When considering how these two experiences work together, it’s a simple equation:
Employee Experience (EX) + Customer Experience (CX) = Customer Success (CS)
Keep in mind, it’s not to say that this equation automatically ensures your customer will achieve success; instead, EX and CX combined result in the all-important successful relationship with your customers (which, hopefully, will then lead to your customers’ business success).
Unfortunately, all too often, decision-makers only focus on CX, totally neglect the EX, and then wonder why the desired results did not manifest. Engaging in that positive experience in BOTH areas is critical to arriving at Customer Success as your end result.
The Facts
Questioning this equation? Take a look at the facts.
A Forbes Insight-Salesforce study found that companies that prioritize EX in order to deliver a premium CX achieve 1.8x faster revenue growth. A West Monroe survey of CX professionals found that nearly 50% of respondents stated that a motivated and equipped workforce resulting from positive EX was the single most critical factor in their organization’s ability to improve CX. This Gallup report found that companies with high engagement and positive EX are 21% more profitable than those with low EX.
In other words, when you take care of your employees, they’ll take care of your customers. In turn, you’ll likely notice revenue growth and higher profits (as well as reduced turnover and greater customer loyalty).
Again, EX + CX = CS.
But How Can You Improve EX to Reap the CS Benefits?
This is an especially difficult question for decision-makers to answer, especially now, as many teams are working remotely. When there are so many uncontrolled factors at play (your remote team’s remote work environment, the demand on many remote workers to provide child care while simultaneously working, etc.), how do you ensure a positive EX?
While the challenge might seem overwhelming, McKinsey notes that the present time is a perfect opportunity to address EX, in part because many employees feel their employers responded well to the initial remote work move during the pandemic. In fact, nearly 80% of employees in McKinsey’s survey indicated that their organization responded to the crisis appropriately and employees were equipped with the necessary information and tools to adjust to the “new normal.” This created a level of trust in leadership that gives decision-makers a solid foundation on which to improve EX moving forward.
McKinsey further found there were 10 EX factors that overall improved not only engagement but also work effectiveness. These included organizational stability, compensation and benefits, trust in leadership, relationship with the company, non-financial recognition, organizational fairness, involvement, respect, equality, and personal alignment with the organization’s purpose and values.
Focus on your priority areas first, whether that’s by providing non-financial recognition or ensuring your employees have a balanced work and home life (which McKinsey points out is part of ensuring personal alignment with the organization’s purpose and values).
Make It Personal
As is the case with most post-pandemic, employee-related decisions, all other decisions regarding your EX have to be fairly personalized in order to make a difference. While it’s safe to assume that all employees want organizational involvement and equality, that will look different according to each individual. Men, women, parents, non-parents, minorities, remote workers, and in-office workers — their EX needs will differ and it’s up to your EX-team to uncover the best ways to fill those needs.
In many instances, you can improve your EX by employing some of the principles that you likely already use when it comes to your CX. A recent article from the Qualtrics XM Institute explains: “For EX leaders, in particular, coming together can provide an avenue for them to learn from their CX peers — who have been establishing CX management programs inside organizations — about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to experience management (XM).”
The Qualtrics Institute further defines three key areas where EX and CX principles overlap: perception of experiences, personalization, and the experiencer’s “journey” (whether that’s the buyer’s journey on the CX side or an employee’s journey within the company on the EX side).
Looking more specifically at where EX and CX intersect, though, there are specific areas where organizations can improve. The Forbes Insight-Salesforce study mentioned above states that “two of the actions companies can take to address this are incentivizing employees on CX metrics and creating cross-functional teams to tackle both CX and EX.”
The Equation in Action
Regardless of what approach you’re taking for your CX, EX, or both, the equation remains:
Employee Experience + Customer Experience = Customer Success
