

Every manager wants to lead employees who are committed and connected to their work. In other words, they want a team of engaged employees. But why, exactly, is this so important? What are the benefits of employee engagement?

Many things play into employee engagement. Things like how happy employees feel at work, how connected they are with their peers and manager, and how often they feel recognized and appreciated for their contributions are just a few factors of engagement.

When employees are truly engaged, teams go from being good to being great. Challenges turn into opportunities, outcomes turn into achievements, and people give it their all. Let's explore this more closely.

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Managers are often told that they need to work on employee engagement. However, the concept of engagement is sometimes hard to understand. We built a list of 10 important benefits to help you understand what employee engagement really looks like.

10 Benefits of employee engagement

The reason employee engagement is so important is simple: it affects all aspects of work. Benefits around engagement impact employees, teams, managers, and the organization as a whole.

1. Better team performance

Employee engagement doesn't just benefit individual employees – it benefits the team. This is because engaged employees perform at a higher level. And when you have a group of engaged employees working together, the team naturally performs at its best as well.

Not only that, but employee morale can be really contagious. When team members are surrounded by driven and motivated peers who care about what they do, they're more likely to feel engaged in their own roles. Individual engagement leads to team engagement, and individual performance improves team performance.

2. Increased employee productivity

Highly engaged employees are more efficient and produce higher-quality work. Why? Because they're personally invested in their job, and their performance matters to them. They're aligned with the team and business goals, and accountable for their individual contribution. This means increased productivity on your team and greater returns for your business.

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Check-in on employee engagement in every one-on-one meeting. If you spot a drop in performance or productivity, it could be an indication of disengagement.

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3. Achieved team objectives

Speaking of hitting targets, employee engagement plays a huge role in your team's success and achievements. As a manager, it's natural to focus your attention on your team's goals. But this doesn't mean you should neglect the employee engagement side as it has a direct, positive impact on your objectives.

It's a two-way street: team members that are aligned on goals feel more engaged, and engaged employees are more motivated to work towards common objectives.

Team members who believe in the vision will help you get there. And they do so because they are engaged in their work and aligned with your business strategy.

4. Less workplace stress

Engaged employees and disengaged employees alike are susceptible to stress at work. The difference lies in how it's managed, as well as the outcomes of that stress. And as a manager, your support will play a huge role here.

For engaged employees, some stress at work is usually much easier to manage and could even become a motivator. Employees who are engaged tend to be more self-aware and can better detect when their stress levels surpass a healthy threshold. They're also more prone to seek support from managers and peers when needed.

On the other hand, when engagement dwindles, stress can become unmanageable and sometimes even detrimental to people's well-being. And this is especially true when employees do not feel a sense of belonging at work and feel unsupported.

Be mindful of when and how you push people. Stress can be a sign that we're on the brink of something amazing! But it can also completely hinder us from reaching those achievements. Make sure your team members know that you have their backs and that stress is only okay if it's propelling them forward.

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💡Not sure how to detect signs of stress? Use our free survey template to help you assess your team's stress levels and uncover the root causes.

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5. Lower risk of burnout

Employee burnout, which the World Health Organization defines as an “occupational phenomenon… resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” is one of the biggest issues facing today's workforce.

When employees reach the point of burnout, it has serious consequences – for them, your team, and your organization. Burnout is bad news. But the upside? By keeping your employees engaged with their work and monitoring stress levels on your team, you're helping significantly lower their risk for burnout.

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Burnout symptoms to look out for: 

• Mental and physical exhaustion
• Lowered productivity
• Decreased sense of accomplishment
• Decreased job satisfaction
• And – you guessed it: lack of engagement with work

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6. Lower employee absenteeism

Absenteeism has become a big issue in recent years. In the United States alone, nearly one million people skip work each day due to stress. And alarmingly, those who take time off for mental health reasons are seven times more likely to be absent in the future.

When workloads become overwhelming and work-life balance feels unattainable, engagement falls and absenteeism takes a hike. So how can you help as a manager? You can improve employee engagement by fostering a motivating environment that prioritizes health and well-being. You'll see your engaged employees excited to show up for work (online or in person), innovate with ease, achieve goals, and perform at the highest level in no time.

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Reach out to employees when you notice changes in their behavior like taking more sick days or participating less in team meetings. Avoid coming from a place of frustration or judgment, and come from a place of care. Maybe something is going on that you couldn't have spotted otherwise, and you might even be able to help.

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7. ... And lower employee presenteeism as well

As Investopedia clearly puts it, presenteeism is "the lost productivity that occurs when employees are not fully functioning in the workplace because of an illness, injury, or other condition." These days, presenteeism is most often due to mental health issues like stress and anxiety. It traps employees in a negative loop where their challenges contribute to low productivity, and their low productivity causes more anxiety. The catch-22: employees dealing with presenteeism just end up "working" more to compensate.

Unlike absenteeism, the signs of presenteeism aren't stark, so it often goes unnoticed by managers until it becomes a bigger problem. The good news is that measuring employee engagement can help you detect whether your team is struggling and can point you in the right direction to improve your employee's experience at work.

Healthy and engaged employees that feel supported by their managers and peers naturally perform better at work. So, next time feel your team's productivity levels dipping, remember to create a virtuous circle of employee engagement.

8. Higher employee retention and lower turnover rates

If you want to build a high-performing team, you need your employees to stick around. It's hard for teams to do their best work if employees are constantly cycling in and out. When long-standing employees leave, they take valuable knowledge and expertise with them. Plus, training new hires is a significant investment of time, energy, and resources.

An engaged, satisfied employee who's committed to their objectives is less likely to leave. So by improving employee retention rates, you'll have more engaged employees that make your team stronger, more experienced, and better equipped to hit targets.

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Conduct stay interviews regularly. Unlike exit interviews, stay interviews help you spot a disengaged employee before a valuable team member leaves. Every three months, ask your employees what's keeping them at the company and what they enjoy about their work.

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9. Strong ambassadorship and employer brand

A great employer brand is key to business success and it starts with high employee engagement. An engaged employee is more likely to vouch for their organization, and this ambassadorship is worth more than gold in today's labor market.

In fact, highly engaged organizations are usually raved about externally on job search platforms like Glassdoor and through word-of-mouth. So if you're looking to be on everyone's list of dream workplaces, you'll want to make sure your ambassadors are satisfied and motivated at all times. Employee engagement surveys are a great tool to keep these metrics in check.

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📏 Measure employee engagement by calculating your employee Net Promoter Score. This metric will paint a clear picture of your team's ambassadorship levels and their likeliness to promote your organization as a great place to work.

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10. Easier recruitment

It's no surprise that when your employer brand shines, HR's job becomes way easier in the recruitment process. Candidates want to be 100% sure when deciding to join an organization, so they're sure to scour online reviews or their networks for the scoop on what it's like to work at your company.

If your employee engagement is strong, you have nothing to fret about. In fact, your employees are probably doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to attracting top talent simply by speaking highly about their positive experiences at work. And considering that 66% of candidates want to hear more from employees, you'll want to continue involving engaged employees throughout your recruitment.

How to improve employee engagement in your team

Your employee engagement strategy is a part of how you manage your team and doesn't have to add to your workload. Here are some engagement ideas you can try.

Make a healthy work-life balance non-negotiable

No matter how much employees love what they do, if they're overwhelmed or always on, they're going to burn out and disengage. Strong company culture will encourage a healthy work-life balance, which leads to a more engaged workforce. This is especially important on remote or distributed teams, where it's easy for the line between “work” and “home” to blur even more.  As a manager, you can make balance the norm on your team.

Set clear, firm expectations and boundaries around work communication, business hours, and taking time off. Openly encourage people to take breaks, book long weekends, and pursue their passions outside of work. Make sure that everyone feels comfortable logging off early if they've completed their work for the day.

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Ask the right questions to learn more about your team's well-being with these employee wellness surveys.

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Measure employee engagement, and talk about it

An employee engagement survey is a great way to collect information on how your people are feeling. Measuring employee engagement helps you spot any issues before they spiral into bigger problems. Officevibe's employee engagement software sends weekly surveys to every member of your team so you can keep a pulse on engagement levels.

Plus, you can collect employee feedback on an ongoing basis. From there, you can plan (and keep track of your notes) directly in the one-on-one software, so engagement is always a talking point.

Help your team set - and achieve - their goals

Your team will be more engaged when they feel like they're making meaningful contributions to collective business objectives.

First, help them understand those objectives. Then you can work together with them to set team goals that are aligned. Finally, set individual goals with team members so they have a clear path forward and something to strive toward.

You can set and track individual goals with each employee using Officevibe, and connect them to team goals in the app. Plus, it's easy to set smaller action items in every one-on-one, and then add it as a talking point for your next meeting so you're sure to follow up. This makes goal progression a part of every discussion, so employees feel supported and empowered.

Employee engagement leads to higher-performing teams

Employee engagement is a crucial part of high-performing teams. Now that you know the benefits of employee engagement, you can put these suggestions into practice – and watch your team thrive as a result.

Want to see where your team stand? Sign up for Officevibe and start measuring your employee engagement today.

As the manager of a growing company, you are faced with the challenge of delegating tasks.

And yes, it is quite a challenge!

Let’s face it: you simply can’t do everything on your own. But at the same time, delegating relatively simple tasks that must be flawlessly executed can also be a difficult thing. 

There is always a risk that something will go wrong if you are not involved in the process. And when something does go wrong, it reflects poorly on you as a manager.

So what’s the solution ?

Developing a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) is a great starting point. 

Creating standard operating procedures may seem like a daunting task, but it is actually relatively simple. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating SOPs for your business and making your delegating process easier.

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What is an SOP

Standard operating procedures are detailed, step-by-step instructions that describe exactly how a task needs to be accomplished. SOPs leave no room for error and guarantee that the tasks are executed in a coherent and efficient manner each time.

A good example would be the addition of a new collection on the website of an online sales company. The SOP would detail how to: 

• Create new items
• Insert photos
• Add descriptions
• List the selling price

Any other relevant information

The benefits of creating SOPs for your business

Why should you create standard operating procedures?

It may be a lot of work in the short-term, but pretty soon you will be benefiting exponentially from it.

Creating standard operating procedures for your business has many benefits.

1. Increased efficacy and productivity

When SOPs are implemented, tasks are completed quickly and without errors (or with a lot fewer errors). The result is an increased overall efficacy and productivity.

And productivity leads to less spending and more results!

2. Lower error risk and less wasted time

By eliminating approximations around how a task should be executed, you reduce the error risk considerably. Ultimately, this reduces the amount of time wasted and the resources needed for error correction.

3. Improved quality control

Standard operating procedures help ensure that tasks are executed in a consistent and accurate manner. This yields better quality control and a higher customer satisfaction.

4. Increased security

When SOPs are followed, the risk of injury or accident is reduced. By creating a safer work environment for your employees, you also help protect your company’s good reputation. 

5. Greater result consistency

Standard operating procedures help to ensure that tasks are performed in the same way every time, thus standardizing internal practices. 

Greater result consistency is essential for companies that depend on quality control! 

6. Easier onboarding of new employees

SOPs facilitate onboarding new employees on company procedures and expectations. This reduces the onboarding time and ensures that new employees are productive and aligned with the company needs, from the very beginning!

7. Reduced employee stress and frustration

When standard operating procedures are implemented, employees know exactly what is expected of them. There is no confusion about what needs to be done, by whom and how.

And who doesn’t want a more positive work environment where stress and frustration levels are minimized?

8. Increased customer satisfaction

By ensuring that tasks are executed with precision and consistency, standard operating procedures help increase customer satisfaction. 

This is an essential aspect for your business, since it relies on your clients’ loyalty to grow and succeed sustainably. 

Types of SOPs

Standard operating procedure formats can vary. However, regardless of the type of SOP you choose, they should always include the following 5 elements:

• Goals: A standard operating procedure should describe in detail the purpose and objectives of one’s tasks. We must be able to identify the needs that each SOP addresses (internal or external). 
• Procedures : An SOP not only describes activities but also sets standards for executing them. Procedures are a step-by-step description of the actions that need to be performed by an employee, in a format that is easy to understand. 
• Scope : The scope of an SOP is its use and mode of application (who, where, when, how).
• Responsibilities : SOPs must describe who is responsible for carrying out the activities and who should be contacted in case of difficulties. SOPs should also indicate who is responsible for implementing, monitoring and updating them. 
• Accountability measures : SOPs aim to strengthen self-reliance. The accountability of assigned projects is reinforced by the definition of each employee’s responsibilities. 

The checklist

A checklist is a simple list of tasks that must be completed to execute a specific process. It is accessible at a glance and can be used as a quick reference guide. 

Pros

• Does not require a long reading time or comprehension
• Can be quickly consulted

Cons

• Important steps can easily be forgotten
• May not be suitable for complex processes

The step-by-step list

A step-by-step list is a more complete version of the regular checklist. As the name suggests, it describes each task in detail and lists the steps needed to accomplish it, just like a recipe.

Pros

• Ensures that no important steps are forgotten
• Is suitable for complex processes

Cons

• Creating it can be a lengthy process
• May be difficult for some employees to track

Hierarchical steps

Hierarchy is a more organized way of representing the steps of a process. It can be useful for more visual employees. 

Pros

• More visually appealing than regular checklists
• Easier to follow for some employees

Cons

• May take longer to create
• Could not be suitable for very complex processes

Organizational chart

An organizational chart is a diagram that lists the steps of a process, in different situations. Again, this is a way to help more visual employees grasp information and adapt to possible situations.

Pros

• Can be used to solve problems
• Offers alternative options for specific situations

Cons

• Is more complex to create
• May not be suitable for all types of processes

Technical SOPs vs Management SOPs

There are two types of standard operating procedures: technical procedures and management procedures. 

Technical SOPs

These standard operating procedures focus on the specifics of performing a task, such as the steps that must be followed, their order, the tools and material needed. 

Technical SOPs are usually developed by experts and are used by the following departments: quality control, research and development (R&D) and manufacturing.

Management SOPs

Management SOPs focus on the overall management of a process. They include procedures for planning, monitoring and controlling. 

Management SOPs are typically created by senior managers and are used by all the departments of an organization. 

8-step guide to easily create SOPs

Creating standard operating procedures doesn’t have to be complicated. The goal is, among other things, to improve efficiency and not create more work. 

Here are 8 easy steps for creating and optimizing SOPs.

1. Collect information on the steps of the task

Data gathering is the first step and it cannot be overlooked if you want to create efficient SOPs. To do this, you can observe employees while they perform a task or ask them to describe the steps they are performing. 

2. Choose a format

There are several formats you can use for your SOP, including checklists, step-by-step lists, hierarchical steps and organizational charts.

You can choose the format that suits your needs, but keep in mind that the simpler it is, the better. You want your employees to be able to understand and follow operational procedures, not get caught in a maze of steps. 

3. Consult with relevant employees

Once you have gathered the steps for the task and chosen a format, it is important that you consult with the employees who will be using the SOP to make sure it is clear and easy to follow. And in order to be even more efficient, you can support them through the process so they become internal procedure pros!

4. Identify the essential elements

Some elements are essential for an SOP to be efficient, while others may be useful but not necessary.

Make a list of both so you can prioritize what needs to be included. 

5. Write the SOP

Once you have all the information you need, you can start writing the standard operating procedure. The point is to include all the essential elements and keep it as simple and concise as possible.  

In order for all concerned employees to have access to it, add the SOP to an online knowledge management system!

6. Implement the procedure

It’s time to implement your new SOP!

The first step is obviously to train your employees on how to use it and provide them all the resources they may need for doing so. For each new procedure, you could create a short example video or simply schedule the time to do it for the first time with the employees involved in the process.

7. Test the SOP

After implementing your SOP, it is important to test it to make sure it is easy to follow. You can ask your employees to use the SOP to perform a task and give you their feedback. 

This is the equivalent of a compliance check step. If they can do it without a problem, your SOP is effective, If not, you may need to revise it. 

8. Make necessary revisions

Depending on the feedback you get, you can improve your SOP. Remember to consult with your employees again before making any changes. Once the final version is satisfactory, you can distribute it to the pertinent departments. 

« Must have » vs « nice to have »

When creating SOPs, it is important to prioritize steps. Certain steps, such as those pertaining to safety or regulatory compliance, are essential and should be considered crucial (must have).

For example, in a restaurant, the step of disinfecting dishes would be considered essential.

Other steps, although not essential, can prove to be important and should be included, if possible (nice to have).

For example, an additional module on the dishwashing system would be a step to be added without being required for compliance with sanitary standards. 

Common errors in SOP management

There are a few common mistakes that organizations make when creating standard operating procedures. 

1. Not consulting employees sufficiently

When creating an SOP, it is important to consult with the employees who will use it. This will ensure that the SOP is well written and easy to understand. 

2. Creating SOPs that are not accessible

A standard operating procedure must be easy to navigate and use. If this is not the case, employees will be less inclined to use it and all your work will yield very few results. 

3. Lacking updated procedures

Standard operating procedures must evolve with your business. They need to be updated to stay relevant and efficient. Otherwise, they will become obsolete and may no longer meet your business needs.

4. Not monitoring compliance

Once an SOP is set up, your job is just beginning!

Monitor its compliance to ensure that employees follow it with the same rigor over time. This can be done through audits or checks. 

5. Making changes without getting employees involved

As your business evolves, you may have to revise your standard operational procedures. As for the creation step, consult with your employees and get their feedback before making any changes. If they are not involved, they may be more reluctant to use the SOPs and it will be difficult to introduce new ones.

Create and implement your first SOP with Workleap LMS

A Learning Management System (LMS) can be a great tool for creating and managing your SOP.

Beyond being able to structure your procedures into steps, you can easily create the content in your online platform. Above all, you decide who accesses what!

Let’s evaluate together how Workleap LMS can facilitate the development, implementation and monitoring of standard operating procedures in you business.

Contact us today to request a free demo.