Skip to main content
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
    Close
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
  • mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
SHRM Business
  • HR Solutions
    • Elevate HR Skills & Organizational Capabilities
      Empower Talent Management & Acquisition
      Support AI Adoption & Execution
      Manage Organizational Change
      Create an Inclusive & Diverse Workplace
      HR Tools Marketplace
  • Leadership Solutions
    • Linkage

      Talent and leadership development solutions that drive measurable business results.

      • Advancing Women Leaders
      • Accelerating Purposeful Leadership
      • Linkage Institute
      Executive Network

      The executive support you need for tackling obstacles that lead to meaningful workplace change.

      • About EN
      • Executive Insights
      • EN Event Experience
  • Brand Partnerships
    • Advertise With Us
      Exhibit & Sponsor Events
      Become a Recertification Provider
      Executive Positioning
  • Events & Insights
    • Resources
      • Assessments
      • Corporate Membership
      • News
      • Research
      Attend as a Team
      • Certifications & Learning Systems
      • Conferences & Events
      • Education Programs
      • Training & Development
Buy Team Packages
Close
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
  • HR Solutions
    back
    HR Solutions
    • Elevate HR Skills & Organizational Capabilities
      Empower Talent Management & Acquisition
      Support AI Adoption & Execution
      Manage Organizational Change
      Create an Inclusive & Diverse Workplace
      HR Tools Marketplace
  • Leadership Solutions
    back
    Leadership Solutions
    • Linkage

      Talent and leadership development solutions that drive measurable business results.

      • Advancing Women Leaders
      • Accelerating Purposeful Leadership
      • Linkage Institute
      Executive Network

      The executive support you need for tackling obstacles that lead to meaningful workplace change.

      • About EN
      • Executive Insights
      • EN Event Experience
  • Brand Partnerships
    back
    Brand Partnerships
    • Advertise With Us
      Exhibit & Sponsor Events
      Become a Recertification Provider
      Executive Positioning
  • Events & Insights
    back
    Events & Insights
    • Resources
      • Assessments
      • Corporate Membership
      • News
      • Research
      Attend as a Team
      • Certifications & Learning Systems
      • Conferences & Events
      • Education Programs
      • Training & Development
  • Buy Team Packages
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
SHRM Business
mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
Close

  1. Executive News & Insights
  2. Creating a Great Employee Experience: March 2024 EN:Insights Forum
Share
  • Linked In
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus convallis sem tellus, vitae egestas felis vestibule ut.


Error message details.

Copy button
Reuse Permissions

Request permission to republish or redistribute SHRM content and materials.


Learn More
Research

Creating a Great Employee Experience: March 2024 EN:Insights Forum

April 1, 2024 | Brian O’Connor

You’ve heard of employee engagement, but how about “employee experience?” According to SHRM Senior Researcher Kristina Meacham, employee experience is a more holistic way of quantifying how workers feel about their jobs, akin to the better-known “customer experience” metric. By including factors beyond engagement, such as work environment, culture, worker autonomy, and interactions with co-workers, employee engagement expands the scope of what HR can measure.

“Employee experience wants to look at the totality and of what it’s like to work at an organization at a very broad level,” Meacham said during the March 2024 EN:Insights Forum. “If you add employee experience to the mix, you’re going to be able to improve your ability to predict organizational success.”

Here are five key takeaways from her research presentation.

Research Insight 1: It’s important to measure employee experience, but there’s no standard for how employee experience should be operationalized in the workplace.

  • Out of 10 workplace considerations, both workers and HR professionals agreed that the most important factor was the work itself.
  • “Your manager” ranked in the top three considerations for both groups.
  • Although HR professionals valued “organizational culture” as third most important, workers ranked it eighth most important.
  • While workers ranked “your co-workers” as second most important, HR professionals ranked it fourth most important.

Research Insight 2: For another way to examine how employee experience influences an organization, researchers asked, “What is HR’s most important responsibility?”

Both workers and HR professionals listed the top priority as “creating a positive employee experience.” This brings us back to the question: How do we measure employee experience?

Research Insight 3: One measurement to consider is the employee experience index created by Jacob Morgan in 2017. His index evaluates 17 items divided into three categories: physical work environment, organizational culture, and quality of tools and technology provided to workers. Each area has a few key elements that enhance the employee experience when present.

Signs that Tools and Technology Support a Great Employee Experience

  • The right tools are available to everyone who needs them.
  • The employer uses consumer-grade technology, which is good enough that employees would consider using something similar in their personal lives.
  • The technology meets employee needs and reflects how employees perform tasks, as well as meeting the needs of the business.

Signs that a Physical Space Supports a Great Employee Experience:

  • Employees are proud of the space and want to show it off to friends or family.
  • The space offers flexibility.
  • The environment reflects the organization’s values.
  • Multiple workspace options, such as open and closed offices, modern cubicles, lounge areas, cafe environments, and quiet areas, are leveraged in tandem.

Signs that a Culture Supports a Great Employee Experience:

  • The company is viewed positively by employees and the public.
  • Everyone feels valued.
  • Employees feel a sense of purpose.
  • The culture supports inclusion, equity, and diversity.
  • Employees feel like they’re part of a team.
  • Talent referrals come from employees.
  • Employees have the resources they need to learn and advance.
  • The organization treats employees fairly.
  • Executives and managers are coaches and mentors.
  • Employee health and wellness are prioritized.

Research Insight 4: This gives us a way to look at how this index meshes with other measurements we already collect and analyze. When HR professionals and workers were asked which of the 17 items from Morgan’s index were most important, both groups highlighted four cultural considerations:

  • Feeling you are part of a team.
  • Feeling a sense of purpose.
  • Feeling you are fairly treated.
  • Feeling valued.

Research Insight 5: Many organizations already measure job satisfaction and turnover, two elements that predict organizational success. As engagement and satisfaction go up, organizational outcomes will improve. Add employee experience to those measurements and the ability to predict organizational success increases.

  • Employees who report high engagement and employee experience scores are about six times more likely to report high job satisfaction.
  • Better employee experience (especially culture) reduces turnover.
  • Within a negative culture, approximately 42% of workers will consider quitting.
  • A positive culture cuts likely turnover, with about 9% of workers thinking of quitting.

Key Takeaways

Measuring employee engagement and employee experience provides a more complete picture of job satisfaction and retention.

  • The first step is to define what employee experience means for your organization, how to measure it, and how to take action to shape it. Positive change is impossible without agreement on the end goal.
  • Creating a positive culture is crucial. The four criteria that HR professionals and workers agree are most important in creating the employee experience can help form the basis of an action plan for improvement. They are:

o   Being part of a team.

o   Having a sense of purpose.

o   Being treated fairly.

o   Being valued for your contributions. 

Engagement


Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

​An organization run by AI is not a futuristic concept. Such technology is already a part of many workplaces and will continue to shape the labor market and HR. Here's how employers and employees can successfully manage generative AI and other AI-powered systems.



Related Content

Kelly Dobbs Bunting speaks onstage at SHRM24
(opens in a new tab)
News
Why AI+HI Is Essential to Compliance

HR must always include human intelligence and oversight of AI in decision-making in hiring and firing, a legal expert said at SHRM24. She added that HR can ensure compliance by meeting the strictest AI standards, which will be in Colorado’s upcoming AI law.

(opens in a new tab)
News
A 4-Day Workweek? AI-Fueled Efficiencies Could Make It Happen

The proliferation of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the ensuing expected increase in productivity and efficiency, could help usher in the four-day workweek, some experts predict.

(opens in a new tab)
News
How One Company Uses Digital Tools to Boost Employee Well-Being

Learn how Marsh McLennan successfully boosts staff well-being with digital tools, improving productivity and work satisfaction for more than 20,000 employees.

HR Daily Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest HR news, trends, and expert advice each business day.

Success title

Success caption

Manage Subscriptions
Our Brands

SHRM Foundation Logo
SHRM Executive Network Logo
CEO Circle Logo
SHRM Business Logo
SHRM Linkage Logo
SHRM Labs
Overview

  • About SHRM
  • Careers at SHRM
  • Press Room
  • Contact SHRM
  • Book a SHRM Executive Speaker
  • Advertise with Us
  • Post a Job
Advocacy

  • Workforce Development
  • Workplace Inclusion
  • Workplace Flexibility & Leave
  • Workplace Governance
  • Workplace Health Care
  • Workplace Immigration
  • State Affairs
  • Global Policy
  • Advocacy Team
  • Take Action
  • Generation Cares
  • The Section 127 Coalition
Member Resources

  • Ask An Advisor
  • SHRM Newsletters
  • SHRM Flagships
  • Topics & Tools
  • Find an HR Job
  • Vendor Directory

© 2025 SHRM. All Rights Reserved
SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Disclaimer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

  1. Privacy Policy

  2. Terms of Use

  3. Accessibility

Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Member Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Limit Reached

Get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join to access unlimited articles and member-only resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join the Executive Network and enjoy unlimited content.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join and enjoy unlimited access to SHRM Executive Network Content.

Already a member?
Unlock Your Career with SHRM Membership

Please enjoy this free resource! Join SHRM for unlimited access to exclusive articles and tools.

Already a member?

Your membership is almost expired! Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew now

Your membership has expired. Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew Now

Your Executive Network membership is nearing its expiration. Renew now to maintain access.

Renew Now

Your membership has expired. Renew your Executive Network benefits today.

Renew Now