If CX is Customer Experience, what is EX? Well, perhaps it’s easier to start with what it’s not. EX is not new and improved HR nor is it employee perks such as a table tennis table steps away from your desk. Your motivation to join a company should predominantly be because you are excited about the role you’re being hired to do, but there are many other factors that will determine which company you choose to work for. A company’s culture is something that you can enjoy and feel satisfied by whilst doing your job every day. Culture should be all encompassing. Whilst employee branding is something companies spend millions on, it’s that day to day culture and feel that is what keeps an employee happy and engaged. Stats prove that engaged employees will work harder and be more productive which will lead to better growth for the company. With engaged employees a company is also less likely to lose its top talent to competitors. Companies should aim to set someone up for success when they join and that contributes hugely to EX.

So why is EX important? Well, it’s a candidate’s market out there. Yes, the bar is high for companies hiring. But there are a lot of strong candidates in the market. And salary isn’t the make or break factor in choosing a job now. It’s stretches much further to benefits, culture, corporate social responsibility and more. A company’s employees should be its brand ambassadors and if they love working for the company, then that will come across to potential hires and be a key influencer in their decision. The authentic voice of the employee will reach far further than seeing cool perks in an office or great branding on a website. So, why is 2018 going to be the year of EX and why is it important? Hiring good people is easy. Hiring great people is not. So once you’ve hired great people, set them up for success and ensure that their employee experience is so great that they don’t leave.